Meat, poultry and eggs sourcing
We purchase meat, poultry and eggs from suppliers worldwide.
We are working with our meat, poultry and egg suppliers to help address the environmental and other impacts of these production processes. All our suppliers are expected to comply with our Responsible Sourcing Core Requirements.
Key terms explained
Responsible sourcing
For Nestlé, responsible sourcing means improving the traceability of our ingredients and monitoring how they are produced. This involves applying our environmental and human rights requirements - detailed in our Responsible Sourcing Core Requirements (pdf, 2Mb) - at the different stages of our supply chain. Examples of these requirements include that land and resources of Indigenous peoples and local communities are respected and that no deforestation and no conversion of forests and other ecosystems occur in our supply chain. Read more about responsible sourcing.
Responsible sourcing
For Nestlé, responsible sourcing means improving the traceability of our ingredients and monitoring how they are produced. This involves applying our environmental and human rights requirements - detailed in our Responsible Sourcing Core Requirements (pdf, 2Mb) - at the different stages of our supply chain. Examples of these requirements include that land and resources of Indigenous peoples and local communities are respected and that no deforestation and no conversion of forests and other ecosystems occur in our supply chain. Read more about responsible sourcing.
Our progress
100
%
81.7
%
1 While we made progress in 2025, achieving the 100% target is currently not feasible in certain geographies due to limited availability and an uncertain market-enabling environment.
Learn more in the Environmental Disclosures section of our 2025 Non-Financial Statement (pdf, 18Mb).
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. Read more about deforestation-free.
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. Read more about deforestation-free.
Our approach to sourcing meat, poultry and eggs
Our main sources of meat, poultry and eggs are in North America (the United States) and Europe (France, Germany and Spain). Our Responsible Sourcing Core Requirements set out standards for minimum environmental, social and governance expectations that apply to our supply chains.
We verify compliance with these practices through farm assessments. We also understand that some actions at farm level require time or industry transformation. Updating animal welfare practices may require time or financial investments in infrastructural changes on farms, such as switching from cages to cage-free production systems.
We partner with our suppliers and other industry stakeholders on collaborative projects to improve animal welfare and the environmental sustainability of livestock production.
Working to tackle deforestation in meat production
Over more than 10 years, we have worked on the ground to improve the traceability of our raw materials to assess and address deforestation risks in our supply chains in 2025, 100% of our meat primary supply chain was assessed as deforestation-free. Learn more in the Environmental Disclosures section of our 2025 Non-Financial Statement (pdf, 18Mb)
Working toward net zero emissions
We aim to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, at the latest. Our Net Zero Roadmap continually pushes us to seek new approaches to reduce our emissions. Activities associated with meat, poultry and egg production include land restoration and conservation activities, grazing and feed origins and innovations to reduce carbon dioxide and methane emissions.
Key terms explained
Net zero
Nestlé has committed to reaching net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050 at the latest. In 2020, we published our timebound plan, the Nestlé Net Zero Roadmap (pdf, 16Mb), which underpins our Group’s climate 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 natural climate solutions. Read more about net zero.
Net zero
Nestlé has committed to reaching net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050 at the latest. In 2020, we published our timebound plan, the Nestlé Net Zero Roadmap (pdf, 16Mb), which underpins our Group’s climate 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 natural climate solutions. Read more about net zero.
We are working closely with farmers in our supply chain to begin sourcing feed for livestock from regenerative agriculture practices, avoiding deforestation and reducing associated carbon emissions. We also help them invest in innovative technologies to improve on-farm operational efficiency.
Key terms explained
Regenerative agriculture
In line with the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative Platform, Nestlé defines regenerative agriculture as an approach to farming which aims to conserve and restore natural resources, primarily soil, as well as water and biodiversity, while capturing carbon in soils and plant biomass, and to support farmers’ livelihoods. Examples of regenerative agriculture practices include reduced tillage and agroforestry. More information is available in our Nestlé Agriculture Framework (pdf, 19Mb). Read more about regenerative agriculture.
Regenerative agriculture
In line with the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative Platform, Nestlé defines regenerative agriculture as an approach to farming which aims to conserve and restore natural resources, primarily soil, as well as water and biodiversity, while capturing carbon in soils and plant biomass, and to support farmers’ livelihoods. Examples of regenerative agriculture practices include reduced tillage and agroforestry. More information is available in our Nestlé Agriculture Framework (pdf, 19Mb). Read more about regenerative agriculture.
Collaborating on net zero emissions
In partnership with the National Fish and Wildlife Federation in the United States, Nestlé is enabling the adoption of practices that help improve the productivity of pasturelands, sequester greater amounts of carbon, and restore wildlife habitat. The partnership engages ranchers on an individual basis to identify and subsidize solutions that make the best sense for their particular location, including prescribed grazing, invasive weed management, restoration and management agreements.
In addition, Nestlé has teamed up with the National Pork Board in the United States to support the implementation of regenerative agriculture practices in the fields where feed is grown for our pork supply. In this partnership, the National Pork Board provides expertise to farms that grow pork feed to test the amount of carbon in their soils and identify how best to help increase the amount of carbon stored over time.
Nestlé will fund the implementation of these practices and subsequent testing to verify the amount of carbon reduction and compensate farmers for their efforts.
