Our support to the people of Ukraine

Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, Nestlé's focus has been on ensuring the safety and security of our employees and their families, as well as providing humanitarian assistance and support to help the people of Ukraine and refugees in neighboring countries.

To date, Nestlé has committed more than CHF 55 million, including CHF 15 million in contributions to the people of Ukraine, and a recent CHF 40 million investment for a new production facility in the Volyn region in the western part of Ukraine.

Investing in a new food production site in Ukraine

On 12^th December we have announced an investment of 40 Mio CHF in a new production site in Smolyhiv, located in the Volyn region, in the western part of Ukraine. This investment is aimed at increasing the production of noodles in Ukraine.

This newly announced production site in Volyn, together with the existing Torchyn factory (Lutsk), will become Nestlé's European Regional Hub for Food and Culinary products. The Hub will employ 1,500 people and supply Ukraine and other European markets. We are the first large company to announce new investments since the start of the war in February this year.

The safety and security of our people is our highest priority

We are in close daily contact with our 5,500 Nestlé employees in Ukraine and their families and doing all that we can to ensure their safety. Some of the steps we have taken include:

Advance payment of employee salaries.
Maintaining salaries for the foreseeable future.
One-off payments to support relocation.
Emergency care packages with essential products.
Employee hotline providing (legal and immigration) advice on how to relocate, cross the border, seek medical and psychological help, get food assistance or find a colleague.
Job offers to Ukrainian employees in other Nestlé operating companies.
Support hubs in neighboring countries such as Poland to welcome employees and their families who have fled Ukraine.
300,000 CHF collected through the donation initiative UkraiNEST Foundation to restore homes of colleagues in Ukraine.
Our offices in Ukraine have been installed to become 24h/7d Survival Hubs for our colleagues and their families.

Supporting the people of Ukraine

Food donations
We are providing emergency assistance to our colleagues and their families, and to the local people. We are donating products such as instant food, infant nutrition, medical nutrition products, pet food and bottled water. So far, we have provided more than 160 million servings – that averages more than four products for every citizen of Ukraine. Our teams in Nestlé Ukraine and our Nestlé Business Services Centre in Lviv are helping coordinate the support activities in the region, in collaboration with local NGOs.

Partnering with local Red Cross & food banks
We are working with the local Red Cross organizations and food banks across Europe to distribute essential food, pet food and beverages to those in need, and to hospitals. This includes soluble coffee, dehydrated food, cereal bars and pet food for Ukrainian refugees and their pets arriving in the Baltic States, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Romania, and Hungary.

Food supplies for kids
At the request of the authorities in Ukraine and neighboring countries as well as humanitarian NGOs, we are also providing emergency food supplies for young children and are doing so in accordance with our strict standards and WHO Guiding Principles for feeding Infant and Young Children during Emergencies (pdf, 4Mb).

Keeping operations going
As a food company, our mission is to continue to focus on ensuring a reliable supply of essential food products for the local people. That is why we continue to keep our operations running in Ukraine where it is safe to do so, as part of keeping supermarket shelves stocked for the local people.

How we are helping Ukrainian refugees

Nestlé employees across the world are also stepping up to show their solidarity through a fundraiser in partnership with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC). The company will match these contributions to double their impact.

In countries such as Poland and Germany, Nestlé employees are opening their homes to host individuals who have fled the conflict in Ukraine. In many countries, our colleagues are also initiating and participating in local aid efforts.

Below are some more examples of actions Nestlé and our employees are taking.

Products for people in shelters

Nestlé Ukraine
Nestlé employees, with the help of volunteers and territorial defense, transported 140 tons of Mivina noodles, purees and instant soups to people taking shelter in metro stations, train stations etc. in Kharkiv, the city under siege. Hundred palettes of essential food products from our factories (baby food, soups and noodles) are delivered each day to those in need in the community.

Support hubs in neighboring countries

Nestlé Poland
Part of our factory in Rzeszow (Poland) has been converted to an accommodation for employees and their family members crossing the Ukrainian and Polish border. This is part of a wider drive to set up support hubs in neighboring countries to welcome employees and their families who have fled Ukraine.

Humanitarian help into Lviv

Nestlé Ukraine
In partnership with the Ukrainian charity Kryla Nadii, Nestlé has organized direct humanitarian support into the war zones. This effort will be continued.

Temporary housing for Ukrainian employees

Nestlé Central and Eastern Europe
Nestlé employees have already offered temporary housing for Ukrainian employees. Nestlé CEE is currently hosting almost 600 employees and their immediate family members, including 180 children.

Driven by solidarity

Nestlé Netherlands
One of our employees started her journey to the Ukrainian border with a car loaded with Nestlé products and goods to distribute in shelters (sleeping bags, mattresses, thermal clothes, etc.) She returned with two Ukrainian families and her mother. She is preparing another trip to the border with more necessary products.

Polish employees set up kids' playroom

Nestlé in Poland
Employees donated toys and helped set up a playroom for children from Ukraine. Professional care is now provided for these children while their parents work.
Nestlé Poland has been very active in providing support, including including reception points in Rzeszów and Warsaw to give food, clothes, necessary items plus guarantee place to sleep for max. 2 nights before finding accommodation. We also have a colleague-to-colleague program in which Nestlé Poland employees offer housing, transportation, items collection (clothes, toys, etc.) or entertainment for our Ukrainian colleagues.

Office donation drive for the Polish Red Cross

Nestlé in Poland
Through the Red Cross Poland, local food banks and other charities in Poland Nestlé has distributed infant nutrition, water and food products. A list of necessary items is also provided to encourage employees to donate.

Forty tons of products fill 4 trucks for Ukraine

Nestlé Bulgaria and Romania
More than 40 tons and four trucks donated to Red Cross and Food Banks in Bulgaria and Romania are already on their way to people in need.

Filling trucks with baby food for Ukrainians in need

Nestlé in Germany
Filling trucks on their way back from Ukraine with donated Nestlé products. After consultation with the colleagues in Ukraine, it was quickly clear that baby food was the most urgently needed.

Donating a truck-full of Maggi

Nestlé in Germany
One truck full of Maggi products travelling to Lviv to be handed over to a local partner, non-profit foundation, 'Kryla Nadiyi', which will take care of further distribution in Ukraine.

Coordinating donations from European factories

Transportation Hub in York, UK
arranged the transport of donation stock from our European factories to support charities in Ukraine. This one is from our Luedinghausen factory.

Read our statement on Russia and Ukraine.

Africa & Middle East

Americas

Asia & Oceania

Europe