The latest news, trends, analysis, interviews and podcasts from the global food and beverage industry

Nestlé has launched an initiative to help bring regenerative agriculture practices to wheat farms within its DiGiorno pizza brand supply chain. The initiative, which will bring regenerative agriculture practices to over 100,000 acres of farmland, aims to improve soil health and fertility, use less water, energy and fertiliser, enhance biodiversity and help reduce the effects of climate change. According to Nestlé, nearly two-thirds of its global greenhouse gas emission come from sourcing ingredients. As part of its roadmap to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, the company aims to source 20% of its key ingredients through regenerative agricultural methods by 2025 and 50% by 2030. Through partnerships with DiGiorno wheat flour suppliers ADM and Ardent Mills, Nestlé said its investment will benefit wheat farms across Kansas, North Dakota, Indiana and Missouri. Regenerative practices aiming to help farmers in the programme include planting cover crops, eliminating or reducing tillage and reducing the use of pesticides. Steve Presley, CEO, Nestlé Zone North America, said: “At Nestlé our aim is to help leave the world better than we found it, and as the world's largest food and beverage company, we have a tremendous opportunity to help create a regenerative, healthy food system while also working with the local farming communities that employ it”. He added: “To do this we need to find solutions that create shared value throughout the ecosystem – value for us, value for farmers, value for our consumers, and value for the planet. This investment in wheat producers is just one example of how we are bringing this commitment to life across our supply chain.” Nestlé is also working across its tomato supply chain in the US to support the verification of regenerative agriculture practices, with the aim of sourcing tomatoes grown for its ingredients through these methods in the coming years. The company is working with Leading Harvest, a nonprofit that monitors and audits farming methods through its Farmland Management Standard, to certify the farming practices of tomato suppliers. Emily Johannes, head of diverse and sustainable sourcing, Nestlé USA, commented: “Many tomato farmers in our supply chain have already been doing the work to implement regenerative farming practices in their fields and they've made great progress so far”. “We are now working to verify these efforts throughout the supply chain in a way that is effective and efficient for our brands and the farmers. Third-party verification is a critical component of this work because it helps us, and others, remain accountable.”