What is Nestlé doing to source deforestation-free key ingredients?
Healthy forests are key to a sustainable food system, providing us with high quality ingredients. They are also essential if we are to achieve our net zero ambition. By 2025, we aimed to achieve and maintain 100% assessed deforestation-free primary supply chains: meat, palm oil, pulp and paper, soy, sugar, cocoa, and coffee. At the end of 2025, we achieved 96.7%.
Key terms explained
Deforestation-free
Deforestation-free means that commodities in scope were assessed as produced on land that has not been subject to deforestation or conversion after a specific cut-off date that varies by commodity, but no later than December 31, 2020. Commodities accounted as deforestation-free include in part commodities subject to the requirements of the EU Deforestation Regulation. However, the scope of disclosed metric goes beyond these jurisdiction-specific mandatory requirements as part of Nestlé’s global approach on deforestation. Read more about deforestation.
Net zero
In 2019, we announced our ambition to reach net zero GHG emissions by 2050 at the latest. In 2026, we updated our timebound plan, the Nestlé Roots of Net Zero (pdf, 16Mb), which underpins our Group's climate and nature strategy and acts as our transition plan aligned with a 1.5°C pathway as validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). We will balance any remaining emissions through high-quality nature-based solutions. Read more about net zero.
Deforestation-free
Deforestation-free means that commodities in scope were assessed as produced on land that has not been subject to deforestation or conversion after a specific cut-off date that varies by commodity, but no later than December 31, 2020. Commodities accounted as deforestation-free include in part commodities subject to the requirements of the EU Deforestation Regulation. However, the scope of disclosed metric goes beyond these jurisdiction-specific mandatory requirements as part of Nestlé’s global approach on deforestation. Read more about deforestation.
Net zero
In 2019, we announced our ambition to reach net zero GHG emissions by 2050 at the latest. In 2026, we updated our timebound plan, the Nestlé Roots of Net Zero (pdf, 16Mb), which underpins our Group's climate and nature strategy and acts as our transition plan aligned with a 1.5°C pathway as validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). We will balance any remaining emissions through high-quality nature-based solutions. Read more about net zero.
Our efforts have been recognized by the 2023 Forest 500 report in which Nestlé comes out as the first FMCG company for our progress in addressing deforestation risks.
What's Nestlé's position on the EU deforestation regulation adopted in 2023?
Our work on sourcing deforestation-free key ingredients started over a decade ago, and we believe our experience will help us meet the new EU requirements.
How does Nestlé work with its suppliers to achieve its deforestation-free goal?
We have Responsible Sourcing Core Requirements that we ask our suppliers to adhere to when doing business with us, including on forest protection and nature conservancy.
A key aspect of our continuous improvement approach involves supplier engagement, working with our suppliers and partners to identify opportunities for improvements and advance their sustainability practices.
We also support training programs for smallholders to help improve traceability along the entire supply chain.
