Sodiaal

What Sodiaal does

Sodiaal is France's largest dairy cooperative, founded in 1964 and headquartered in Paris. It is owned by 14,511 dairy farmer-members who collectively control the enterprise, with the membership holding decision-making power over brands, production, and profit distribution. The cooperative employs approximately 9,104 people, of whom 8,888 are based in France, and operates 53 production sites producing liquid milk, ultra-fresh dairy (yogurt, fresh cheese), butter, cream, cheese including AOP varieties (Roquefort, Cantal, Emmental), milk powder, and dairy ingredients.

The portfolio spans three flagship consumer brands — Candia (milk), Yoplait (yogurt, distributed globally via franchise in 50+ countries), and Entremont (cheese, voted Preferred Brand of French Consumers in the Emmental category) — alongside a deep set of regional brands (Nature de Breton, Capitoul, Fromagerie Renard Gillard, La Fromagerie de Saint Flour) and B2B ingredients subsidiaries (Bonilait Protéines, Eurosérum, Nutribio, Nutri'babig). The cooperative also operates Sodiaal Professionnel, a dedicated foodservice division serving restaurants, catering, and institutional buyers. Disclosed 2024 revenue is €5.9 billion.

Sodiaal monetizes through branded consumer product sales via mass retail, B2B ingredients export, Yoplait international franchise royalties, and a dedicated foodservice channel. Recent strategic moves include the 2021 acquisition of Yoplait European operations and worldwide brand rights from General Mills, the January 2025 acquisition of Yoplait Liberté Canada, and a 2026 partnership for a $100 million dairy plant in Vietnam. The cooperative runs a multi-decade traceability program (La Route du Lait, 25+ years) and maintains SBTi-validated decarbonation commitments (30% absolute carbon reduction by 2030), with a €10 million annual sustainability bonus to farmers and a sector financing platform (Sodiaal Transitions) targeting €3 billion in transition investment mobilization.

Name

Sodiaal

Legal name

Sodiaal International, Société par actions simplifiée à associé unique

Website

https://sodiaal.coop

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Sodiaal is France's largest dairy cooperative, owned by 14,511 farmer-members, producing milk, cheese, butter, yogurt, and dairy ingredients across 53 sites. It operates iconic brands Candia, Yoplait, and Entremont, serving retail, foodservice, B2B ingredients, and international franchise customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dairy Products

NAICS

Dairy Product Manufacturing (3115), Dairy Product (except Frozen) Manufacturing (31151), Cheese Manufacturing (311513)

SIC

Dairy Products (2020), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Yogurt & Cultured Dairy (Yogurt, Kefir, Sour Cream, Cottage Cheese) (CRADACAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Butter & Cultured Dairy (Yogurt, Sour Cream, Kefir) Wholesale (AFAIAEAB), Specialty & Gourmet Foods Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAAAI)

Keywords

• Dairy cooperative products
• Consumer dairy brands
• Cheese and milk production
• Dairy ingredient supply
• Professional foodservice dairy

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices13 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Consumer Dairy Products: Sale of branded dairy products (milk, yogurt, cheese, butter, cream) to consumers through retail and supermarket channels under brands Candia, Yoplait, Entremont, and regional brands. Revenue from product sales across multiple categories: ultra-fresh dairy, milk/cream/butter, cheeses, and nutrition/ingredients.
2. International Brand Franchising: Yoplait operates internationally through franchise agreements with local dairy partners. Sodiaal, as owner of the Yoplait brand worldwide (acquired from General Mills in 2021 and Canada operations in 2025), collects licensing/franchise royalties from franchisees operating Yoplait in their territories.
3. Ingredients and Nutrition: B2B sale of dairy ingredients and nutritional products through subsidiaries such as Bonilait Protéines, Eurosérum, Nutribio, and Nutri'babig to food manufacturers and nutrition companies.
4. Sodiaal Transitions Platform: A funding platform that mobilizes financing for environmental and social transition projects in the dairy sector. The platform generates revenue through service fees on funded projects and by channelling investments toward farm transition (micro-méthanisation, photovoltaic, carbon footprint allocation, biodiversity projects).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Sodiaal is a French dairy cooperative that manufactures and sells liquid milk, cream, butter, ultra-fresh dairy products (yogurt, fresh cheese), cheeses (including AOP varieties such as Emmental and Roquefort), infant nutrition, and dairy ingredients through its portfolio of flagship brands (Candia, Yoplait, Entremont) and B2B ingredient subsidiaries (Bonilait, Eurosérum, Nutribio, Nutri'babig). The cooperative operates 53 production sites across France and distributes products through retail channels, professional foodservice (Sodiaal Professionnel), international franchise networks (Yoplait in 50+ countries), and B2B ingredient sales to food manufacturers.

