Nestlé UK and Ireland: KitKat moves to Rainforest Alliance certification

According to the company, the move comes as the business invests more in sustainably sourced cocoa; and harmonises certification for confectionery products within its global portfolio. Nestlé will provide financial support to enable Fairtrade farmers to certify their farms to the Rainforest Alliance Sustainable Agriculture Standard as well if they wish.
Nestlé and the Rainforest Alliance already have a long-standing partnership and will continue to work together to build farmer resiliency, tackle key social and environmental issues such as child labour, and empower farmers with the knowledge and skills to negotiate for themselves in the global marketplace; all of which are fundamental to the long-term sustainability of the sector.
Simon Billington, Global Technical Manager for Nestlé Confectionery said: ”Our expanded partnership with the Rainforest Alliance underlines our commitment to sustainable cocoa sourcing throughout our global supply chain.We are aware that the move will have an impact on some farmers, and we are working hard to mitigate this. Nestlé will be maintaining the same level of cocoa spend for the 2020-21 season. We will be investing in a series of initiatives to support farmers and our cocoa growing communities over the next two years, including GBP 1 m to develop an industry-first living income pilot and a further GBP 500,000 on community projects.”