Nestlé sources materials from thousands of farms, many of them small farmers in poorer rural regions of the world. In many rural communities, a lack of investment in infrastructure has a serious impact on the quality and quantity of raw materials that Nestlé and other companies rely on. Nestlé provides training in order to encourage sustainable production, protect the supply and quality of its raw materials and have a positive, long-term impact on the local economy and farmers’ standards of living.
Around two-thirds of Nestlé’s worldwide expenditure is on raw materials. Nearly 40% of this goes on three main ingredients: milk, coffee and cocoa. Cocoa is the main ingredient in chocolate and as such is vital to Nestlé. It comes from cocoa beans that grow in a pod on a cocoa tree.