Nescafé's Regenerative Agriculture Supporting 2030 Progress

Nescafé, Nestlé's prominent coffee brand, has released its second Nescafé Plan 2030 Progress Report, showcasing the increasing adoption of regenerative agriculture practices.

How 2023 was brewed for success

In 2023, more than 20% of Nescafé's coffee was sourced from farmers employing these practices, resulting in improved farm yield and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

This is based on the assessment provided by the Rainforest Alliance, which monitors farmers across 11 locations where Nescafé sources its coffee.

With these results, farmers in Honduras, India, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam achieved a 5% to 25% increase in coffee productivity per hectare compared to 2022. Through practices such as fertilisation and mulching, there was also a direct reduction in greenhouse gas emissions per kilogram of coffee, ranging from 15% to 30%.

In 2023, the Nescafé Plan distributed 21 million coffee plantlets to farmers to assist with renovating and rejuvenating coffee plots, thereby improving productivity in the countries of coffee origins.

"The Nescafé Plan embodies our unwavering commitment to help secure the future of coffee," says Philipp Navratil, Head of Nestlé's Coffee Strategic Business Unit.

"This is at the heart of Nescafé. This second progress report is a testimony to the work we do every day on the ground with our partners, suppliers and farmers, in the regions from where we source our coffee, and it motivates us even more to continue our efforts."

How Nescafé is passing on its knowledge 

Nescafé is prioritising knowledge transfer and expertise building, essential for increasing uptake on regenerative agriculture. 

In 2023, more than 140,000 coffee farmers across 16 coffee origins received comprehensive training in regenerative agriculture practices, along with technical assistance. In Honduras, for example, 12,000 younger generation coffee farmers received training on entrepreneurship, quality and regenerative agriculture, supporting the next generation of farmers to manage their farms more productively.

Recognising the importance of peer-to-peer learning, the Nescafé Plan launched an innovative online platform called Agrinest, aiming to connect farmers worldwide for knowledge sharing and collaboration. Currently, more than 1,600 farmers in Vietnam and 240 farmers in Indonesia are actively using Agrinest, with growing participation expected in the coming years.

Nestlé has contributed to the creation of the Regenerative Agriculture for Low-Carbon and Resilient Coffee Farms - A Practical Guidebook, providing field agronomists, trainers and professionals with best practices for transitioning to regenerative agriculture, which is available to the coffee sector.

Nescafé goals moving forward

The Nescafé Plan 2030 aims to issue a progress report every year to update on the brand's work in helping coffee farming communities transition to regenerative agriculture practices and, as a result, to help improve their livelihoods.

Despite the success it has seen, Nescafé is showing no signs of slowing down, with a number of goals for 2025 and 2030.

By 2025, Nescafé hopes too:

• 100% responsibly sourced coffee
• Source 20% of its coffee through regenerative agriculture methods

By 2030:

• Source 50% of its coffee through regenerative agriculture methods
• 50% greenhouse gas emissions reduction

Its 2030 vision is an integrated strategy to use regenerative agriculture to help address climate change, aiming to:

• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions
• Increase farmers’ income
• Create better social conditions

There is also areas of key focus for Nescafé in its latest 2030 plan, including:

Implementing Regenerative Agriculture

• Regenerative agriculture is an approach to farming that aims to improve soil health and soil fertility – as well as protect water resources and biodiversity.

Supporting Farmers’ Transition to Regenerative Agriculture

• Tailored and financial on the ground support to enable coffee farmers to accelerate their transition to regenerative agriculture.

Optimising Fertilisation

• Supporting farmers manage soil fertility to help them enhance productivity and incomes, while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions per kilogram of coffee

The Nescafé Plan 2030 aims to issue a progress report every year to update on the brand's work in helping coffee farming communities transition to regenerative agriculture practices and, as a result, to help improve their livelihoods. This the second Progress Report issued since the launch of the Nescafé Plan 2030.

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