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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Nestlé moves to plant 2.5m bamboo trees

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Nestlé recently launched a new initiative to plant two and a half million native bamboo clumps and a million trees over the next three years in the Philippines in support of its global goal to plant 200 million trees by 2030. 

The project is targeting the island of Mindanao for the reforestation initiative. Nestlé sources coffee beans from the region. Planting bamboo native to the Philippines in Mindanao aims to absorb greenhouse gas emissions, conserve local biodiversity, improve water quality and restore degraded soils. 

The initiative is part of the company’s plan to scale up actions in regenerative agriculture and deploy nature-based solutions to absorb greenhouse gases and contribute to achieving Nestlé’s net-zero target by 2050.

Nestlé Philippines chairman and CEO Kais Marzouki
Nestlé Philippines chairman and CEO Kais Marzouki

“We are facing a global climate emergency today. Forests stabilize the climate because they store significant amounts of carbon, maintain healthy water and soil systems, and provide habitat to plants and wildlife. Millions of livelihoods also depend on healthy forests. Planting trees in areas where we source our ingredients helps protect and restore food systems. It helps our supply chain and the local communities that grow our ingredients to be more resilient,” said  Nestlé S.A. executive vice president and CEO of Zone Asia, Oceania and sub-Saharan Africa Chris Johnson.

Nestlé is conducting the reforestation initiative with One Tree Planted, a non-profit environmental organization focusing on global reforestation and EcoPlanet Bamboo Group who champions the industrialization of bamboo as a sustainable fiber source. 

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The global initiative aims to help address the growing issue of deforestation in the Philippines and is part of the broader Nestlé global reforestation commitment.

Nestlè believes that forests play an important part in the reduction of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. They are vital in holding off the floods caused by the storms to lessen the damage in disaster-prone areas. Forests provide resources as well to different communities. 

Nestlé kicked off its global reforestation program across the Americas, supported in part by its ongoing partnership with One Tree Planted, before expanding it to several countries.

Nestlé’s reforestation initiative is a pillar of the company’s Forest Positive strategy, which looks beyond stopping deforestation, to protecting and restoring forests over the long term.  It aims to make a positive impact on the critical agricultural areas where Nestlé sources its ingredients. 

It also contributes to advancing regenerative and equitable farming systems that help conserve and restore the world’s forests and natural ecosystems, while promoting sustainable livelihoods and respecting human rights. This supports the company’s efforts to accelerate the transition to a regenerative food system.

This reforestation effort in the country adds on Nestlé Philippines’ wider sustainability efforts. Nestlé Philippines is taking a leadership role in tackling climate change by pioneering major environmental programs.

“We recognize that there is much more to do, and this new reforestation initiative will strengthen Nestlé Philippines in pursuing our programs tackling urgent environmental issues. We will continue our trailblazing involvement in the private sector as a kasambuhay, a trusted companion for the environment, as a force for good,” said Nestlé Philippines chairman and chief executive Kais Marzouki. 

“Planting bamboo, native to the Philippines in this sourcing region known as insetting really is aiming at absorbing greenhouse emissions, conserve biodiversity, improve water quality and restore degraded soils within our supply chain,” he said

Marzouki said the reforestation effort is part of the company’s Forest Positive Strategy, which looks beyond stopping deforestation to protecting and restoring forest, over the long term.

“It aims to make a real positive impact on the critical agricultural areas where Nestlè sources its ingredients, and in this case, coffee. So this reforestation initiative in the country adds to Nestlè Philippines wider sustainability efforts as we take a leadership role in tackling climate change by pioneering major environmental programs,” Marzouki said.

In April 2021, Nestlé Philippines made commitments in support of the country’s nationally determined contribution to reduce GHG emissions by 75 percent by 2030. 

Today, 71 percent of Nestlé Philippines’ electricity comes from renewable resources, and 77 percent of its packaging is designed for recycling.

In the past 12 months since August 2020, the program has diverted 27 million kilos of plastic waste away from the environment.

“But it’s granted that our work does not end here, and that we cannot wait,” Marzouki said.

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