Nestlé invests CHF 500 million in coffee projects

Nestlé has launched the ‘Nescafé Plan’ in Mexico City, which the company says brings its commitments on coffee farming, production and consumption under one umbrella.

The Nescafé Plan contains a set of objectives which will help Nestlé further optimize its coffee supply chain.

In addition to the CHF 200 million invested over the past ten years, Nestlé will invest CHF 500 million in coffee projects by 2020. This includes an investment of CHF 350 million for the Nescafé Plan and CHF 150 million for Nespresso. The Rainforest Alliance, an international non-governmental organization, will support Nestlé together with other partners of the Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN) and the coffee association, 4C, in meeting the Nescafé Plan objectives related to farming.

Over the next five years, Nestlé will double the amount of Nescafé coffee bought directly from farmers and their associations, eventually purchasing 180,000 tonnes of coffee from around 170,000 farmers every year.

Nestlé CEO Paul Bulcke said: "We are proud that Nescafé, the world's leading coffee brand, gives its name to this global initiative which creates value across the coffee supply chain, from farmers to consumers to us. Creating Shared Value is an integral part of our business strategy. For a company to be successful in the long term, it needs to create value at the same time for its shareholders and the communities in which it operates."

Tensie Whelan, President of the Rainforest Alliance, added: "The Nescafé Plan is about looking ahead, to the future of coffee farming. We see this collaboration as an exciting opportunity to bring sustainability tools to thousands of farmers, including many who have not had the benefit of training and technical assistance."

Words: Clare Riley

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