Nestlé and Cargill collaborate to transform cocoa shells into low carbon fertilizer

The initiative could produce up to 7,000 tonnes of environmentally friendly fertilizer, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and advancing Nestlé's commitment to sustainability. 

Nestlé UK & Ireland and Cargill have launched their latest regenerative agriculture initiative, a UK supply chain trial. The trial will assess whether cocoa shells from a confectionery site in York could be used to create a low carbon fertiliser. 

The trials will last two-years and are designed to evaluate the fertiliser’s performance on crop production, soil health and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction. If the trials are successful, up to 7,000 tonnes of low carbon fertiliser could be produced and offered to farmers in Nestlé’s UK wheat supply chain. This amount of fertiliser equates to around 25% of Nestlé UK’s total fertiliser use for wheat. 

Studies show the production and use of conventional fertiliser accounts for approximately 5% of global GHG emissions1, and more than half of the carbon footprint of wheat grown in the UK is related to fertiliser use. 

Reports found that recycling valuable nutrients from waste streams within the food system provides a promising opportunity to create a lower emissions supply chain. Scaling up low carbon fertiliser production in the UK can provide farmers with a more sustainable product at a reliable price.

The cocoa shells will be supplied supplied by Cargill, which processes the cocoa at the York facility to become key ingredients in iconic products like KitKat and Aero. A trial volume of cocoa shell has been processed and pelletised by Swindon-based CCm Technologies.  

For all companies involved, turning cocoa shells into a lower carbon fertiliser embodies their commitment to innovation, collaboration and creating a more sustainable supply chain. This project is an example of the innovative solutions that Nestlé is investigating to help achieve net zero emissions by 2050. Nestlé has also committed to sourcing 50% of its key ingredients from regenerative agricultural methods by 2030.

“Farmers often find themselves to be among the first groups to be exposed to global issues, and these risks are then borne by the food system we all depend upon. We have to find ways to build more resilience into the system and optimising our use of natural resources is a critical part of this,” said Matt Ryan, Regeneration Lead at Nestle UK & Ireland. 

Regenerative agriculture is also a key element of Nestlé’s Cocoa Plan, as it works closely with farmers in countries like Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana to create a more sustainable supply chain for cocoa.

Find out more here.