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Protecting natural capital
Our commitment
Preserve natural capital
Natural capital is a wealth we all share. Protecting it should be a collective responsibility too. We are engaging a global network of suppliers and farmers to advance more responsible practices that preserve our planet.
Demonstrating our commitment
There is no single route to conserving natural capital. We take a ‘protect, restore, diversify’ approach to identify holistic solutions that benefit our farmers as well the environment. We also engage suppliers ‒ from smallholders to large-scale operators ‒ in initiatives that support our commitment. We are dedicated to ending deforestation and are proud that 90% of our forest-risk commodities in scope were assessed deforestation-free.
Before we make changes, we need to understand where we are starting from. We have assessed 73% of our priority raw materials against our Responsible Sourcing Standard requirements, highlighting the areas where there is still more to do.
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Reforesting Sabah, Malaysia, with Project RELeaf
While ending deforestation is critical, we need to go further if we are to address climate change and prevent biodiversity loss. That is why we are also actively reforesting priority areas.
In September 2020, we announced ambitious plans to plant 3 million trees in Malaysia through Project RELeaf. Investing CHF 4 million over the next three years, we will plant trees in key ingredient-sourcing areas. The project will restore areas on the banks of the Kinabatangan River. The new trees will also act as corridors for wildlife where oil palms are grown.
Nestlé’s pledge to achieve zero net greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 reflects our ambition to contribute to a greener future. Project RELeaf, here in Malaysia, is a tangible step toward helping us realize this ambition. By restoring critical forest ecosystems, we will help to preserve ecosystems and protect biodiversity.
Preserving wetlands through the Living Lakes Initiative
Purina PetCare is demonstrating its commitment to conservation by partnering with wetland experts Ducks Unlimited.
As corporate partner, we are supporting an extensive water quality and conservation project in Des Moines, Iowa. It falls under Ducks Unlimited’s Living Lakes Initiative and will enhance nearly 23 hectares of farmland to improve local water sources.
The project includes restoring 6.5 hectares to wetland. The new landscape will remove excess nitrogen from approximately 766 hectares of agricultural land, supporting healthier plants, better water quality and more robust biodiversity protection.
Sourcing sustainable vegetables in Europe
To build sustainable food systems, the entire value chain must be engaged. That is why we collaborate with our producers to share valuable information and best practices.
In 2018, we established a program to make sure the vegetables we source from Europe are sustainably grown. Fast forward to 2020, and this program is active across regions in Spain, France, Italy and Germany for four crops – tomatoes, bell peppers, onions and carrots.
To date, we have engaged 95 farms, ensuring our ethical and environmental standards are embedded throughout the supply chain. The project has five focus areas:
- Support farmer livelihoods
- Keep carbon in the soil
- Increase capacity of soils to hold water
- Enhance farm biodiversity
- Reduce excessive use of synthetic agrochemical inputs
As we continue to expand the reach of this program, we will work closely with farmers to develop the practices and tools needed to address these areas.
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