You are in Nestlé Central and West Africa Global links dropdown
Sort by
Sort by
  1. Home
  2. Nestlé in Society
  3. Roll out the Rural Development Framework

Roll out the Rural Development Framework

The Nestlé Rural Development Framework helps us to identify the status and needs of farmers and farming communities we are sourcing from. 

In Central and West Africa, we will continue to establish baseline assessments to guide us in aligning our own activities with the priorities of local communities. 

Our progress 

Our company piloted the Rural Development Framework (RDF) in our coffee, cocoa and cassava sourcing in Côte d’Ivoire in 2013. Over the last few years Nestlé has applied the RDF across 11 countries in total worldwide. 

It is a diagnostic tool which allows us to develop an understanding of the status of farmers, farm workers and communities, from the areas we are sourcing from. 

It involves carrying out baseline assessments to understand current conditions and design appropriate interventions. Some common findings, published in 2014, include poor resource management and variable access to clean water, sanitation and nutrition. In some cases, issues concerning land tenure, the status of women and agronomy knowledge were also raised. 

As a next step, we aim to use the RDF data to assess how we will address the issue of access to water with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). 

We will look to establish projects and resources to increase access to nutrition for people in the villages and choose appropriate external partners to achieve this. 

We will also seek to assess the needs of women in these villages to help empower them in their activities and improve incomes. 

Between 2016 and 2018, we will carry out further baseline assessments using the RDF for cocoa and cereal farmers in Ghana.

Nestlé’s Rural Development Framework (RDF) 

In 2012, Nestlé’s RDF was developed with the Danish Institute for Human Rights, Solidaridad, the Fair Labor Association and the Rainforest Alliance. 

It focuses on three distinct but connected groups: 1. Successful farmers
2. Productive and respected workers
3. Prospering communities 

Its objective is to: 

  • Deliver a consistent approach and ambition to our
    rural development activities, ensuring that we address global development opportunities but retain the flexibility to address local issues.
  • Align activities on the ground with business and societal priorities.
  • Create shared value at country-level based upon identified gaps. 
  • Provide a credible process that can measure progress, and align and collaborate with governments and other organisations.
To The Top