Nestle Company will develop methods of restorative agriculture

Источник: The DairyNews
Nestle has announced the company's plans to accelerate the transition to a food system based on principles of recovery. This approach is aimed at protecting and restoring the environment, improving living and working conditions of farmers, as well as improving welfare of farms, writes The DairyNews.

To support the development of the food system, Nestle will cooperate with its supply chain partners — more than 500,000 farmers and 150,000 suppliers around the world. The cooperation will focus on development of methods of restorative agriculture. The company is also initiating new programs that will help overcome social and economic challenges during the transition stage.

Nestle announced its plans prior to the UN Summit on Food Systems in New York, thereby contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) The UN by 2030.

‘In the long term, regenerative agriculture will play a crucial role in improving soil health, restoring water cycles and expanding biodiversity,’ said Paul Bulke, Chairman of the Nestle Board of Directors. ‘These findings form the basis for sustainable food production and, most importantly, contribute to the achievement of our ambitious goals in reducing the impact on the climate.’

Nestle is a member of the UN global initiative for actions aimed at limiting the increase in global temperature to no more than 1.5° C (Business Ambition for 1.5 C), and became one of the first companies to submit a detailed action plan to reduce the impact on the climate in December 2020. The company is taking action to reduce CO2 emissions by half by 2030 and achieve zero emissions by 2050.

‘Thanks to the company's long-term partnership with farming communities around the world, we want to strengthen support for farming methods aimed at caring for the environment and caring for people,’ said Mark Schneider, Global Executive Director of Nestle. ‘To facilitate the transition to restorative systems, it is extremely important to provide support to farmers around the world who are taking on the risks and costs associated with the transition to restorative farming methods.

In the next 5 years, Nestle will invest 1.2 billion Swiss francs globally to encourage the use of regenerative agriculture methods throughout the company's supply chain. In order to help farmers implement restoration practices, the company intends to work in three focus areas:

  • Application of the latest scientific developments and technologies, provision of technical assistance, implementation of innovative solutions to reduce emissions in the supply chain of dairy products. Nestle will also offer training practices in the field of agriculture and will help farmers to exchange information and best practices, which can then be adapted locally.
  • Investment support and financial support: the transition to regenerative agriculture involves initial risks and new costs. Nestle will support farmers by acting as a co-investor, assisting in financing or in obtaining loans for special equipment. The company will also cooperate with partners to finance startups aimed at further developing the practices of regenerative agriculture.
  • Purchase of goods produced using methods of regenerative agriculture at higher prices: Nestle will offer a higher purchase price for a number of raw materials produced using methods of regenerative agriculture, and purchase them in large volumes. This approach will be an additional reward for farmers not only for the quantity and quality of ingredients, but also for the advantage of using practices that preserve the environment.

Agriculture accounts for almost two-thirds of Nestle's total greenhouse gas emissions, about half of which relate to the dairy industry and animal husbandry. For example, in the dairy industry, Nestle evaluates the latest developments and technologies to reduce emissions at the farm level. The company will start working with 30 dairy farms in 12 countries and will test climate-friendly and scalable agricultural regenerative practices that will help reduce CO2 emissions to zero in the future. Nestle also works with farmers to select and grow more nutritious and delicious varieties of plants that can be used as an alternative to milk.

Regenerative agriculture contributes to the creation of a food system based on recovery methods – fair and transparent for  all its participants. Nestle strives to support the increase and diversification of farmers' incomes through its sustainable development programs. The company will also introduce new programs to increase farmers' income in its supply chain to make agriculture more attractive. 
30.01.2024
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