ZURICH, Switzerland – Agroforestry is a cornerstone of Barry Callebaut ’s Forever Chocolate strategy, Nestlé ’s Net Zero ambition and the Nestlé Cocoa Plan, and the joint efforts to protect biodiversity and support the livelihoods of cocoa farmers. An agroforestry insetting approach also allows for the removal of carbon within our and our customers’ supply chains.
The long-term agreement between Barry Callebaut and Nestlé, will roll out 11,500 ha of agroforestry, including payments for ecosystem services (PES) to more than 6,000 farmers in Côte d’Ivoire. The implementation of the agroforestry project is underway, with three cooperatives in the South-Western parts of Côte d’Ivoire already engaged in the project, scaling to ten cooperatives and reaching full scale after five years of planting.
The project is fully aligned with the Nestlé Cocoa Plan, which aims to make Nestlé’s cocoa supply chain more sustainable, Nestlé’s overarching Net Zero Roadmap and commitment to regenerative agriculture.
This joint partnership supports Nestlé’s and Barry Callebaut’s climate-smart cocoa ambitions, by aiming to remove up to 1.3 million tons of CO2e over 25 years. This project also aligns with the Science-based Target initiative (SBTi), as well SustainCert verification and the Gold Standard Foundation*.
Darrell High, Cocoa Manager at Nestlé, said:
“As part of Nestlé’s Net Zero roadmap, we are committed to reducing our business’ climate impact all the way to the farms we source from. A trusted partner like Barry Callebaut is essential to achieving success. Over 21,000 football fields are covered by our joint agroforestry project to support farmers who are part of the Nestlé Cocoa Plan.”
Tilmann Silber, Global Forest and Carbon Program Lead at Barry Callebaut, stated:
“As part of our Forever Chocolate plan, we invest into carbon removal activities jointly with our farmers and customers. This pioneering partnership with Nestlé, a company strongly committed to climate action, shows that agroforestry can deliver significant positive impact where it matters most – in the shared value chain. The collaboration allows us to support the planting of trees on cocoa farms, while restoring the ecosystems, removing carbon from the atmosphere, diversifying farmers’ income and ultimately increasing farm climate resilience.”
