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Public policy and advocacy
Collaboration. Open discussion. Deep dialogue. And the building and sharing of knowledge. These are the ways to develop the sort of public policy that is transformational, addressing immense global challenges such as obesity and malnutrition, plastic waste or climate change.
It is a debate that needs everyone to contribute: governments, the private sector, NGOs, local authorities and all parts of civil society. Businesses share the same ambitions as many other stakeholders – aiming to create a healthier, prosperous and more stable society.
The need for public–private partnerships is even included in UN Sustainable Development Goal 17, which stresses that all the other SDGs rest on a strong commitment to global partnership and cooperation.
Our advocacy priorities
Our advocacy at the global level is aligned with our key business strategies. The Global Advocacy Committee is responsible for driving the process, taking into consideration short- and long-term business value, feasibility and the benefit to society.
- Promoting good nutrition and healthier products
- Supporting mother and baby in the critical first 1000 days of life
- Creating opportunities for youth
- Improving access to water and sanitation
- Ensuring ‘farm to fork’ approach to food safety
Making a positive contribution
Nestlé believes the private sector has a vital role to play in helping build healthier lives. We will work alongside all interested parties to ensure positive outcomes for society.
Advocacy – through education, engagement and thought leadership – fosters open discussion, which can in turn help inform public policy.
Nestlé will join other companies and stakeholders to engage with public authorities at global, regional and local levels, working with the relevant industry bodies to inspire collective action.
Sustainable growth
Advocacy on key societal issues is also important for business. Advocacy and engagement help create market conditions where companies compete on an equal basis because they adhere to the same rules of play.
Companies can also support change by developing innovative products and services, creating value for shareholders at the same time as benefiting broader society.
All this supports sustainable growth, laying the foundations for the long-term interests of both companies and their investors.
An open book
Transparency is critical, ensuring that any engagement is carried out professionally and to high standards.
Transparency underpins Nestlé’s advocacy work, and our policy on interactions with public authorities (pdf, 2Mb) is publicly available. Documents and reports are also publicly available, and our positions on key issues are published.
Global indices – such as the Access to Nutrition Index, the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, FTSE4Good and CDP – are an additional way to monitor progress, as well as providing an incentive for firms to do even better. Nestlé, along with many other companies, invests time and effort to provide these indices with data to help inform the scorecards.
These independent third-party assessments increase transparency and accountability, helping to build trust with both stakeholders and customers.
