Redefining the way the world produces food in a warming climate 

Food production and availability have long been a global priority. The pursuit of zero hunger – guaranteeing access to food for all – has driven significant technological advances in agriculture and food distribution worldwide. These advances have not only expanded access to nutrition, but also fostered cultural and gastronomic exchanges, enriching diets and strengthening the global fight against hunger worldwide. 

Unfortunately, many countries still face malnutrition. While agricultural productivity has improved rapidly, helping to reduce hunger in many regions, progress must now go beyond yields and access. The real challenge lies in building a food production system that is both sustainable and climate resilient, while being capable of delivering nutritious food for generations to come. 

Rethinking agriculture for a changing planet 

When we talk about securing a long and resilient future, an important question arises: is today’s agriculture we know today extensive and technological, sufficient to take us to that future? Probably not. In the face of a changing climate, incremental improvements will not be enough. What’s needed is a fundamental shift in how we produce food.  

This change, fortunately, has already begun through the rise of regenerative agriculture – a new way of producing, where scale and technology remain, but with a major new goal of giving back to the planet more than we take.  

This is a markable shift from the past, where we saw two opposites: on one side, large-scale agriculture, which grows rapidly, delivers volume, and is capable of feeding millions of people; on the other, still small-scale organic agriculture, with less input use, but which provided a respite for a planet already oversaturated with GHGs. Regenerative agriculture delivers the best of both worlds: high scale and resilience, while simultaneously regenerating and restoring the planet.  

Scaling up regenerative agriculture 

In the past five years, Nestlé has invested US$ 1.3 billion in this new way of producing food. With access to more than 600 thousand farming families around the world, we have embarked on a journey to advance large-scale regenerative food systems – farming models that restore soil, protect water and biodiversity, and support resilient rural livelihoods. And what does that mean? Moving forward by raising our voice and using our influence to drive progress: we have the scale and capacity to lead and can have a significant impact, but we don’t do it alone. The food systems must go beyond “doing no harm’. It reimagines every part of the food system – from how we grow and raise crops and livestock to how food is distributed and consumed. Understanding that we have the scale and capacity to lead and make a significant impact, we are using our voice and partnerships to accelerate change. But we know real progress depends on collective effort.   

To guide this transformation, we identified the following main pillars of a regenerative system: soil health, biodiversity, diverse cropping system and livestock integration, water stewardship and collective landscape action – all underpinned by thriving agricultural businesses. To get there, this involves diversifying production systems, integrating livestock, and supporting landscape-level changes through science-based agronomic and agroecological practices.  

With this in mind, we set clear and measurable goals: by 2025, 20% of key ingredients would come from regenerative agriculture and by 2030, we aim to increase this to 50%. We are proud to have already surpassed our 2025 target, reaching 21.3% in 2024 – one year ahead of schedule. 

The result demonstrates that regenerative agriculture is not just environmentally sound, but economically viable. In Brazil, a major supplier of key raw materials to the Nestlé group, we were able to demonstrate significant gains in profitability while reducing GHG emissions.  

For example, cocoa producers using regenerative practices achieved an 18% increase in productivity and a 44% increase in profitability compared to producers who do not apply these techniques. 

Measuring impact and progress 

Our progress is tracked through the Nestlé Farm Assessment Tool (FAT) – a science-based framework used to evaluate how far farms have advanced on their regenerative agriculture journey. The tool assesses practices and outcomes related to soil health, biodiversity, water, livestock management and overall farm practices, and classifies farms into three maturity levels: 

• Level 1 – Engaged: farms in transition, beginning to adopt regenerative practices such as crop rotation, reduced tillage and integrated pest management. 

• Level 2 – Advanced: farms demonstrating broader implementation, including diversified cropping systems, improved nutrient and water management, and biodiversity habitats on-site. 

• Level 3 – Leading: farms that integrate regenerative practices across their operations, achieving measurable improvements in soil organic matter, biodiversity and carbon capture. 

Only ingredients sourced from farms reaching at least the ‘engaged’ level are counted toward Nestlé’s global KPI on regenerative sourcing – currently verified by an independent third party. This system enables Nestlé to measure progress consistently across crops and regions, identify gaps and continuously adapt programmes based on scientific evidence and local conditions.  

Beyond individual cases, we have seen that regenerative agriculture has helped:  

1. Soil organic matter increases annually, and agriculture acts as a net carbon sink. 

2. Water resources are not used beyond their replenishment rate at the watershed level. 

3. Biodiversity continually increases on agricultural land. 

4. Farmers decrease their use of synthetic fertilizers annually; most use organic fertilizers. 

5. Farmers use fewer pesticides annually; most use biological control methods. 

6. Agriculture is an economically attractive activity, and the average age of farmers is decreasing. 

7. Productivity and return on agricultural investments continue to improve. 

8. Landscapes in key supply areas are shifting from monoculture approaches to more varied landscapes, including greater tree cover and more hedgerows.  

9. Crops are traceable to the farm or group of farms of origin.  

10. Consumers better understand and appreciate the farmer’s contribution to society. 

This is a long journey. But inspired by nature’s ability to renew and revitalize, we will strive to co-create a resilient future for our planet and its people, working to nourish communities, improving the livelihoods of our partners and the well-being of our consumers, while revitalizing our natural ecosystems. 

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2025 is a critical year for the Paris Agreement. Ten years on, we need to rethink how we frame the challenge. And seeing challenges differently is what business and we are all about. 

ICC is committed to securing what businesses need at the upcoming climate negotiations, COP30, in Belém, Brazil. Learn more about our Opportunity of a Lifetime climate campaign and how to get involved. 

*Disclaimer: The content of this article may not reflect the official views of the International Chamber of Commerce. The opinions expressed are solely those of the authors and other contributors.