In what Nestle describe as an Australian-first, all cocoa for its retail confectionary business will be sourced from certified and sustainable farms which aim to eliminate the use of child labour and ensure a sustainable supply of cocoa.
Nestlé Australia Business Executive Manager Confectionery and Snacks, Martin Brown said the 10-year “Nestle Cocoa Plan” will work with West African cocoa farmers in addressing their community issues.
“It’s difficult to guarantee a sustainable supply of cocoa in the quantities we need in the challenging environment that exists in the Côte d’Ivoire,” Mr Brown said.
“But the Nestlé Cocoa Plan is starting to make significant progress in these areas which ultimately improves the social and economic conditions of farmers and their families,” he added.
The Nestlé Research and Development Centre is located in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, where Nestle is supplied with the bulk of its cocoa. As part of the plan, the centre aims to help supplying farmers with 12 million higher yielding, disease-resistant cocoa trees to replace ageing unproductive trees by 2019.
The plan also includes paying farmers a higher price for their cocoa, and working with NGOs and the governments of Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana to stamp out forced labour practices in the cocoa industry.
Consumers will be able to choose the sustainable bars by looking for the Nestlé Cocoa Plan and UTZ Certified symbol on-pack.
