Nestlé Unveils Pioneering KitKat Crafted with Cocoa from Income Accelerator Program
Nestlé has introduced a groundbreaking KitKat, incorporating cocoa mass sourced from beans cultivated by farmer families participating in the company’s innovative income accelerator initiative. This initiative aims to foster a connection between consumers and farmers while raising awareness about the sustainable sourcing of cocoa for the beloved KitKat bars.
Launched in January 2022, the program seeks to narrow the living income gap for cocoa-farming families, mitigate the risk of child labor, promote improved agricultural practices, and advance gender equality by empowering women as agents of positive change. Families enrolled in the program receive incentives for enrolling their children in school, adopting good agricultural practices, engaging in agroforestry activities, and diversifying their income streams.
Currently supporting over 10,000 families in Côte d’Ivoire, the program is expanding to Ghana in the current year, with a goal of reaching a total of 30,000 families. By 2030, Nestlé envisions impacting approximately 160,000 cocoa-farming families globally within its cocoa supply chain.
Nestlé has collaborated with partners and suppliers to overhaul its cocoa sourcing, achieving complete traceability and physical segregation of cocoa from the income accelerator program. This ensures the ability to track cocoa beans from origin to factory while keeping them physically separated from other sources.
The cocoa mass from the income accelerator program adheres to high traceability standards, enabling ‘mixed identity preserved’ traceability. Nestlé plans to utilize segregated cocoa butter for all its KitKat chocolate in Europe by mid-2024, with plans for further expansion in the coming years.
Corinne Gabler, Head of Confectionery and Ice Cream at Nestlé, expressed, “KitKat has consistently embraced innovation, centered around its iconic ‘Have a break, Have a KitKat.’ Today, this innovation is brought to life through the Breaks for Good initiative that puts cocoa farmers at the center of our product through our income accelerator program.”
The KitKat Breaks for Good will hit store shelves in 27 European countries from January 2024 and in the UK from May 2024. Additionally, a limited-edition KitKat, featuring 70% dark chocolate sourced from the income accelerator program, has been launched in the UK as a pilot.
Cargill, a partner in Nestlé’s sustainability journey, is committed to supporting the longer-term goals of the Income Accelerator Program. Michiel van der Bom, Product Line Director Cocoa & Chocolate Europe West Africa at Cargill, stated, “Through our partnership, we are building a stronger, more resilient supply chain together.”
Thierry Touchais, Manager, Strategic Accounts at the Rainforest Alliance, expressed delight in collaborating with Nestlé on their sustainable cocoa sourcing journey, highlighting the potential for positive change in the industry through the ‘mixed identity preserved’ model.
