On a mission: Wessanen becomes Ecotone to focus on ‘food for biodiversity’

Wessanen, a pioneer of organic and vegetarian food for 30 years – best known for leading brands such as Bjorg, Clipper, Bonneterre, Allos, El Granero and Isola Bio – has become Ecotone to focus on a “Food for Biodiversity”. 

Newly headquartered in Lyon, the company is to become a mission driven company under French law and is drawing up a biodiversity commitment plan that it says “goes beyond the organic standards”.

For more than 30 years we have chosen organic and vegetarian food as our main pillars. Becoming Ecotone gives us the opportunity to further strengthen the focus on our mission

Over the last 30 years Wessanen has sought to build an alternative food model in Europe. It views vegetarian and organic food as the “two main pillars and effective alternatives to intensive agriculture and livestock that threaten biodiversity today”.

By 2030 the company is to commit to:

• further grow the share of its turnover of organic products to 90% and of vegetarian products to 95%.
• “Defy food standardisation” and guarantee that that two thirds of its products are not based on the nine over consumed global commodities(wheat, rice, corn, soybeans, palm oil, etc) that more than 65% of Global diets are based on.
• triple the volume of strategic raw materials grown using agricultural practices exceeding organic specifications in order to increase biodiversity (eg. agri-ecological practices, under cover, long crop rotation)

In 2019, Wessanen became the first European International Food group to be certified B Corp, one of the most demanding CSR labels. In 2020, following the relocation of its head office to Lyon, Ecotone is takes what it says is the next step, and adopting the status of a mission led company (‘entreprise a mission’) the French law ‘PACTE’.

Christophe Barnouin, CEO Ecotone commented: “For more than 30 years we have chosen organic and vegetarian food as our main pillars. Becoming Ecotone gives us the opportunity to further strengthen the focus on our mission “Food for biodiversity” and make it a visible commitment every day.”