NESCAFÉ, Nestlé’s largest coffee brand and one of the world’s favorite coffees, has unveiled the NESCAFÉ Plan 2030, a comprehensive plan to help make coffee farming more sustainable. While accelerating its decade-long work under the NESCAFÉ Plan, the brand is collaborating with coffee farmers to help them transition to regenerative agriculture.
The NESCAFÉ Plan 2030 will see the brand invest over one billion Swiss francs by 2030. As the brand expands its sustainability work, this investment builds on the existing NESCAFÉ Plan. Nestlé’s regenerative agriculture financing is supporting it, as part of the Group’s commitment to accelerate the transition to a regenerative food system and achieve zero net greenhouse gas emissions.
“Climate change is putting coffee-growing areas under pressure,” said David Rennie, Head of Nestlé Coffee Brands. “Building on 10 years’ experience of the NESCAFÉ Plan, we’re accelerating our work to help tackle climate change and address social and economic challenges in the NESCAFÉ value chains.”
Rising temperatures will reduce the area suitable for growing coffee by up to 50% by 2050[1]. At the same time, around 125 million people depend on coffee for their livelihoods[2] and an estimated 80% of coffee-farming families live at or below the poverty line[3]. Action is needed to ensure the long-term sustainability of coffee.
“As the world’s leading coffee brand, NESCAFÉ aims to have a real impact on coffee farming globally,” said Philipp Navratil, Head of Nestlé’s Coffee Strategic Business Unit. “We want coffee farmers to thrive as much as we want coffee to have a positive impact on the environment. Our actions can help drive change throughout the coffee industry.”
Supporting farmers’ transition to regenerative coffee farming
Regenerative agriculture is an approach to farming that aims to improve soil health and fertility – as well as protect water resources and biodiversity. Healthier soils are more resilient to the impacts of climate change and can increase yields, helping improve farmers’ livelihoods.
NESCAFÉ will provide farmers with training, technical assistance, and high-yielding coffee plantlets to help them transition to regenerative coffee farming practices. Some examples of regenerative agriculture practices include the following:
Planting cover crops helps to protect the soil. It also helps add biomass to the soil, which can increase soil organic matter and thus soil carbon sequestration.
Incorporating organic fertilizers contributes to soil fertility, which is essential for good soil health.
Increasing the use of agroforestry and intercropping contributes to biodiversity preservation.
Pruning existing coffee trees or replacing them with disease and climate-change-resistant varieties, will help rejuvenate coffee plots and increase yields for farmers.
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions also by capturing and storing more carbon in the soil
Regenerative agriculture also contributes to drawing down carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. That’s why regenerative agriculture is a key part of Nestlé’s Zero Net roadmap. NESCAFÉ aims to contribute to Nestlé’s Zero Net commitment (https://bit.ly/2kiYa1y) to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and reach zero net greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. It will work with farmers, suppliers and partners to help protect agricultural lands, enhance biodiversity and help prevent deforestation. The brand intends to help farmers plant more than 20 million trees at or near their coffee farms.
In Central and West Africa Region, Nestlé is the leader in pure soluble coffee. Over the last 10 years, the NESCAFÉ plan has been developing a coffee industry where everyone can thrive. We have supported over 22,000 coffee farmers with capacity building and technical assistance. We have also promoted youth employment through our entrepreneurship program, MYOWBU which currently benefits over 5,000 young people with pushcarts and shoulder kits.
What does the NESCAFÉ Plan 2030 mean for coffee farmers in our region for the future? For Mauricio Alarcón, Chief Executive Officer of Nestlé Central & West Africa, the NESCAFÉ Plan will continue to help improve livelihoods and make coffee farming more sustainable. “With income diversification, human rights and child protection among others, we will work closely with farmers more than ever to improve livelihoods in communities, while advancing efforts to safeguard the environment for generations to come”.
