First KitKat with fully traceable cocoa

Nestlé, a global leader in the food and beverage industry, has recently launched the first KitKat made with cocoa sourced from the Nestlé Income Accelerator program. This initiative, introduced in January 2022, focuses on narrowing the living income gap for cocoa-farming families, reducing the risk of child labor, and promoting sustainable agricultural practices.

The Nestlé Income Accelerator program, currently aiding over 10,000 families in Côte d'Ivoire, is set to expand to Ghana, aiming to support a total of 30,000 families by the end of the year. The program incentivizes families to enroll their children in school, implement good agricultural practices, engage in agroforestry activities, and diversify their income sources. Nestlé's ambitious goal is to reach approximately 160,000 cocoa-farming families in its global cocoa supply chain by 2030.

Full Traceability and Segregation for Sustainable Sourcing

Collaborating with partners and suppliers, Nestlé has transformed its global cocoa sourcing to achieve full traceability and physical segregation of cocoa sourced from the income accelerator program. The cocoa mass adheres to high traceability standards, ensuring 'mixed identity preserved' traceability, and Nestlé plans to use segregated cocoa butter for all KitKat chocolate in Europe by mid-2024, with further expansion to other regions in the pipeline.

Corinne Gabler, Head of Confectionery and Ice Cream at Nestlé, emphasized the Breaks for Good initiative's significance in putting cocoa farmers at the forefront of product development. She stated, "KitKat has consistently embraced innovation... 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, made with cocoa from the income accelerator, will hit store shelves across 27 European countries from January 2024 and in the UK from May 2024. Furthermore, a limited-edition KitKat with 70% dark chocolate, also sourced from the income accelerator, has been launched in the UK as a pilot.

Partners such as Cargill and the Rainforest Alliance commend Nestlé's commitment to sustainability, emphasizing the potential for positive change in the industry through their collaborative efforts.

Nestlé's KitKat Breaks for Good initiative is not just a chocolate innovation; it's a step towards creating meaningful impact in cocoa communities and fostering a more sustainable and resilient supply chain.

Nestle.com