Nestlé sets a plan to build a
regenerative food system
Nestlé is laying out its plans to
support and accelerate the transition to a regenerative food system – one that
aims to protect and restore the environment, improve the livelihoods of farmers
and enhance the well-being of farming communities. Nestlé will work with its
food system partners, including the company's network of more than 500,000
farmers and 150,000 suppliers, to advance regenerative farming practices at the
heart of the food system. As part of this journey, the company will also initiate new programs to help address the social
and economic challenges of the transition.
The announcement is being made in
the lead up to the UN Food Systems Summit in New York, as part of
Nestle's contribution to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
by 2030. It also follows the recent report from the United Nations'
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that shows the climate crisis is
intensifying.
"We know that regenerative
agriculture plays a critical role in improving soil health, restoring water
cycles and increasing biodiversity for the long term," said Paul Bulcke,
Chairman of Nestlé. "These outcomes form the foundation of sustainable
food production and, crucially, also contribute to achieving our
ambitious climate
targets."
Nestlé is a signatory of the UN Business
Ambition for 1.5°C pledge and was one of the first companies to share its
detailed, time-bound climate plan in December 2020. The company is taking
measures to halve its emissions by 2030 and achieve net zero by 2050.
"With our long-standing partnerships
with farming communities globally, we want to increase our support for farming
practices that are good for the environment and good for people," said
Mark Schneider, Nestlé CEO. "In the spirit of enabling a just
transition it is vital that we support farmers around the world that take on
the risks and costs associated with the move towards regenerative
agriculture."
Nestlé is
investing CHF 1.2 billion over the next five years to spark
regenerative agriculture across the company's supply chain in order to help
farmers adopt regenerative practices:
Nestlé is committed to supporting
improved and diversified farmer incomes through its sustainability programs.
Furthermore, It will implement new living income programs for farmers in its
value chain to make farming more attractive. Later this year, the company will
unveil specific plans for its coffee and cocoa supply chains.
To support young people who are
passionate about farming, it is also launching a new training platform in
November to attract and train the next generation of farmers. The training will
focus on regenerative agriculture practices and improving the resilience of
farms to climate change for more than 40,000 farmers participating in one of
Nestlé's agripreneurship programs.
Nestlé's regeneration efforts are
launching under the umbrella title of 'Generation Regeneration' focused on
farmers, youth, consumers and its own employees.