Nestlé has introduced its first KitKat made with cocoa from beans grown by farmers in its income accelerator program.
The cocoa mass from the program, which was created to close the living income gap of cocoa-farming families and reduce child labour risk, adheres to one of the highest traceability standards, ensuring ‘mixed identity preserved’ traceability, enabling cocoa to be traced and stored separately.
The program has so far supported more than 10,000 families in Côte d’Ivoire and is expanding to Ghana this year to include a total of 30,000 families, with a goal of reaching 160,000 families by 2030.
Corinne Gabler, Head of Confectionery and Ice Cream at Nestlé, said this innovation is brought to life through the Breaks for Good initiative that puts cocoa farmers at the centre of its product through the income accelerator program.
“We couldn’t think of a better brand than KitKat to represent our efforts to create meaningful impact in cocoa communities.”
Thierry Touchais, Manager, Strategic Accounts at the Rainforest Alliance, said they’re delighted to collaborate with Nestlé on their journey towards more sustainable cocoa sourcing.
“It’s encouraging to find a company of this scale using a ‘mixed identity preserved’ model in which cocoa can be traced back to Rainforest Alliance certified farmers engaged in Nestlé’s income accelerator. The approach showcases the potential for positive change in the industry.”
The KitKat Breaks for Good will be available on store shelves starting from January 2024 in 27 European countries, and from May 2024, in the UK.
To stay up to date on the latest industry headlines, sign up to the C&I e-newsletter.