Dr Serigne G. Diop, Director, Nestle R&D Center Abidjan, and the Nestlé research team show Mr Zoellick the cocoa plantlets
President of the World Bank, Robert Zoellick, visits the Nestlé Research and Development Centre in Abidjan today for an insight on Nestlé's commitment to sustainability in cocoa.
Mr Zoellick observed the activities of cocoa nurseries and took part in a discussion with farmers at the Centre, accompanied by Klaus Zimmermann, Senior Vice President of Nestlé R&D, and Serigne Diop, Head of Nestlé R&D Centre, Abidjan.
The Centre, which was inaugurated nine months ago, focuses on improving the quality of locally-sourced raw materials, including cocoa, coffee and cassava. In addressing the problem of disease and ageing plantations affecting the West African cocoa harvest, Nestlé has transferred its propagation technology to the site in Abidjan from its R&D Centre in Tours, France.
Mr Zimmermann said: "Starting from 2012, Nestlé will distribute one million high-yield cocoa plants each year in Côte d'Ivoire, thanks to our collaboration with our local partners. The first 100,000 plants have already reached the nurseries of certain cooperatives."
These plant science activities are part of the CHF 110 million group-wide initiative The Cocoa Plan, which was launched last October.
The plan is an important and significant part of broad, collaborative efforts to improve the cocoa supply chain and the lives of cocoa farmers and communities.
This includes improving the quantity and quality of yields by providing 12 million stronger productive plantlets to farmers over the next ten years and teaching farmers more efficient farming methods.
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