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Nestlé has launched two new projects, developed with suppliers Cargill and ETG | Beyond Beans, that will support the reforestation of degraded lands around cocoa farming communities. The projects have been initiated as part of Nestlé’s wider commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2050. The five-year collaborations aim to reduce and remove carbon emissions from Nestlé’s supply chains and accelerate the transition to regenerative agriculture. Various multi-purpose species of shade trees will be distributed to farmers, who will learn tree planting and pruning. Shade trees can help to reduce the sun’s harsh effects and provide moisture-rich spaces for cocoa crops to survive during the dry season. They can also enhance water management and on-farm biodiversity, as well as absorbing carbon from the atmosphere. Together, the projects are estimated to remove over 500,000 metric tonnes of carbon over a 20-year period through the planting of over two million shade trees on land managed by nearly 20,000 farmers in Ghana and the Ivory Coast. Community-owned fallow land will be selected for reforestation work, beginning with the establishment of tree nurseries. These nurseries produce and grow seedlings for transplantation on-farm. Participating farmers will sign up voluntarily and should already be part of Nestlé’s Cocoa Plan programme. Farmers will receive an incentive when they plant the seedlings and care for them during the initial years, which are critical to the trees’ survival and therefore the project’s success. Regular farm visits will allow for monitoring, with technical advice and assistance provided where necessary. Monitoring plans will track both the number of trees and the corresponding tonnes of CO2 sequestered. Non-carbon benefits generated from the projects, such as the impact, appropriateness, effectiveness and efficiency of natural landscape restoration initiatives, will also be monitored. High-resolution images from satellite monitoring will be used to help ensure that the trees planted continue to thrive in the long-term. Darrell High, global cocoa manager at Nestlé, said: “These projects are important milestones on our journey to net zero. We're working to address our emissions all the way to the farms we source from.” "Long-lasting forest protection can only happen when collaborating with fully committed suppliers, just like Cargill and ETG | Beyond Beans. We also depend on the participation of local communities, who have an impact on the forests and can help find land-use solutions that are best suited for the local reality." More than two-thirds of Nestlé’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions come from sourcing its ingredients. Nestlé has committed to planting and growing 200 million trees in the regions it sources from globally by 2030. It aims to reduce its absolute GHG emissions by 20% versus its 2018 baseline by 2025, and by 50% by 2030. In 2023, the company achieved a 13.58% net reduction in emissions. You might also like to read: