Nestlé joins hands with IDH on procurement in Central and West Africa

Nestlé has reached a partnership with the Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH) to support agricultural communities and local procurement practices in West and Central Africa, as part of IDH ’s “Sustainable Development in Africa (GSA)” initiative.

 

Nestlé stated that the three-year partnership aims to support 25,000 farmers and 50 small and medium-sized enterprises, and help the agricultural communities in Côte d’ Ivoire, Ghana and Nigeria to open up new markets to increase employment and improve food safety.

 

IDH's GSA plan encourages companies such as Nestlé to increase local procurement and further integrate local farmers and small and medium-sized enterprises into their supply chains.

 

According to the plan, IDH works with retailers, brands, and purchasers to establish a broader long-term partnership to improve the business operations of potential SMEs and farmers who provide services to these companies.

 

Nestlé expressed its hope that by 2022, the number of sustainable local raw materials locally produced and used by the Maggi, Milo and Cerelac brands will increase from 60% to 70%.

 

To achieve this goal, the partnership between IDH and Nestlé aims to encourage farmers and small and medium-sized enterprises to adopt best agricultural practices to efficiently produce high-quality and high-yielding crops, thereby helping to reduce their environmental impact and demand for natural resources.