Olushola Okunlade Writes

In line with its commitment to advance local dairy development in Nigeria, Arla Foods, makers of Dano Milk, has empowered smallholder dairy farmers in Kaduna with training and funding through the Advancing Local Dairy Development in Nigeria (ALDDN) program.

The Advancing Local Dairy Development in Nigeria (ALDDN) is a five-year program being implemented in conjunction with Sahel Consulting and other private sector companies to catalyse a vibrant local dairy sector in an inclusive way that improves the livelihoods, productivity, nutrition, and empowerment of smallholder dairy farmers and the communities in which they live.

Speaking during a ceremony held to distribute the first batch of milk cans to 30 farmers in Gadan Gayan Community in Kaduna State, the Dairy Site Manager, Arla Foods, Ewarts Samuel, noted that the main objectives of the program are to increase demand for locally-sourced milk from smallholder dairy households, empower women, dairy farmers, while also improving smallholder dairy farmers’ productivity.

He disclosed that the program recently purchased 900 milk cans for distribution to smallholder dairy farmers in Nigeria, which is expected to help preserve milk received from the farmers and ensure that high quality and good hygiene are maintained during milking and transportation.

“Arla is currently partnering with the local dairy farmers by offtaking their milk through our plant that is located in Kaduna State, where the milk is processed into yogurt under the MILCOPAL brand. Under the ALDDN program, Arla also facilitates training programs for smallholder dairy farmers and provides funding support for certain key endeavours,” Samuel said.

In his remarks, Project Assistant, Sahel Consulting, Ahmed Mohammed, stated that the partnership with Arla Foods is geared towards transforming Nigeria’s agriculture and nutrition landscape.

“We are excited to be part of this partnership as this would help a great deal in addressing food security, malnutrition, and unemployment which will, in turn, drive economic growth and prosperity for families, communities, and Nigeria in general,” Mohammed said.

Know More About Arla: Arla Foods is a dairy company with around 9700 farmer owners in seven EU countries. Our philosophy of producing natural, healthy, and high-quality dairy products dates back to the 1880s when dairy farmers in Denmark and Sweden joined forces with one common goal: To create and provide the best dairy products.

Olushola Okunlade Writes

Nestlé announced today that it is partnering with the Africa Food Prize to help accelerate the transformation of food systems in Africa, as a way of strengthening the continent’s food security and building greater climate change resilience.

The Africa Food Prize awards USD 100,000 to individuals and institutions that are pioneering agricultural and food systems transformation in Africa.

The Prize puts a spotlight on uniquely impactful agri-food initiatives and technological innovations that can be replicated across the continent to increase food security, spur economic growth and development, and eliminate hunger and poverty in Africa.

The Africa Food Prize is hosted by AGRA, an African-led and Africa-based institution that puts smallholder farmers at the center of the continent’s growing economy by transforming agriculture from a solitary struggle to survive into farming as a business that thrives. AGRA is headquartered in Kenya and works in 15 African countries.

This year, Dr. Eric Yirenkyi Danquah, a plant geneticist from Ghana, was awarded the prestigious prize during September’s AGRF Summit in Kigali, Rwanda. Dr. Danquah was celebrated for his outstanding expertise and leadership in establishing the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI) and developing it into a world-class center for the education of plant breeders in Africa.

Nestlé will contribute CHF 100,000 to the Africa Food Prize, which will be awarded in 2023. Part of the contribution will go to the main award and part to a special category focusing on innovations that advance regenerative food systems.

Remy Ejel, Chief Executive Officer of Zone Asia, Oceania, and Africa, Nestlé S.A. said, “Transforming agriculture to be more productive and sustainable is key to reducing hunger and improving livelihoods for the long term. We aim to support and amplify efforts that spearhead regenerative agriculture and food systems to enable better productivity, better nutrition, and better incomes for people in Africa.”

Commenting on the partnership, Dr. Agnes Kalibata, President of AGRA said, “We are happy to be partnering with Nestlé to recognize Africa’s best in food systems. The Africa Food Prize is a great opportunity to shine a bright spotlight on Africa’s outstanding minds, giving the rest of us a chance to learn and replicate their good work that is moving us closer to sustainable, inclusive, and resilient food systems and achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2 on Zero Hunger.”

