Nescafé Progress Report: Nestlé shows rise in regenerative agriculture and reduced GHG emissions for coffee

13 May 2024 --- Nestlé’s largest coffee brand, Nescafé, has published its second Nescafé Plan 2030 Progress Report, which details the increased adoption of regenerative agriculture practices, contributing to improved farm yield and reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Last year, more than 20% of the brand’s coffee was sourced from farmers implementing regenerative agriculture practices. This data is based on the monitoring and impact assessment provided by the Rainforest Alliance across farmer groups in 11 coffee origins from where Nescafé sources its coffee. 

Improvement to productivity 
As found as part of the assessment, farmers in countries such as Honduras, India, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam achieved a 5% to 25% increase in coffee productivity per hectare compared to 2022. Key practices that contributed to this increase included optimized fertilization and mulching. 

The implementation of these practices also led to a reduction in GHG emissions per kilogram of coffee, ranging from 15% to 30%. In 2023, the Nescafé Plan distributed 21 million coffee plantlets to farmers to help renovate and rejuvenate coffee plots and improve productivity in coffee-origin countries.

“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 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.”

Regenerative agriculture practices
Prioritizing knowledge transfer and expertise building is essential to increase the uptake of regenerative agriculture. In 2023, over 140,000 coffee farmers across multiple coffee origins received training in regenerative agriculture practices. 

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.For instance, in Honduras, 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.

Recognizing the importance of peer-to-peer learning, the Nescafé Plan launched an online platform called Agrinest, which connects global farmers and facilitates knowledge sharing and collaboration. 

Currently, more than 1,600 farmers in Vietnam and 240 farmers in Indonesia are using Agrinest, with a growing number of participants expected in the coming years. 

The platform is slated as a symbol of empowerment and inclusion, giving farmers a voice and a platform to share their experiences and learn from each other, regardless of their geographical location or farming practices.

Additionally, Nestlé has contributed to the Regenerative Agriculture for Low-Carbon and Resilient Coffee Farms — A Practical Guidebook. 

The guidebook, created in collaboration with the Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture, provides field agronomists, trainers and professionals working with coffee farmers with a set of best practices that they can use and adapt to different farming contexts, helping farmers transition to regenerative agriculture. 

Edited by Elizabeth Green