Empowering rural women in Central and West Africa: How does Nestlé do this?

Thousands of women in rural communities in Central and West Africa are reaping the rewards from Nestlé’s agricultural support and capacity-building programmes to increase their yields, crop quality and income levels.

The company, which relies on smallholder farmers and farm workers to help supply agricultural raw materials needed for its products, is contributing to the sustainable development of rural areas where they work through initiatives such as the cocoa plan and the grains quality improvement project.

Nestlé’s commitment to empower and support rural women is part of its 39 pledges highlighted in the Nestlé CWAR – Nestlé in society report 2015 (English PDF) that covers nutrition, water, rural development, environmental sustainability and compliance, which it aims to fulfil by 2020 or earlier.

Its efforts highlight the importance of the United Nation’s International Day of Rural Women on October 15, to recognise “the critical role and contribution of rural women, including indigenous women, in enhancing agricultural and rural development, improving food security and eradicating rural poverty.”

Nestlé also aims to contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goal 2 which seeks to “end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.”