The Journey Behind Your Chocolate: Introducing the Nestlé Cocoa Plan

The Nestlé Cocoa Plan was launched in 2009 and now counts more than 15 years of experience in the field. So far, the program has engaged with more than 180 000 farmers in 11 origin countries, covering more than 298,000 tons of cocoa in 2024.

1.The Nestlé Cocoa Plan

Launched in 2009, the Nestlé Cocoa Plan is built on three pillars:

Better farming, providing farmers with training in Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) to help improve their livelihoods including integrated pest and weed management, pruning, and planting shade trees to improve yields and increase resilience. See Chapter 2 of the Rainforest Alliance and Nestlé Cocoa Plan Monitoring and Evaluation Highlights.

Secondly, Better lives, aiming to help cocoa farming families enhance their social conditions. Together with our partners, we are supporting women in cocoa-growing communities through Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLAs), empowering them and improving their access to finances. We are also tackling child labor risks through the Child Labor Monitoring Remediation System (CLMRS) that we created in 2012 in partnership with the International Cocoa Initiative (ICI) and is today an industry standard.

Thirdly, Better cocoa, aiming to improve traceability. At Nestlé, we are using various traceability schemes, including Mass Balance, Segregated, and Mix Identity Preserved (for more details on the different levels of traceability click here). As an example, for products sold in Europe, the Rainforest Alliance (RA) Mass Balance certification is being applied. All the beans sourced directly are delivered under segregated traceability.

On top of this, through the innovative Income Accelerator Program, we are incentivizing and supporting cocoa farming families to adopt changes both on the farm and in the household. Incentivised activities include pruning (farm) and participation in a Village Savings and Loans Association (household).

2. Certified, verified & traceability in cocoa

Our ambition for your favorite chocolate is to source 100% of the cocoa through the Nestlé Cocoa Plan by the end of 2025. We achieved 89.9% in 2024 and, to support the achievement of our ambition, we will continue increasing the volumes of certified or verified cocoa at the farm level by independent third parties.

Most of the cocoa is certified under the Rainforest Alliance Mass Balance system; additionally, segregated and mixed identity-preserved cocoa ingredients are also used.

You can easily see if your favorite chocolate contains Rainforest Alliance certified cocoa by looking for the little frog certification logo on the packaging. For specific cocoa origins, such as Brazil, Ecuador or Venezuela, and for local usage, we follow a Nestlé Cocoa Plan verified approach (verified by independent 3rd parties).

What is mass balance, segregated and mixed identity preserved sourcing?

Under a mass balance system, certified/verified and non-certified/verified cocoa ingredients can be mixed together somewhere in transit or production of the finished product. What matters is that the purchase of a volume of Rainforest Alliance certified or Nestlé Cocoa Plan verified cocoa is equivalent to the volume used in the product. This sourcing approach applies to the Rainforest Alliance certified and Nestlé Cocoa Plan verified cocoa.

A segregated model A segregated model involves keeping cocoa purchased from certified farms physically separate from non-certified cocoa throughout the entire supply chain. This applies to the beans sourced directly.

Mixed Identity Preserved cocoa is sourced from a selection of named certificate holders (or cocoa cooperatives) and is kept separate from other cocoa. This is true, as an example, for the cocoa mass (or cocoa liquor) coming from the Nestlé income accelerator that is purchased for some KitKat factories.

🔗 Discover more about Rainforest Alliance cocoa certification and on the different traceability levels

3. How are we helping cocoa farmers enhance their livelihoods?

Supporting farmers through training

Farmers can benefit from Good Agricultural Practices training that helps them to boost their yields, grow their income and enhance their livelihoods. . As an example, in Côte d'Ivoire, in 2024, 56% of farmers adopted at least four Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) to a satisfactory standard, helping them to build the foundation of improved yields for a better cocoa income.

