The company expects local communities to benefit from training given to farmers and improve agricultural yields.
Previously, Nestlé in the Central and Western Africa Region imported onion powder – the main ingredient in Maggi bouillon – from Germany, France and India.
The new ‘blue onion’ programme is being launched as an alternative way to source this essential ingredient.
“This project illustrates the importance that agriculture has in Nestlé’s global R&D programme,” said Johannes Baensch, head of Nestlé R&D. “Our agricultural knowledge is an important element in our innovation process, from selecting high-quality raw materials to developing finished products.”
Nestlé and Niger-based company Achat Services International are working together to develop the locally sourced supply of onion powder.
In the past, Nestlé was unable to do this because it was difficult to source high-quality onions with the right flavour and aroma, and transform them into powder form. But now, Nestlé researchers and scientists expect the new programme will enable them to make better use of the locally grown onions from farmers in Niger, the second biggest producer of the crop after Nigeria.
Nestlé’s Research and Development Centre in Abidjan is already working with 200 farmers ahead of the opening of a new onion powder factory in Niger’s capital city Niamey in 2012.
The company will share its technical training and expertise with farmers to encourage sustainable farming practices.
Source: Nestlé
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