The current state of climate change gives a clearer picture about how future food shortages may happen. The agricultural sector will be exposed to several impacts and risks that can affect everyone today and for generations to come. As the world’s largest food and beverage company, Nestlé understands the importance of getting the agricultural sector well-prepared for climate change to reduce the risk of declining food availability in the future.
By 2050, rising global average temperatures will accelerate food shortages. Agricultural products that are essential staple foods will be less available. This includes rice, wheat, coffee, meat, eggs, and milk. Ensuring sustainable food production is critical to reduce the potential for a future food crisis.
Regenerative Agriculture - Nestlé's approach to strengthening the security of the food system
Nestlé is committed to sustainable sourcing, and we are driving a transition to regenerative food production. “Regenerative Agriculture” will help farmers transition towards more sustainable practices through protecting, renewing, and restoring resources, thereby increasing food security for the future. This initiative is part of Nestlé Thailand's roadmap to our Net Zero goal.
By working closely with dairy and coffee farmers on Regenerative Agriculture, Nestlé has created positive impacts including:
Regenerative Agriculture in Dairy Farming
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Improved dairy cattle nutrition: Promoting grass along with a variety of feed crops to enhance biodiversity in grass plots helps to absorb carbon, protect the soil, and improve feed nutrition. As a result, each dairy cow’s daily productivity improves while reducing feed costs at the same time.
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Managing farm waste systematically: We advise farmers to use separators to divide cow manure into solids and liquids. The solid residue can be used to feed earthworms, generating another source of income for farmers.
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Use renewable energy: Nestlé encourages and supports farmers to use solar panels to supply water to forage grass plots, reducing the need for electricity. Also, the liquid from cow manure can be converted into biogas for farm and household energy use.
Nestlé helped to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 11,652 tons in 2022 through implementing Regenerative Agriculture practices in dairy farming. We also successfully helped dairy farmers to be 100% certified under GAP (Good Agricultural Practices) standards set by the Department of Livestock Development.
Regenerative Agriculture on Coffee Plantations
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Adopting agroforestry: Growing coffee within forested areas, known as agroforestry, promotes shade-grown cultivation, enhances biodiversity, and boosts carbon absorption.
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Inter-cropping techniques: Cultivating coffee together with other trees benefits both farmers and the environment. This means producing a variety of crops to generate diverse income for farmers while enhancing natural biodiversity.
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Planting cover crops: Sowing legumes and vetiver grasses on the steep slopes of coffee farms draws nitrogen into the soil. This also helps to preserve nutrients and boost fertility while preventing soil erosion.
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Using organic fertilizers: Composting post-harvest coffee husks into organic fertilizer to reuse on the coffee farm instead of chemical fertilizer helps to circulate nutrients in the soil and reduces production costs.
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Distributing coffee plantlets: For decades, Nestlé has distributed nearly four million quality Robusta coffee plantlets to Thai coffee farmers. Disease and climate change resistant, these plantlets offer better yields.
All these efforts have enabled Nestlé to achieve 100% responsible sourcing. Every coffee bean we buy from farmers is certified to international Common Code for the Coffee Community (4C) standards for responsible coffee production.
Triple Win+ for the Planet and All of Us
Nestlé has always focused on creating shared values for every stakeholder. Our “Triple Win+ for the Planet and All of Us” concept represents our commitment to ensuring food security through sustainable food production, supporting farmers to earn a sustainable income, and restoring the environment and natural resources. This means we can deliver quality food and beverages made from the finest raw materials to Thai consumers. As a food and beverage manufacturer, Nestlé recognizes our important role in the value chain and strives to unlock the power of food to enhance quality of life for everyone, today and for generations to come.
