Nestlé Cereals launches regenerative agriculture initiative as Petcare division opens US$144m factory in Thailand
UK— Nestle Cereals, maker of brands such as Cheerios and Shredded Wheat, has launched a new plan to support its UK-based wheat farmers to adopt regenerative agricultural practices.
The initiative, titled the Nestlé Wheat Plan, will see Nestlé work alongside the Landscape Enterprise Networks scheme (LENs) and its wheat suppliers to ensure regenerative approaches already being trailed at several UK farms are improved and scaled to other locations over the coming years.
LENs will measure the environmental benefits of regenerative farming in terms of water quality, soil erosion, soil carbon sequestration and biodiversity improvements.
As part of the plan, farmers are supported in striving to make their farming practices more sustainable and implement regenerative farming methods reduce pesticide use, carbon emissions and soil erosion, while simultaneously improving organic soil matter and biodiversity.
This is achieved through practices like cover cropping which protects water quality and ensures the soil isn’t left bare and vulnerable to erosion; reduced cultivation to keep soils healthier and reduce C02 losses to the atmosphere; and planting hedgerows which creates new habitats for biodiversity, captures carbon from the atmosphere, and absorbs moisture from soil in wet weather.
“By supporting our wheat farmers to transition to more regenerative farming practices, they will become more resilient in the long term, as well as reducing their environmental impact with benefits for carbon, flood mitigation, water quality, air quality and soil health,” Nestle UK and Ireland’s responsible sourcing manager Robin Sundaram said.
Ultimately, this will also help us maintain the stable wheat supply necessary to continue producing the nation’s favorite cereals.”
Nestlé Cereals will include the Nestlé Wheat Plan on its Shredded Wheat packaging across all major retailers. The back of pack focuses on ‘better farming, better countryside’ and directs consumers to the Nestlé Cereals’ website to find out more.
The Nestlé Wheat Plan also supports Nestlé’s wider commitment to achieve zero net greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
“The Nestlé Wheat Plan is evidence of our long-term commitment and ambitious plans to make delicious breakfast cereals while having a positive impact on the environment where our wheat is grown,” Mr. Sundaram added.
Meanwhile, the company’s pet care subsidiary, Nestlé Purina Petcare, or simply Purina has opened a new US$144 million state-of-the-art Purina Petcare factory in Rayong, Thailand.
An increase in consumer demand for premium pet food in Thailand led Nestlé to construct the new facility, which is expected to increase Purina’s production capacity, as well as increase Nestlé’s presence in Thailand’s pet food market.
To this effect, Victor Seah, chairman and chief executive of Nestlé Indochina, said Rayong province was a strategic location for the new factory.
“Rayong is an ideal strategic location. Thailand offers easy access to high-quality raw materials and is logistically convenient to supply products across AOA [Asia, Oceania and Africa], especially the Asean region, which is an emerging market with tremendous potential for our pet care business,” he said.
The 1,010,430-sq-ft facility will produce wet, single-serve cat food products under Purina’s Purina One, Pro Plan, Felix, and Fancy Feast brands for the domestic and international markets.
The facility joins Purina’s existing pet food facilities in Thailand, the first of which in 2010 and currently produces dry dog and cat food.
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