Nestlé to Offer Sustainably-Sourced Chocolate Range

Swiss multinational food and drink processing conglomerate, Nestlé, has debuted a range of sustainable chocolate, which is travel retail exclusive, as a way to address rising demand from customers, who are looking more than ever for responsibly-sourced products.

Demand from customers on the rise

As travellers embark on holidays and business trips from airports across the globe this summer, they will have the chance to try the Nestlé Sustainably Sourced chocolate range.

It reflects Nestlé's long-standing heritage in chocolate making and the company’s commitment to responsible sourcing through the Nestlé Cocoa Plan, in alliance with the Rainforest Alliance.

As the news of the new range was published, it states that consumers are increasingly seeking products made with responsibly sourced ingredients, such as cocoa, supported by clear claims and measurable progress on the critical issues faced by producers.

In the travel retail sector, the sustainability agenda is also gaining momentum, with 71% of travellers stating that it influences their purchasing decisions. This was found in the ForwardKeys 2022 Mindset research, 'How to address the plurality of passenger profiles in the consumer marketing mix'.

The company’s Sustainably Sourced chocolate is created using cocoa that is certified by the Rainforest Alliance (Rainforest Alliance certified mass balance cocoa). This programme of sustainability, established by Nestlé fifteen years ago, has engaged more than 170,000 families so far, building on three pillars:

Providing cocoa transparency

Anyone off to the airport will have the chance to personalise either their 170g or 280g bars by adding their own message to the product’s sleeves. The campaign visuals will encourage customers to learn more about the Nestlé Cocoa Plan and the collaboration with the Rainforest Alliance.

“Through creative branding, we can provide transparency on the origin of the cocoa used in our chocolate," explains Aura Sanchez, Head of Marketing at Nestlé Travel Retail.

“It enables us to raise awareness about our longstanding commitments to supporting cocoa-farming families and the long-term sustainability of cocoa production.”

The new sustainable chocolate range comes with the most recent launch of the first KitKat made from fully-traceable cocoa ingredients – sourced from farming families it supports.

What's more, in line with the Nestlé confectionery brands such as Smarties, which have transitioned to paper packaging, Nestlé Sustainably Sourced Cocoa will be available in a recyclable paper pouch.

Sustainability a top priority for Nestlé

Major sustainability efforts are ongoing at Nescafé, Nestlé's prominent coffee brand, which released its second Nescafé Plan 2030 Progress Report earlier this year. The report showcases increasing adoption of regenerative agriculture practices.

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.

As part of the Nestlé Cocoa Plan, more than 1.2 million forest and fruit trees have so far been distributed to cocoa farmers. These trees help reduce the harsh effects of the sun and provide moisture-rich spaces where crops can survive during the dry season.

In addition, nearly 20,000 hectares were pruned as part of the income accelerator programme to improve crop productivity and reduce the prevalence of pests and diseases on cocoa farms, as outlined in the Nestlé Cocoa Plan progress summary report 2023.

******

Make sure you check out the latest edition of Procurement Magazine and also sign up to our global conference series - Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE 2024

******

Procurement Magazine is a BizClik brand.