We believe cocoa farmers should earn an income that allows them to maintain a decent and adequate standard of living for them and their families.
We have been paying the Living Income Differential (LID) - a premium on cocoa - since its inception in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana. We also support the Côte d’Ivoire-Ghana Cocoa Initiative (CIGCI) to help identify long-term solutions that help cocoa farmers achieve and sustain a living income, and welcome recent developments to find a workable path forward for farmers and commodity users alike.
In addition to the premiums we pay for certified cocoa, we launched an income accelerator program to help close the living income gap farmers face over time and improve the livelihoods of cocoa-farming communities. As part of this program, farmers and their families receive cash incentives - paid directly through mobile payment - to foster the adoption of good practices, including regenerative agriculture, that help boost productivity and diversify farmer income.
Following a successful pilot phase, the income accelerator program has been expanded to involve 30 000 cocoa-farming families in Côte d'Ivoire. This 'test at scale' phase will build on initial positive results: school enrolment rates have risen, pruning has increased the productivity of cocoa farms and women have been empowered and more involved in decision-making, which has improved the allocation of family resources.
The income accelerator program expanded to Ghana in 2024 and aims to reach 160 000 cocoa-growing families globally by 2030.
Find out more
- Read more about responsible cocoa sourcing
- Nestlé Action Plan on Women in the Cocoa Supply Chain (pdf, 425Kb)
- Nestlé Action Plan on the Responsible Sourcing of Cocoa from Côte d’Ivoire (pdf, 500Kb)
- How is Nestlé tackling child labor risk?
- Tackling Child Labor 2019 report (pdf, 4Mb)
