Nestlé in society Creating Shared Value and meeting our commitments 2015

Recommendations

Info

Nestlé in society: Creating Shared Value Nutrition, health and wellness Rural development Water Environmental sustainability Human rights and compliance Our people Water in our supply chain Every year, Nestlé works directly with around 760 000 farmers, providing a wide range of support – from droughtresistant plantlets to sharing information about agricultural methods that maintain yield while using less water. Our sphere of influence touches millions more suppliers through the commodities we purchase, such as coffee, cocoa and milk for our products, and paper for our packaging, so engaging with our suppliers, especially those involved in agriculture and forestry, is critical to achieving water security and meeting our water stewardship commitments. Prioritising interventions in water-scarce locations and Important Water Areas 7 , we provide training to farmers on water quality, water usage and retaining soil moisture, while our R&D teams support the selection and propagation of drought-resistant cocoa and coffee trees. W A T E R Work to achieve water efficiency and sustainability across our operations Advocate for effective water policies and stewardship Treat the water we discharge effectively Engage with suppliers, especially those in agriculture Raise awareness on water conservation, and improve access to water and sanitation across our value chain Working with our suppliers Our commitment Engage with suppliers, especially those in agriculture We estimate that around 63.5 billion m 3 of water is consumed by the agricultural goods we use in our products (93.3% from rainwater and 6.7% from irrigation). And with over 70% of the world’s available freshwater supplies used to grow food, the food and beverage industry is in a strong position to influence improvements in global water stewardship. Industry leaders have already achieved significant advances in sustainable water management in their operations but we must focus beyond the factory gates, where farmers are often the biggest users of water and the key stakeholders in a catchment. Nestlé’s greatest challenge to reducing water consumption lies in addressing the impacts of our complex agricultural supply chains. Water management and conservation is specific to a locality and is usually temporal in nature. Our research indicates that we can achieve significant improvements in water use simply by introducing better agricultural techniques at a farm level, some of which require significant investment. We are currently implementing our Responsible Sourcing Guideline (RSG) for 12 major categories of ingredients, with specific requirements on social and environmental aspects; these include water management guidelines based on the Principles & Practices for Sustainable Water Management in Agriculture – at a farm level developed by the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative (SAI) Platform. The Sustainable Agriculture Initiative (SAI) Platform Nestlé is one of the founding members of the SAI Platform, a non-profit organisation that promotes the principles and practices needed for sustainable water management in agriculture among food and beverage companies. Its Water Committee recently issued a Water Footprinting of Livestock report, summarising key water footprinting methodologies for livestock production and highlighting gaps and areas for improvement. The SAI Platform’s Water and Agriculture Working Group has also finalised a new report on Water Stewardship for Sustainable Agriculture. This document, intended for food and drink companies and their agricultural supply chains, provides practical guidance on the steps required for farm-level water stewardship. The report aims to empower key decision-makers such as business leaders and farm managers to understand the scope of farm-level water stewardship and where specialist expertise is required; to make the right practical and investment choices; and to communicate better on water stewardship issues. The three clear steps to farm-level water stewardship described in the report are improved knowledge, an assessment of risks both to and from the farm, and actions to address those risks. 7 Water-related areas of a catchment that are legally protected or under a conservation agreement which, if impaired or lost, could adversely impact the environmental, social, cultural or economic benefits derived from the catchment in a significant or disproportionate manner. Nestlé in society – Creating Shared Value and meeting our commitments 2015 156
Nestlé in society: Creating Shared Value Nutrition, health and wellness Rural development Water Environmental sustainability Human rights and compliance Our people The Sustainable Agriculture Initiative at Nestlé (SAIN) We also have our own global programme to support farmers and promote sustainable development across a range of commodities. The Sustainable Agriculture Initiative at Nestlé (SAIN) enables us to address key challenges in water management and irrigation, such as resilience to drought and flooding; wastewater and organic waste treatment; and farm intensification techniques. Through SAIN, we hold regional workshops for farmers and share best practice through field projects and public–private partnerships, some of which are featured in this chapter. Our initial objective, to be achieved by 2015, was to define and start to implement action plans to save water in our upstream supply chains for coffee, sugar, rice and cereals, and our work in this area has been extended into 2020. Focus is given to high-priority locations, which are selected based on a range of water-related issues such as exposure to scarcity, floods and competition with other users. Our objectives By 2015 – Define and start to implement action plans to save water in our upstream supply chain for coffee, sugar, rice and cereals in high-priority