Caring for people and the environment

Caring for people and the environment comes naturally to Nestlé food brands like Maggi and Buitoni. Here are some examples of how our brands are contributing to a more sustainable future around the world. 

Maggi and cassava in Côte d’Ivoire

Cassava is a staple food in Africa and many people depend on it for their livelihoods. In Côte d’Ivoire, the cassava Nestlé buys goes to our factory near the capital, Abidjan, where it is used to produce Maggi bouillon cubes, with added minerals and vitamins. 

Maggi cubes are widely used by local people to enrich and flavour recipes, including the cassava dishes that are an important part of the diet. 

Promoting consumption of cassava (and products like Maggi cubes that are made from cassava) goes a long way to support the local economy and nutritional needs.

Buitoni helps farmers reduce water in Italy tomato production

 CREATING SHARED VALUE: "By helping suppliers to grow tomatoes using less water, we create shared value for farmers, for the environment and for our business by ensuring a long-term sustainable supply." Benjamin Ware, Sourcing Specialist, Nestlé.

 

In recent years in the Piacenza and Parma regions of Italy, water has become scarcer, especially during the summer. Nestlé and its Buitoni brand team have been working with local tomato suppliers to help reduce the amount of fresh water used for irrigation.

The three-year project with Consorzio Interregionale Ortofrutticoli, a cooperative of tomato farmers, aims to maximise tomato production and optimise irrigation in 10 pilot farms with differing soil conditions by using solar-powered technology. 

Data is being collected and assessed for the exact amount of water needed to optimise crops and water use. Based on the success of the programme so far, many additional farmers are interested in joining the programme.

To date, the programme has helped:

• double the number of tomatoes grown per hector of land
• increase tomato quality by 15%
• reduce the amount of water needed to produce one tonne of tomatoes by 45%.

For these and other examples of Nestlé's work, visit Creating Shared Value