Danone Expands Production as Flora Journey Covers 60% of Its Milk
Danone inaugurated the new line at its Poços de Caldas facility in August. The plant makes products under the YoPRO, Danone, Danette, Danoninho and Activia brands, and the company said the investment responds to the growing presence of protein in the diets of Brazilian consumers.
Mário Rezende, Danone Brazil’s vice-president of operations, said the expansion followed changes in eating habits observed over several years. The new line will increase output in the high-protein category, which Danone links to consumer concerns about wellbeing, satiety and longevity. The Poços de Caldas facility has received almost R$1bn in industrial investment in Brazil over the past decade.
The expansion also involves the company’s milk suppliers. Jornada Flora, Danone’s regenerative-agriculture programme, currently accounts for about 60% of the milk collected by the company in Brazil. Partner farmers receive technical support aimed at raising productivity, improving animal welfare and lowering emissions.
Since 2020, the programme has reduced the carbon-dioxide emissions factor in Danone’s fresh-milk chain by 50% and the methane factor by 43%, according to the company. The farms generate an average annual return of R$116 for every R$100 invested. Camilo Wittica, Danone Brazil’s vice-president of institutional affairs, said demand for quality protein required a more efficient and resilient supply chain.
Technology is also being used inside the plant. Conductivity sensors identify whether water, a mixture or finished product is moving through industrial pipes, a process intended to limit raw-material losses. Danone is assessing the same solution for use at other facilities.
The unit also operates 11 3D printers that reproduce plastic parts for factory equipment. The company said the printers shorten replacement times and give the operation greater autonomy.
Danone said the Poços de Caldas project forms part of its Jornada de Impacto, which combines economic performance with targets for nutrition, employee development and environmental regeneration through 2030. The company has held B Corp certification in Brazil since 2021 and globally since 2025. Danone has operated in Brazil for 55 years, recorded global sales of €27.4bn in 2024 and operates in more than 120 markets.