Aiming at building resilience through agroforestry and regenerative agriculture practices

In 2024, we distributed more than 1.7 million forest and fruit trees to cocoa farmers , the former providing shade for cocoa trees, the latter providing the opportunity for an additional source of income as well as promoting biodiversity. Native varieties such as fraké, irvingia, akpi, framiré, bété, and poivre long are distributed.

Regenerative agriculture practices are being promoted as a holistic approach to farming that delivers outcomes related to three key agricultural resources: biodiversity, water, and soil. This approach can benefit communities as part of a just transition. In addition to agroforestry, practices such as the use of soil cover are encouraged. For example, in Côte d'Ivoire, 81% of cocoa farmers in the Nestlé Cocoa Plan achieved near-total soil coverage in 2024.

Empowering communities through savings

Support is provided for the creation of Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLAs), which assist farming families, especially women, in accessing financial services and building savings. These associations enable farming families to invest in their farms and diversify their income sources. Through the Nestlé income accelerator program (IAP), an increase of 105% in the amount saved through VSLAs was observed compared to the non-IAP comparison group.

🔗 Learn more about VSLAs and their impact and discover the latest income accelerator progress report.

4. How do we help train cocoa farmers in good agricultural practices?

Collaboration with partners facilitates the provision of training and resources designed to assist farmers in improving both the quality and quantity of their crops.

Practical training that makes a difference

Our training focuses on promoting five Good Agricultural Practices:

Pruning techniques that enhance the productivity of cocoa trees
Pest and disease management to protect crops
Weeding to keep cocoa plots free from weeds that compete for nutrients and water
Shade management to support a favorable growing environment for cocoa and biodiversity
Proper harvesting and post-harvest handling to ensure quality of the cocoa

These Good Agricultural Practices are monitored and evaluated by the Rainforest Alliance.

🔗 To discover more about the Monitoring & Evaluation of Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs), Read Rainforest Alliance Nestlé Cocoa Plan Summary Report

5. How are we helping promote biodiversity by distributing native fruit and forest trees?

1.7 million native forest and fruit trees were distributed to West African cocoa farmers in 2024 alone. Agroforestry practices are enhanced by providing native forest and fruit trees to farmers engaged in the Nestlé Cocoa Plan in Côte d’Ivoire. Varieties include fraké, irvingia, akpi, framiré, bété, and poivre long), to promote biodiversity and create opportunities for income diversification..

These forest and fruit trees are intended to:

Provide natural shade for cocoa plants
Create habitats for native wildlife and pollinators
Improve soil health and water retention
Offer additional income through fruit and timber
Help farms adapt to climate change

🔗Read our 2024 Nestlé Cocoa Plan progress report.

6. Aiming to support access to education

Within the Nestlé Cocoa Plan, supporting access to education is one of the activities aimed at providing children with opportunities to build better futures.

As of October 2025, there are 86 school constructions and renovations completed, with 81 in Côte d'Ivoire and 5 in Ghana. Of these, 36 were completed in the first phase with Winrock International, while the remainder is funded under the International Cocoa Initiative (ICI) as part of the Child Labor Monitoring and Remediation System (CLMRS).

With support from the Jacobs Foundation, efforts are underway to improve schooling in Côte d’Ivoire and expand opportunities for more children to receive a formal education through The Child Learning and Education Facility (CLEF), a coalition of organizations dedicated to enhancing educational outcomes in rural communities. CLEF was joined in 2020, and to date, it has built and equipped 420 classrooms, established 18 childcare centers, and set up 660 bridging classes to assist 19,800 out-of-school children in transitioning to formal schooling. By 2030, CLEF aims to provide schooling for 5 million children.

Learn more about The Child Learning and Education Facility (CLEF)

On top, the innovative family-centered approach of the income accelerator program aims to close the gap to a living income and reduce child labor risks. One key area of focus is school enrolment, where incentives are delivered directly to women to assist cocoa-farming families with educational expenses.

Discover the latest income accelerator program progress report