York confectioner Nestle has taken further strides to ensure its products are ethical, sustainable and traceable.

The company says its UK-made products now only uses ingredients sourced from its Income Accelerator Programme.

The programme started in 2022 to boost incomes of cocoa farmers and reduce child labour risk.

After 10,000 families took part in a trial, this has been extended to 30,000 families across Ghana and the Ivory Coast, with ambitions to support 160,000 families in the Nestle supply chain by 2030.

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The programme incentivises and supports cocoa-farming families to enrol their children in school, implement good agricultural practices, engage in agroforestry activities, and diversify their incomes.*

Nestlé is working with other partners and suppliers to ensure sourcing and knowing where cocoa comes from, including what it uses.

The cocoa ingredients from the income accelerator programme adhere to one of the highest traceability standards, ensuring "mixed identity preserved" traceability, enabling cocoa to be traced and stored separately.

(Image: pic supplied)

Nestle in York uses up to 12,000 tonnes of cocoa ingredients every year to produce chocolate for a range of brands including KitKat, Quality Street, Aero, After Eight, Yorkie, Rolo and Munchies.

The development means that KitKat will feature on pack information where consumers can scan the QR code to learn more about how the programme works to benefit the livelihoods of cocoa farming families and their communities.

Mark Davies, Managing Director, Nestlé Confectionery UK & Ireland, said: “Announcing that all of our UK chocolate is now produced using cocoa ingredients sourced through the Income Accelerator Programme is a very significant milestone for Nestlé.

“Sourcing cocoa with this level of traceability, at the scale that Nestlé operates , is no mean feat. It has taken a lot of hard work by many people, but we know that there is still more to be done.

“We will continue to push to make a positive impact on the lives of farmers and their communities and contribute to a more sustainable cocoa industry,” added Davies.

One partner playing a major role in the programme is the non-profit Rainforest Alliance.

The Rainforest Alliance cocoa certification programme is the world’s largest scale initiative to drive more sustainable cocoa farming and all cocoa sourced for Nestlé UK&I remains Rainforest Alliance certified.

Kerry Daroci, Cocoa Lead at the Rainforest Alliance, said of the initiative: “The Rainforest Alliance has a longstanding history with Nestlé and we’re pleased to be supporting its sustainable cocoa sourcing goals.

“Nestlé UK&I is using one of the highest levels of traceability, in which its cocoa can be traced back to Rainforest Alliance Certified farmers engaged in Nestlé’s Income Accelerator Programme.”

She added: “Achieving this level of traceability for all its UK chocolate serves as a significant benchmark for the industry and highlights the impact of collaboration on driving positive change for both farmers and the environment.”