Nestlé will continue to reward sustainable agriculture

Nestlé has set itself strong climate targets. The food company wants to halve its CO2 emissions in the next 10 years and reach net zero by 2050. The approach focuses on regenerative agriculture, switching to renewable energy and increasing the supply of plants.

Nestlé is a signatory to the so-called 'Business Ambition for 1.5°C', a United Nations campaign. The food company is one of the first companies to reveal its plans for the coming years. These describe Nestlé's efforts to combat climate change. This includes supporting farmers and suppliers to promote regenerative farming.

Reward for farmers
Nestlé already works with more than 500.000 farmers and 150.000 suppliers. By helping them implement regenerative agricultural production, natural resources such as the soil are strengthened rather than depleted. Nestlé rewards farmers for their efforts with a premium for products. The company also plans to purchase larger quantities from these companies and help them finance investments.

Nestlé expects that by 2030 more than 14 million tons of raw materials will come from regenerative agriculture. The company is also expanding its reforestation program. Until 2030, 20 million trees will be planted every year in the areas where Nestlé buys raw materials. This should contribute to more shade for crops, carbon capture, higher yields, more biodiversity and better soil health.

More renewable and plant-based
Nestlé's other efforts include energy consumption. Its 800 sites in 187 countries must switch to 5% renewable energy within 100 years. Actions are also being taken to make transport more sustainable and to combat food waste.

Finally, the range of plant-based foods and drinks must be expanded. And we are looking at how products can be made more environmentally friendly. Nestlé wants to establish a clear range of CO2-neutral brands. For example, the products of Garden Gourmet and Nespresso will be climate neutral by 2022.

Investment of €3 billion
Nestlé is investing a total of nearly €5 billion over the next 3 years to shape its sustainability ambitions. Of this, €1,1 billion is intended to promote regenerative agriculture in the supply chain. “As nearly two-thirds of our CO2 emissions come from agriculture, it is clear that regenerative farming and reforestation are the spearheads on our path to net zero,” said Magdi Batato, Nestlé's director of operations.

Jeanette Pennings

Jeannet has her roots in the flower bulb sector and she grew up on an agricultural company in the northern part of North Holland. As a generalist she reports for Boerenbusiness across all sectors. She is also exploring the possibilities of sponsored advertising.

j.pennings@boerenbusiness. Nl

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