Before we go into the roots...
Let’s talk about what we have achieved so far. In 2022 alone, the Nestle Cocoa Plan distributed over 1 million fruit and forest trees. That’s six zeros!
These trees went directly to the cocoa farmers we work with in Côte d’Ivoire. We wanted to build on this with the income accelerator program and plant even more trees.
Why is this so important, you may ask?
Well, additional fruit and forest trees provide much needed shade for the cocoa trees, reducing the impact of climate change.
What’s more, planting a varied range of trees helps support the biodiversity of the area, improves soil health and in turn support the local ecosystem. So you could say, they are literally good company to the cocoa.
So how does it work within the income accelerator?
We incentivise farmers to plant a minimum of 10 trees on one hectare in the first year. Like our chocolate bars, the process is neatly wrapped up. We deliver the trees to the cocoa farms, and once they’re planted, the incentive is delivered directly in the hands of the cocoa-farming family through mobile payment.
Even better, these incentives are the same regardless of farm size, so even those with the smallest of farms can earn, ensuring that no farmer is left behind. Our involvement doesn’t stop once the trees are planted. With the support of our partners, we check in on the trees to make sure they are growing and thriving.