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By 2025, Nescafé expects a coffee with 100% responsible origin, which goes back to an identified group of farmers

Nescafé is one of the most popular coffee brands in the world. One in seven cups of coffee is Nescafé.

However, many coffee farmers live in uncertainty. The health of their plants and their incomes are permanently threatened. Ten years ago NestleThat is why the Nescafé plan to improve farmers’ lives was launched. The plan helped improve farmers’ incomes, reduce the environmental impact of coffee farms and factories, and improve the well-being of rural communities in many countries such as Brazil, Colombia, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Mexico, the Philippines or Vietnam. Nestlé has invested CHF 350 million in the Nescafé plan since its inception.

Building on the significant advances made over the past decade, the coffee brand has committed to step up its sustainability efforts.

“Together with our partners and 230 Nescafé agronomists, we have improved efficiency and farming practices on farms so that farmers can get a premium price on sustainably grown coffee,” said Philipp Navratil, senior vice president, head of the strategic business unit for beverages .

“We have diversified farmers’ sources of income to reduce their dependence on monocultures and make them more resilient. We won’t stop there. Our programs will evolve towards better social conditions in and around coffee farms. We will redouble our efforts in relation to labor rights, child protection, youth and women advancement. “

By 2025, Nescafé expects a coffee with 100% responsible origin, which goes back to an identified group of farmers. The coffee is tested or certified by independent organizations.

Nescafé will reduce and remove carbon emissions where it sources coffee and throughout its operations. The brand will also use environmentally friendly packaging. These are concrete steps that will, among other things, help Nestlé meet its packaging promise for 2025 and its net zero target for 2050.

Nescafé partner, Rainforest Alliance, evaluates activities in coffee-sourcing regions around the world to ensure that they are making a positive difference to farmers’ lives. The Rainforest Alliance regularly monitors the adoption of best practices by farmers and the development of related indicators such as productivity.

“Our partnership with Nestlé under the Nescafé Plan is about improving and optimizing the way we grow coffee. Working with the Rainforest Alliance for Training, Monitoring and Assessment, Nescafé used data and evidence to tailor its activities with coffee farmers. We are very excited to be your partner on this journey, ”said Alex Morgan, Chief Markets Officer of the Rainforest Alliance.

By implementing the Nescafé Plan since 2010, Nestlé has:

Currently, 75% of the coffee for Nescafé products is sourced responsibly. In 2020 alone, Nescafé purchased more than 649,000 tons of coffee from responsible sources, the largest volume from a single coffee buyer.

Distributed 235 million high-yielding and disease-resistant coffee plants, exceeding the original target of 220 million. This contributed to the renovation of almost 120,000 hectares of coffee farms worldwide.

Development and release of 15 new Arabica and Robusta coffees in five countries: Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, the Philippines and Thailand. These plant materials have higher productivity, elasticity and superior quality;

Conducted more than 900,000 training courses on good agricultural practices for farmers. The aim was to optimize productivity and costs, improve quality and reduce the ecological footprint through efficient irrigation methods or pruning techniques.

Empowering more than 10,000 women and young farmers through leadership programs and housekeeping training; and strengthened the entrepreneurial skills of more than 10,000 farmers with an emphasis on financial literacy, records and entrepreneurship.

Nestlé will publish a new and expanded Nescafé sustainability roadmap before the end of the year. The company will continue to work diligently to promote a more resilient and sustainable coffee sector.