Danone

Danone operates €27 billion revenue across 100,000 employees in 140+ countries through four divisions: dairy (Activia, Actimel), plant-based nutrition (Alpro, Silk), waters (Evian, Volvic), and specialized nutrition (Aptamil, Nutricia). This is adaptive radiation - one ancestor evolving into multiple forms optimized for different nutritional niches. Each division targets distinct customer needs: dairy for probiotics and fermentation, plant-based for lactose-intolerant and flexitarian consumers, water for hydration and mineralization, medical nutrition for infants and clinical needs.

The biological pattern is portfolio effect through functional complementarity. When dairy faces pressure from plant-based alternatives, Danone owns both sides of the shift. Alpro plant-based grew double-digits in Europe while traditional dairy stabilized. The company doesn't resist substitution; it profits from the transition. Waters provide recession-resistant baseline revenue. Medical nutrition delivers high margins but smaller volumes. The four divisions have different growth rates, margin profiles, and economic sensitivities - exactly like biodiversity provides stability through response diversity.

Fractal structure appears at every scale. Global corporate contains regional divisions (Europe, North America, China-North Asia, Rest of World), which contain category portfolios, which contain brands, which contain product lines. Each level operates as P&L-accountable unit with similar management structure - the same organizational pattern repeating at different scales. This distributes decision complexity: local managers optimize for their markets without requiring global coordination. But fractals create overhead: each nested level adds management cost.

The sustainability positioning shows strategic resource allocation. Danone became first listed company to adopt Entreprise à Mission legal status in France (2020), embedding social and environmental objectives into corporate bylaws. The B Corp certification across North American business (2018) signals costly commitment to stakeholder capitalism. When traditional food companies face growing pressure on environmental impact, water usage, and nutrition, Danone's early investments in regenerative agriculture, carbon-neutral operations, and healthier formulations create competitive moats through reputation. The company reduced absolute GHG emissions 13% vs 2015 while growing revenue - decoupling growth from environmental impact through operational efficiency. Food companies are organisms in changing selection environment. Those that adapt portfolio composition, organizational structure, and stakeholder commitments to shifting consumer preferences survive. Those defending legacy dairy-centric portfolios face declining relevance as consumption patterns shift toward plant-based, personalized, and sustainable nutrition.