locations. By 2020 – Implement all action plans defined for improved water management in our upstream supply chain for coffee, sugar, dairy and cereals in high-priority locations. SAIN action plan: coffee In 2014, through our SAIN programme, we defined and began to implement an action plan to save water in our upstream supply chain for coffee. We promote water conservation to our network of around 20 000 Farmer Connect suppliers in Vietnam through our Nescafé Better Farming Practices (NBFP), developed in collaboration with the NGO Rainforest Alliance. The NBFP recommend farm-level methods such as fixing leaks, using irrigation techniques such as drip systems, and scheduling irrigation to help farmers increase crop yield and quality while using less water. These help farmers move towards compliance with social and environmental sustainability criteria such as the 4C Code. Saving water in Vietnam’s coffee fields Vietnam is the world’s second-largest coffee producer and the world’s largest exporter of Robusta coffee, with 2.6 million people relying on the sector for their livelihood. Most coffee is grown in the Central Highlands, where agriculture accounts for around 96% of the region’s water use. But erratic rainfall, prolonged periods of drought and overextraction means that groundwater scarcity poses a growing threat to farmers, households and industry (watch a short video). A study by Nestlé and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) to evaluate water sustainability in the coffee sector of Vietnam estimated that, on average, coffee farmers use 60% more water for irrigation than necessary during the dry season. They also incur financial and labour costs, having to buy petrol to operate well pumps and spend time watering their fields. We have worked in a public–private partnership with the SDC since 2011 to improve irrigation practices with Vietnam’s coffee farmers, and educate those beyond our network about good agricultural practices and water management. Our fiveyear partnership now serves more than 50 000 farmers and by 2018, the project will deliver an action plan for water-scarce hotspots; an early warning weather system; a training programme with field schools; and capacity-building for local institutions. • Action plan: in cooperation with the University of Neuchatel, a large-scale water supply and demand study conducted in Dak Lak province found that groundwater resources are replenished two to three months after the dry season. Detailed results will be presented to an international conference in Vietnam in March 2016. • Early warning weather system: in cooperation with the Hanoi University of Science, a short-term weather prediction model has been developed for the Central Highlands. It is currently being fine-tuned and tested. The weather forecast is updated every six hours and predicts up to 36 hours ahead. • Farmer training programme: around 60 trainers have attended five Train the Trainer sessions, and almost 7000 beneficiaries have been trained on five Good Agricultural Practices topics. Participation rates in the farmer field school programme averaged around 80%. • Policy advocacy: in cooperation with the National Agricultural Extension Centre, an agricultural forum focusing on water and fertiliser use in the coffee sector was attended by around 200 farmers from the five Central Highland provinces, where they had the opportunity to directly interact with key coffee experts. Nestlé in society – Creating Shared Value and meeting our commitments 2015 157
Page 1 and 2:
Nestlé in society Creating Shared
Page 3 and 4:
Nestlé in society: Creating Shared
Page 5 and 6:
Page 7 and 8:
Page 9 and 10:
Page 11 and 12:
Page 13 and 14:
Page 15 and 16:
Page 17 and 18:
Page 19 and 20:
Page 21 and 22:
Page 23 and 24:
Page 25 and 26:
Page 27 and 28:
Page 29 and 30:
Page 31 and 32:
Page 33 and 34:
Page 35 and 36:
Page 37 and 38:
Page 39 and 40:
Page 41 and 42:
Page 43 and 44:
Page 45 and 46:
Page 47 and 48:
Page 49 and 50:
Page 51 and 52:
Page 53 and 54:
Page 55 and 56:
Page 57 and 58:
Page 59 and 60:
Page 61 and 62:
Page 63 and 64:
Page 65 and 66:
Page 67 and 68:
Page 69 and 70:
Page 71 and 72:
Page 73 and 74:
Page 75 and 76:
Page 77 and 78:
Page 79 and 80:
Page 81 and 82:
Page 83 and 84:
Page 85 and 86:
Page 87 and 88:
Page 89 and 90:
Page 91 and 92:
Page 93 and 94:
Page 95 and 96:
Page 97 and 98:
Page 99 and 100:
Page 101 and 102:
Page 103 and 104:
Page 105 and 106: Nestlé in society: Creating Shared
Page 155: Nestlé in society: Creating Shared
Page 207 and 208:
Page 209 and 210:
Page 211 and 212:
Page 213 and 214:
Page 215 and 216:
Page 217 and 218:
Page 219 and 220:
Page 221 and 222:
Page 223 and 224:
Page 225 and 226:
Page 227 and 228:
Page 229 and 230:
Page 231 and 232:
Page 233 and 234:
Page 235 and 236:
Page 237 and 238:
Page 239 and 240:
Page 241 and 242:
Page 243 and 244:
Page 245 and 246:
Page 247 and 248:
Page 249 and 250:
Page 251 and 252:
Page 253 and 254:
Page 255 and 256:
Page 257 and 258:
Page 259 and 260:
Page 261 and 262:
Page 263 and 264:
Page 265 and 266:
Page 267 and 268:
Page 269 and 270:
Page 271 and 272:
Page 273 and 274:
Page 275 and 276:
Page 277 and 278:
Page 279 and 280:
Page 281 and 282:
Page 283 and 284:
Page 285 and 286:
Page 287 and 288:
Page 289 and 290:
Page 291 and 292:
Page 293 and 294:
Page 295 and 296:
Page 297 and 298:
Page 299 and 300:
Page 301 and 302:
Page 303 and 304:
Page 305 and 306:
Page 307 and 308:
Page 309 and 310:
Page 311 and 312:
Page 313 and 314:
Page 315 and 316:
Page 317 and 318:
Page 319 and 320:
Page 321 and 322:
Page 323 and 324:
Page 325 and 326:
Page 327 and 328:
Page 329 and 330:
Page 331 and 332:
Page 333 and 334:
Page 335 and 336:
Page 337 and 338:
Page 339 and 340:
Page 341 and 342:
Page 343 and 344:
Page 345 and 346:
Page 347 and 348:
Page 349 and 350:
Page 351:
show all

Nestlé in society Creating Shared Value and meeting our commitments 2015

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?