From the pastures of Normandy, Isigny Sainte-Mère feeds 2.5 million babies in nearly 100 countries and brings its exceptional dairy products to supermarket shelves across the U.S. and into the kitchens of some of the world’s top chefs. This global reach comes with significant challenges: distant markets, complex regulations, and a wide range of trading partners. Behind this export success is a proactive approach to managing commercial risk, developed over more than 30 years in partnership with Coface.
Benoît Aubry, chief financial officer, explains how Isigny Sainte-Mère turns risk into a lever for growth.
Masterful Exporting: From Century-Old Cooperative to Global Player
Isigny Sainte-Mère in Normandy, France, is rooted in its land and in generations of agrifood families. For more than a century, the company has navigated economic crises and industrial change without ever stepping away from its cooperative model.
That model is brought to life by 1,250 employees and hundreds of farming families who transform its distinctive milk into an exceptional range of products recognized worldwide, including Isigny AOP butter, Isigny AOP cream, Camembert de Normandie, Label Rouge Mimolette and world-class infant milk powder. These products are sold on every continent and today account for several hundred million euros in export revenue.
What cannot be relocated, its region, its expertise and its protected origin labels, is exactly what draws customers from around the world. But operating in more than 100 countries also means managing a wide range of risks, including commercial, regulatory, financial, environmental, technological and cultural. Each new market represents far more than a commercial contract.
When exporting, we cannot afford to improvise.
When we make a decision, we are committing to far more than just turnover: we are accountable to producers and consumers worldwide.
Benoît Aubry, Chief Financial Officer of Isigny Sainte-Mère.
A century-old model, products exported to more than 100 countries and 2.5 million babies fed every day. And the conviction that growth and protection go hand in hand. In this video, discover how Isigny Sainte-Mère keeps its world open despite commercial uncertainty:
Infant milk powder for Asia: “We were able to say yes: amidst uncertainty BUT with complete confidence!”
In a global environment marked by economic instability, regulatory complexity and rising commercial risk, expanding internationally requires discipline. At Isigny Sainte-Mère, that discipline is built on rigorous credit risk management and a deep understanding of trading partners. For more than 30 years, the company has worked with Coface to make informed decisions, including in particularly complex situations.
The development of infant milk powder production is a clear example. This business has become strategic and depends heavily on the Asian market, a fast-growing region with strong potential but also strict health regulations and demanding compliance standards that require significant industrial investment.
Entering this market required a long-term vision and a precise assessment of country and sector risk before making a commitment. It was a pivotal decision that relied on a structured approach and detailed analysis of business partners. That foundation made it possible to move forward with confidence and build a strong presence in a key market.
Without a comprehensive risk assessment, we would never have embarked on such a project, nor invested so heavily in our production capacity. When exporting to distant markets, having the support of a reliable partner with risk expertise makes all the difference… So we were able to say yes. Amidst uncertainty BUT with complete confidence!”
Benoît Aubry, Chief Financial Officer of Isigny Sainte-Mère
Today, infant milk powder produced in Isigny-sur-Mer feeds nearly 2.5 million babies in around 100 countries and accounts for more than 60 percent of revenue.
Daring to grow: how to make risk a development opportunity
This same approach guides global expansion efforts. When entering the U.S. market at the request of a major retail player, Isigny Sainte-Mère adapted its cheese range to meet the retailer’s expectations. It was more than a product adjustment. It required a significant industrial commitment.
A bold and stressful challenge, but once again: we were able to analyse, compare the information, assess the risk… and seize this opportunity.
Benoît Aubry, Chief Financial Officer of Isigny Sainte-Mère
Today, Isigny Sainte-Mère exports to every continent and generates more than €300 million in revenue abroad. For more than 30 years, managing commercial risk has been central to its strategy. This structured approach allows the company to turn uncertainty into a driver of growth while protecting its model, diversifying its activities and supporting its stakeholders.
“We do not simply absorb risk. We integrate it into our decision-making. That is how we continue to grow and stay in control, even in an unpredictable environment.”
Because it works with the right partners, risk becomes an opportunity rather than a constraint.
We don’t simply endure risk; we integrate it into our decision-making: that’s how we dare to grow and stay in full control of our journey, despite unpredictability.
Because we have the right partners to turn risk into opportunity. Managing risk isn’t about closing all your doors: it’s about protecting yourself so you can keep opening new ones. That’s it, Keeping your world open!
Benoît Aubry, Chief Financial Officer of Isigny Sainte-Mère
You, too, Can Keep Your World Open
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