Nestlé, in partnership with UNESCO, has announced a global initiative aimed at empowering 100 teams of young social impact innovators.
The programme, Youth Impact: Because You Matter, will allocate grants to develop solutions enhancing the resilience and sustainability of food systems.
Focusing on regenerative agricultural practices, climate change mitigation, and packaging sustainability, the initiative will benefit 500,000 people directly or indirectly.
This expansion builds on the success of a pilot programme launched in Latin America in 2023, where 20 young leaders implemented projects that improved food systems and benefitted 130,000 community members.
Nestlé sees this initiative as a key component of addressing critical global challenges.
Expanding Global Impact
One project from the pilot, Earth-IoT: Conectando el Campo, demonstrated the transformative power of digital tools in agriculture.
Implemented in rural Mexico, it improved efficiency, profitability, and sustainability.
Results included a 50% rise in farmers' income projections, a 40% decrease in fertiliser usage, and a 30% reduction in water and energy consumption, which collectively reduced the carbon footprint of agricultural processes.
Recognising the evolving challenges, Nestlé and UNESCO are investing in youth aged 18–30, offering resources to launch business ideas that improve food production, processing, transportation, and consumption.
These efforts are aimed at fostering sustainable practices while strengthening economies and addressing youth unemployment.
Resilient Raw Material Supply
Laurent Freixe, CEO of Nestlé, emphasised the importance of empowering youth, stating, “A highly qualified future workforce and a more resilient supply of raw materials are essential to Nestlé’s long-term success.
“We are supporting young changemakers to address critical challenges of feeding a growing population and mitigating climate change.”
The initiative integrates tailored training and mentoring programmes through the Nestlé Youth Entrepreneurship Platform (YEP).
This six-month capability-building programme aligns with the company’s broader Nestlé needs YOUth initiative, which has provided economic opportunities to ten million young people over the past decade.
