Nestlé, OFI forge landmark cocoa agroforestry partnership to combat deforestation
By promoting reforestation and carbon capture, the partnership aims to enhance
biodiversity and improve soil health.
WEST AFRICA – Switzerland-based Nestle and Olam Food Ingredients (OFI) have formed the largest-ever cocoa agroforestry partnership to lower carbon emissions and fight deforestation in key cocoa-producing countries, including Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, and Brazil.
As part of the partnership, approximately 25,000 farmers will be supported in transitioning to climate-smart farming in key cocoa-producing countries in West Africa and Brazil in the next 5 years.
Both companies will implement agroforestry and crop residue management and monitor progress until 2055. OFI’s carbon footprinting experts estimate this can help slash carbon emissions by 1.5 million metric tons of CO2 over the next three decades.
Darrell High, Cocoa Plan Manager, Nestlé, said, “People are at the heart of our climate actions. We’re working with OFI to help farmers transition to climate-smart farming practices. By supporting a move toward a more regenerative food system, we can continue to build a more responsible cocoa supply chain and progress toward our shared climate goals for 2030 and beyond.”
The announcement comes as the cocoa industry grapples with enduring social, ethical, and economic challenges of increasing demand amid supply chain disruptions, inflation, and environmental fallout.
Cocoa yields and supply are particularly battered by extreme weather events, and research predicts that the negative effects will be long-term.
Wageningen University & Research has estimated a 50% reduction in cocoa production in Côte d’Ivoire by 2060. This estimate is used as a simulation model to suggest that Ghana is expected to decline moderately. Nigeria and Cameroon may experience an increase in arable land for cocoa by that year.
Amid these challenges, the agroforestry partnership plans to cultivate more than 72,000 hectares of agroforestry as part of a transition to regenerative agriculture. This includes planting over 2.8 million trees, which will be verified by a third party, from the nursery to the farm.
According to the F&B ingredient supplier OFI, farmers will also receive training on caring for trees and environmental and sustainability issues, including those related to the African Regional Sustainability Standard and EU Deforestation Regulation.
With this model, the project aims to encourage farmer ownership of the trees and biodiversity, helping strengthen climate resilience.
Andrew Brooks, Global Head of Cocoa Sustainability at OFI, said, “We’re addressing climate challenges by putting farmers at the centre of the solution. Collaborating closely with cocoa communities, we can support farmers in adapting and mitigating climate change and help strengthen the supply of sustainable cocoa ingredients.”
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