Product overview

Sodiaal is a French dairy cooperative operating as a multi-brand portfolio company with 53 sites across France. The core offering centers on three flagship brands (Candia for milk, Yoplait for yogurts, Entremont for cheeses) supported by numerous regional brands and specialty subsidiaries. The portfolio includes fresh and UHT milk, butter, yogurts and fermented dairy, artisan and AOP cheeses (including Roquefort), infant nutrition (Nactalia), dairy proteins and ingredients (Bonilait, Euroserum), and professional food service solutions. Brands are organized under the 'Marques de Respect' collective marketing initiative emphasizing the cooperative's farmer ownership model.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Candia Baby: Infant formula and baby growth milk products
• Candia Viva
• Candy Up
• Yoplait Petits Filous
• Entremont
• Le Bio Pré de Vous
• Marques de Respect
• Sodiaal Transitions

Products and services

• Candia (milk brand) Flagship milk brand of Sodiaal offering fresh milk, UHT milk, organic milk, and dairy beverages including sub-brands Candia Baby (infant nutrition), Candia Viva, and Candy Up. Sold across French retail and foodservice channels under the Marques de Respect collective positioning.
• Yoplait (yogurt brand) Global yogurt brand created in 1965 by French dairy farmers, featuring yogurts, fermented dairy products, children's products under Petits Filous, and the brick yogurt range (OUI). Distributed internationally through franchise model in 50+ countries and owned worldwide by Sodiaal since the 2021 acquisition from General Mills.
• Entremont (cheese brand) Leading French cheese brand specializing in Emmental and alpine-style cheeses including sheep milk cheese cubes and raclette products. Voted 'Marque Préférée des Français' (Preferred Brand of French Consumers) in the Emmental category. Distributed across French retail under the Marques de Respect collective.
• Nactalia (infant nutrition) Infant nutrition brand offering infant formulas and baby food products meeting specialized nutritional requirements. Sold through retail and pharmacy channels targeting parents and caregivers of infants.
• Bonilait Protéines (dairy protein ingredients) B2B dairy protein ingredients brand serving food industry applications, including functional protein powders and specialized formulations for food manufacturers and nutritional product companies. Operates the Chasseneuil-du-Poitou production site.
• Eurosérum (dairy ingredients) Dairy ingredient specialist producing whey, lactose, and dairy fractions for food manufacturing and nutritional applications. Operates production sites at Quimper and Port-sur-Saône. Exports globally to food manufacturers, infant formula producers, and functional food companies.
• Sodiaal Professionnel (foodservice) Dedicated B2B foodservice division serving restaurants, catering companies, hotels, and institutional food service operators with dairy products including milkshakes and café lattés developed in partnership with Columbus Café. Targets the French and European professional channel.
• Nutribio (organic dairy ingredients) Subsidiary focused on organic and bio dairy ingredients and consumer products. Supplies organic dairy inputs to food manufacturers and offers organic consumer dairy lines.
• Yoplait Petits Filous (children's dairy snacks) Children's yogurt and dairy snack brand under the Yoplait umbrella, targeting parents of young children with portion-controlled, kid-friendly yogurt formats.
• Sodiaal Transitions (transition financing platform) Funding platform that mobilizes financing for environmental and social transition projects in the dairy sector. Generates revenue through service fees on funded projects and channels investments toward farm transition including micro-méthanisation, photovoltaic, carbon footprint allocation, and biodiversity projects. Estimated EUR 3 billion total sector transition financing need.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30% absolute carbon footprint reduction by 2030 (validated by SBTi)
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Prodezi Long An JSCminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 April 2026Vietnamese industrial park developer. Signed a land reservation agreement with Swiss Asia Partner SA to develop the $100 million 'Be Milk' dairy manufacturing plant in Tay Ninh province. Sodiaal participates as technology partner and franchise licensor through its Candia brand. The plant will use European-standard technologies and be built in two phases within the ESG-aligned Prodezi Industrial Park.
• OpenClimatminorOthers · 1 November 2025Sodiaal joined the OpenClimat platform in November 2025, a reference platform for sharing dairy sector carbon footprint and environmental data, as part of its transparency and decarbonation commitments.
• VIVÉAminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 October 2025Agricultural training fund. Partnership signed at the Sommet de l'Élevage to support the training and professional development of Sodiaal's member farmers, contributing to agricultural transition and skills development.
• CarrefourcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 July 2025Major French retail partner. Strategic partnership under the 'Sustainable Linked Business Plan' for joint sustainable transition initiatives. Sodiaal and Carrefour conduct farm visit programs ('Le Champ des Rencontres') bringing Carrefour consumers to Sodiaal member farms to strengthen the connection between consumers and French dairy farmers.
• General MillscoreOthers · 1 January 2025Sodiaal completed the acquisition of Yoplait and Liberté operations in Canada from General Mills in January 2025, following the earlier acquisition of Yoplait's European operations and worldwide brand rights in 2021. General Mills exited as a partner through this transaction, transferring full ownership and control of the Canadian dairy operations to Sodiaal.
• Altitude (Cooperative)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 November 2024Dairy cooperative based in the Massif Central. Altitude integrated the capital of Sodiaal in November 2024, deepening a historic partnership in French milk production. This capital alliance strengthens the cooperative network and milk collection coverage in the Massif Central region.
• Columbus CaféminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFrench coffee shop chain partnership for Candia café lattés and milkshake products, extending Sodiaal's consumer brand presence into the quick-service restaurant and coffee shop channel.
• Cossette (Advertising Agency)minorOthersQuebec-based advertising agency that developed the 'Taste, Always' campaign for Liberté's 90th anniversary, marking the brand's return under Sodiaal/Yoplait Liberté Canada following the January 2025 acquisition.
• Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi)minorOthersInternational climate organization (collaboration of UN, WWF, CDP, WRI) that validated Sodiaal's 30% absolute carbon reduction target by 2030, confirming alignment with the Paris Agreement and scientific recommendations.

