BAKARE AKEEM OLASUNKANMI
Nestlé is strengthening its climate strategy by investing in regenerative agriculture as it seeks to build more resilient food supply chains amid growing climate risks facing global agriculture.
The company has joined more than 40 food brands and organisations in the Regenerating Together Programme, an initiative led by the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative Platform to accelerate the adoption of regenerative farming practices across the food and beverage industry.
Nestlé said it aims to source 50 per cent of its key ingredients from farmers using regenerative agriculture by 2030, with the programme providing practical guidance, transition support and verification protocols to help companies implement sustainable farming practices.
According to the company, regenerative agriculture focuses on restoring soil health, conserving water resources, protecting biodiversity and increasing carbon storage in soils and vegetation while improving farmers’ livelihoods and strengthening food production systems.
The approach also promotes diversified cropping systems, livestock integration and landscape-level collaboration to improve ecosystem health and long-term agricultural productivity.
Nestlé said the programme was developed through collaboration with academia, agronomists, farmers, industry representatives and non-governmental organisations to create a consistent framework for scaling regenerative agriculture across global supply chains.
Environmental organisations, including the Earthworm Foundation and The Nature Conservancy, are supporting the initiative.
Vice President and Head of Agriculture at Nestlé, Pascal Chapot, said regenerative agriculture offers significant potential to strengthen supply chain resilience against climate change while improving farmers’ livelihoods.
He said accelerating adoption would require practical and credible frameworks that can be consistently applied throughout agricultural value chains to deliver measurable environmental and economic benefits.
The initiative forms part of Nestlé’s broader sustainability strategy, which includes achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and strengthening procurement across its coffee, nutrition, health and pet care businesses.
As climate change continues to threaten agricultural production through declining soil quality, water scarcity and biodiversity loss, Nestlé’s latest investment reflects a growing recognition across the food industry that resilient supply chains depend not only on sourcing raw materials but also on restoring the natural ecosystems that sustain farming.
