Nestlé has announced the opening of the Institute of Agricultural Sciences, a new platform through which it will seek to ‘advance sustainable food systems by delivering science-based solutions in agriculture’.
Along with facilities in Switzerland, the institute will incorporate a plant science unit in France, farms in Ecuador, Côte d’Ivoire and Thailand, and a number of partnerships with retail farms.
Focus Areas
According to Nestlé, the institute will enable it to develop solutions in focus areas such as plant science, agricultural systems and dairy livestock, and it follows on from initiatives such as the Nestlé Cocoa Plan and Nescafé Plan, which have bolstered the firm’s sustainable sourcing capabilities in cocoa and coffee.
The launch of the initiative will extend this expertise into other crop areas, such as pulses and grains, as well as foster regenerative agricultural practices and methods, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from farming.
Direct Relationships
“We have nurtured direct relationships with generations of farmers around the world,” said Paul Bulcke, Nestlé’s chairman. “To continue providing people with tasty, nutritious and affordable foods, we need to transition together to a more sustainable food system. The new institute will strengthen our expertise and use our global network to support farming communities and protect our planet.”
Elsewhere, Jeroen Dijkman, head of the Nestlé Institute of Agricultural Sciences, added that the facility will enable Nestlé to focus on “the most promising solutions to promote the production of nutritious raw materials while minimising their environmental impact”.
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