Scale indicators19 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Lactalis: Privately held French dairy multinational and the world's largest dairy company. Directly comparable to Sodiaal as a French-headquartered competitor in milk, cheese, butter, and ingredients, with similar downstream brand portfolio (Président, Galbani, Lactel) and overlapping retail customers.
• Danone: Global French dairy and plant-based foods leader (€27B+ revenue). Closely comparable on yogurt and fresh dairy categories where Sodiaal's Yoplait competes, with overlapping retail distribution and a parallel push on sustainability and B-Corp positioning.
• Savencia Fromage & Dairy: French family-owned cheese and dairy specialist (Saint Albray, Caprice des Dieux, Elle & Vire). Directly competes with Sodiaal's Entremont brand and fromagerie subsidiaries in French cheese categories, with similar specialty/premium positioning.
• Bel Group: French cheese and healthy snack group (Laughing Cow, Babybel, Kiri). Comparable to Sodiaal in branded processed cheese, with overlapping retail distribution, similar French heritage, and parallel focus on portion-controlled and child-targeted cheese formats.
• Arla Foods: Danish-Swedish farmer-owned dairy cooperative (~€13B revenue). The closest structural analog to Sodiaal as a multi-country European dairy cooperative competing in branded dairy, ingredients, and cheese — useful for benchmarking cooperative governance and capital allocation.
• FrieslandCampina: Dutch dairy cooperative with global branded and B2B ingredients businesses. Comparable to Sodiaal on cooperative ownership, dairy ingredients exports (whey, milk powders), and presence in infant nutrition — directly competing in the B2B ingredients space.

Broad incumbents

• General Mills: Former Yoplait partner that exited Canada operations to Sodiaal in January 2025. Comparable as a large packaged-food incumbent that previously co-owned a major piece of Sodiaal's portfolio and continues to compete in adjacent refrigerated and yogurt-adjacent categories.
• Nestlé: World's largest food company, competing with Sodiaal across dairy, infant nutrition (Nactalia vs Nestlé Baby), and ingredients. Also a strategic partner via the Nestlé-financed micro-méthanisation program at Sodiaal member farms.

Emerging players

• Müller: German private dairy company with growing presence in yogurt and chilled dairy across Europe. Comparable to Sodiaal's Yoplait in premium yogurt formats and a relevant competitor in European retail listings.
• Emmi: Swiss listed dairy processor with a diversified portfolio across fresh dairy, cheese, and ingredients. Comparable to Sodiaal in scale (mid-sized European dairy) and category mix, with a stronger specialty/premium positioning in Switzerland.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@cooperativesodiaal
• Facebookfacebook.com/SodiaalCoop
• LinkedInfr.linkedin.com/company/sodiaal
• Instagraminstagram.com/sodiaalcoop
• Xx.com/SodiaalCoop

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A3 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sodiaal