For individuals and families
Inspired by our founder, Henri Nestlé, and with nutrition at our core, we work closely with partners to offer foods and beverages that enable healthier and happier lives. We have set commitments and objectives to make our portfolio even healthier and tastier, inspire consumers to lead healthier lives, and develop and share our understanding of the connection between nutrition and health.
Committed to healthy kids
By helping new generations to eat and drink better and move more, we will enhance quality of life and contribute to a healthier future. We have developed Nestlé for Healthier Kids to bring together all our efforts that support parents and caregivers in raising healthier children, from leading research and product formulation to education and innovative nutrition and lifestyle services.
To help tackle global public health issues and cater to consumer preferences, we are launching more nutritious foods and beverages, simplifying ingredients lists and removing artificial colours. We use micronutrient fortification to help address health challenges where relevant and use biofortified crops where appropriate in our foods and beverages. We are also further decreasing sugars, sodium and saturated fat, and increasing vegetables and wholegrains in our products.
We are committed to improving access to nutrition to help reduce non-communicable diseases and to work with partners to promote balanced diets, healthy cooking and hydration, and regular physical activity. We encourage people to lead healthier lives by providing nutritional information and portion guidance, and through responsible marketing.
Our scientists examine the link between nutrition and health across generations. From maternal and children’s health to healthy ageing, we adopt a holistic approach, focusing on nutrition and physical activity and their combined impact on metabolic health. We use our findings to improve our own foods and beverages.
For our communities
In addition to our own employees, we work with hundreds of partners, thousands of suppliers and millions of farmers around the world. Our collective aim is to help develop thriving and resilient communities as part of a secure, long-term supply chain. Our programmes and commitments are designed to support rural development, promote and respect human rights, and ensure fair employment and diversity.
Supporting our youth
Our ambition for our global youth initiative, Nestlé needs YOUth, is to help 10 million young people around the world have access to economic opportunities by 2030. This global initiative combines and coordinates all our activities that support young people around the world, including the Alliance for YOUth.
We work directly with over 700 000 farmers and some five million are in our supply chain. To help secure a long-term supply of high-quality raw materials for our foods and beverages, we need to understand where and how our ingredients are produced, support the farmers who supply us and drive rural development. We include in this process our commitment to continue to improve animal welfare and, in 2017, we set new goals in this regard.
Human rights abuses have no place in our value chain, which is why we promote human rights at global and local levels across our business operations and value chain. We continually strive to meet the highest ethical standards, and insist that our partners and suppliers uphold the same high criteria. This requires commitment and work over time. We will always be open and transparent about our efforts to address issues, from forced labour and gender inequality to corruption.
Fair employment, diversity and inclusion are integral to Nestlé’s culture. We aim to provide a safe, rewarding workplace that inspires people to fulfil their potential. We provide people with equal development opportunities and treat each other with dignity and respect. We place a particular focus on the challenge of youth unemployment and in 2017 we announced the extension of our global youth initiative to our entire value chain.
For the planet
Steward resources for future generations
In collaboration with our partners and stakeholders, we are working towards our ambition to strive for zero environmental impact in our operations. We have set clear commitments and objectives to use sustainably managed and renewable resources, operate more efficiently, achieve zero waste for disposal and improve water management. We also continue to actively participate in initiatives that reduce food loss and waste, and that preserve our forests, oceans and biodiversity.
Driving water stewardship
Water is a precious resource and critical to our business. From crops grown by our suppliers to the production of our foods and beverages and their consumption by consumers, responsible use of water is crucial. We continue to reduce withdrawals per tonne of product, reuse water in our operations, work with others to protect water resources, and help increase access to safe water and sanitation.
Water is a shared and precious resource that we need to manage sustainably. We unequivocally believe access to water is a basic human right. Everyone, everywhere in the world, has the right to clean, safe water for drinking and sanitation. Responsible water stewardship is a key part of achieving our ambition to strive for zero environmental impact in our operations. Water is essential for our business. The ingredients we source need water to grow, we need water to run our factories and consumers use water to enjoy lots of our foods and beverages.
Climate change is a critical global challenge, with shifting weather patterns threatening food security, and changes in consumption putting pressure on natural resources. Our size and scale means we can show real leadership on climate change and find ways to further reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and use more renewable energy. We have set ambitious targets to reduce GHGs, in line with the Paris Agreement on climate change.
We aim to develop our business while improving our environmental performance, to ensure a more sustainable supply of natural resources and raw ingredients goes into making our products. We continue to play our part in helping to reduce food loss and waste. In our sites, we reduce, reuse and recycle with the ultimate goal of achieving zero waste for disposal. Upstream, our team of over 1000 agronomists provide training to help our farmers improve their methods to help reduce losses and keep their land healthy and productive.