In July 2025, Nestlé, in partnership with reforestation startup re.green and chocolatier Barry Callebaut, announced two significant environmental restoration projects in Brazil. These initiatives aim to plant a total of 11 million trees across 8,000 hectares in key cocoa and coffee-producing regions, aligning with Nestlé's goal to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 and to enhance the resilience of its supply chains.
The first project, fully funded by Nestlé, involves planting 3.3 million native trees in the Atlantic rainforest region of Bahia. This 30-year initiative is expected to generate approximately 880,000 carbon credits. The second project, a collaboration between Nestlé and Barry Callebaut, focuses on restoring 6,000 hectares in the states of Bahia and Pará, primarily converting these areas into agroforestry systems with cocoa cultivation. Nestlé will cover 60% of the costs for this project.
Barbara Sapunar, Nestlé Brasil's Business Transformation and ESG Director, emphasized the dual benefits of these projects: "These projects will support our decarbonization targets, but our sustainability strategy goes beyond carbon removal. We want to regenerate areas in regions where we source ingredients....." Re.green CEO Thiago Picolo highlighted the broader impact, stating that the initiatives demonstrate how companies can invest in restoring landscapes connected to their supply chains, moving beyond mere carbon offsetting.
Brazil, being the world's largest coffee producer and... fifth-largest chocolate market, plays a crucial role in the global supply chain for these commodities. The reforestation projects not only aim to mitigate climate change but also seek to enhance the sustainability and resilience of the agricultural supply chains in these regions.
These efforts are part of Nestlé's broader commitment to environmental sustainability and responsible sourcing, reflecting a growing trend among corporations to integrate environmental stewardship into their core business strategies.