Nestlé’s partnership with the Africa Food Prize builds on its years-long work in Africa to improve the continent’s nutrition and agriculture. The company has taken great strides to expand access to affordable nutrition in many communities, for example, by fortifying Maggi bouillon cubes with iron in Central and West Africa. It is also pioneering regenerative dairy farming with the establishment of the first net zero dairy farm in Skimmelkran, South Africa.

In early 2022, Nestlé launched an innovative income accelerator program, aimed at addressing child labor risks and closing the living income gap for cocoa-farming communities in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana. Recently, Nestlé announced an investment of CHF 1 billion by 2030 under the Nescafé Plan to transition to sustainable coffee farming, including in Côte d’Ivoire.

Entries in the Africa Food Prize are evaluated by a judging committee comprising some of Africa’s greatest food system leaders. Winners are selected based on proven results and scalable efforts.

Submissions for next year’s Africa Food Prize will be open from January 2023 and winners will be announced at the AGRF, Africa Food Systems Forum, in September.

Click here for more information on the Africa Food Prize.

By Scott Coles, Coffee Business Executive Officer for Nestlé Central and West Africa

There is nothing quite like that first cup of coffee in the morning. For me, it’s a moment to
gather my thoughts before the day really begins. However, this daily ritual isn’t something we
can take for granted.

Climatologists have warned that without action, coffee farmers in Africa will lose their
livelihoods. So, if we want to keep enjoying that precious cup, we must ensure our coffee
is sustainably sourced.

Coffee farming in Africa: The continent produces 12% of the world’s coffee, with over ten million farmers across 30 countries. While demand for coffee is forecast to grow significantly, crops have been declining in Côte d’Ivoire – the largest coffee producer in West Africa.

Nestlé has been manufacturing coffee in Côte d’Ivoire for over 60 years, and we have seen
first-hand the challenges farmers are facing.

Climate change creates rising temperatures, drought, and flooding which makes coffee more difficult to grow. Under this pressure, farmers have turned to environmentally harmful practices such as deforestation and substituting old coffee trees for crops that are
easier to grow.

The case for sustainable coffee farming and transition to regenerative agriculture: It’s not too late to reverse this decline. On a recent farm visit to the village of Yobouekro, I
saw for myself the impact climate change is having. I met with Amani Ahou, a female coffee
farmer who, until recently planned to abandon her plantation as the crop from her aged trees
had fallen to depressingly low levels.

Over the last few years, Amani has received training from Nescafé agronomists. She has learned pruning techniques, composting, and the importance of planting shade trees. She is now more upbeat about the prospect of reviving her coffee farm. ‘My plantation has rejuvenated, my old trees are starting to flower again, and are producing good coffee” she said.

It was great to see for myself how improving technical knowledge, and building stronger partnerships between farmers and industry can have a real and lasting impact on farmers like Amani.

Regenerative agricultural techniques like these play a critical role in the future of coffee farming. They will improve soil health, restore water cycles, increase biodiversity, and reduce
greenhouse gas emissions. By planting more coffee trees and encouraging greater
biodiversity, farmers can create an environment for bees, insects, and birds to thrive on their
farms. This will positively impact the ecosystem and reduce the effects of climate
change.

The responsibility and cost for transitioning to regenerative agriculture cannot lie solely with
the farmers. It’s been 10 years since we launched the Nescafé plan, during this time we have
worked closely with farmers to improve agricultural practices, sharing our knowledge and
expertise from across the planet. The plan builds farming skills to help farmers produce higher
quality beans and achieve higher premiums, so they can support their families and contribute
meaningfully to their local communities.

However, we know there is much more to be done, which is why we are going further and
last week announced the Nescafé Plan 2030 to accelerate regenerative agriculture, reduce
greenhouse gas emissions, and improve coffee farmers’ livelihoods.

Nescafé has committed to investing over 1 billion Swiss francs globally. The aims of the plan are for 100% of our coffee to be sourced responsibly by 2025 and 20% of coffee sourced from regenerative agricultural methods by 2025 and 50% by 2030.

In Côte d’Ivoire, we are committed to supporting farmers that take on the risk and costs associated with transitioning to regenerative agriculture. We will be piloting a financial
a scheme that includes conditional cash incentives for adopting regenerative agriculture
practices.

We have a long way to go, but if the whole coffee industry in Africa supports this transition
to regenerative agriculture, we will ensure no farmer is left behind, so we can continue to
uplift lives and livelihoods with every cup we drink.