Nestlé

The allegations in this report misrepresent the nature of our work in the coffee supply chain in Mexico.

We strongly believe that coffee farmers should earn a sufficient income to maintain a decent standard of living for them and their families. In Mexico, the price we paid to the coffee mills (our direct suppliers) in the 2024/2025 buying season is historically the highest we have ever paid, reflecting the high global market price for Robusta beans.

Nestlé does not buy coffee through middlemen. We buy coffee from our suppliers (coffee mills) aligned with the global market price and we pay premiums for the quality specifications we require for our coffee. We maintain ongoing communication with our suppliers to help ensure that farmers get fair prices and premiums for their coffee. 

Over the past decades, the new Robusta coffee growing areas have been converted from other crops such as sugar cane or pastures (e.g. for cattle) not because of deforestation. In addition, some areas were converted to Robusta coffee farming because the land at a lower altitude is less suitable for growing Arabica coffee beans.

As set out in our Responsible Sourcing Core Requirements, we require our direct suppliers to demonstrate evidence of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) from affected local communities for the raw materials we source. We also require that workers are treated with respect and dignity and are not discriminated against. Where there are claims that our standards have not been met, we work with our suppliers to investigate immediately and take action as necessary. 

Additional information

Through our sustainability programs, we provide on-the-ground training and technical assistance to help coffee farmers (most of whom are smallholders) achieve efficiencies, reduce input costs (e.g. fertilizers), and provide them with new coffee plantlets to help increase yields. We also encourage them to grow other crops to boost their income. Farmers continue to voluntarily adhere and remain in our sustainability programs as they see good outcomes on productivity, reduced cost of production and income diversification.