ZURICH — Global food giant Nestlé is charting a new course in its climate action strategy, announcing a high-profile partnership with the World Farmers’ Organisation (WFO) to bolster the resilience of food systems, even as it quietly withdraws from a key initiative targeting dairy methane emissions.
The strategic move, which couples a major new collaboration with an exit from a global alliance, suggests Nestlé is prioritising grassroots, farmer-led solutions and policy advocacy as central to its sustainability agenda.
New Focus: Farmers and Fair Policy
The collaboration with the WFO, a first of its kind, is designed to jointly advocate for fair agricultural policies and drive the adoption of practical, science-based solutions like regenerative agriculture among farmers worldwide.
- Empowering the Core: The partnership aims to enhance farmers’ resilience to climate change, strengthen their technical capacities, and promote climate-smart farming models necessary to attract the next generation of food producers.
- Shared Vision: Arnold Puech d’Alissac, President of the WFO, framed the alliance as an essential collaborative effort. “Real change demands holistic approaches and collaboration across the value chain,” he stated, emphasising that farmers are simultaneously the first to experience climate change and the first to innovate solutions.
- Centring Farmers: Chris Hogg, Nestlé’s Global Head of Public Affairs, highlighted the company’s reliance on over 600,000 farmers globally for sustainable raw material supply. “By partnering with the WFO, we want to put farmers at the center and share their insights to help inform food policies,” he affirmed.
Exit from Dairy Methane Alliance
The announcement of the WFO partnership coincides with Nestlé’s departure from the Dairy Methane Action Alliance, an initiative launched in 2023 by the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) alongside industry peers like Danone, Kraft Heinz, and Starbucks. The alliance’s members had committed to transparently measuring, disclosing, and reducing methane emissions from their dairy supply chains.
While Nestlé offered no specific reason for the exit, it reiterated its commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, including methane, and maintaining its net zero commitment by 2050. The company’s 2024 non-financial report noted a 21% methane reduction since 2018, underscoring ongoing internal efforts.
Methane is a critical target for climate action, being nearly 30 times more potent than carbon dioxide over a 100-year period, with livestock representing a major source of human-caused emissions.
The EDF confirmed the withdrawal but acknowledged Nestlé’s continued work under its own Dairy Climate Plan and Net Zero Roadmap.
By seemingly refocusing on ground-level partnerships over collective industry pledges, Nestlé is underscoring the belief that farmer-driven solutions and long-term agricultural resilience are the most effective levers for transforming its global food supply chain.
