Nestle sources Vietnam coffee accenting corporate social responsibility

AS part of its global Nescafe Plan, launched in August 2010, to encourage sustainable coffee farming, production and consumption, Nestle says it's sourcing 30,000 tonnes of coffee from 16,000 Vietnamese farmers annually.

"We will continue to contribute and to enhance the lives of people in Vietnam and around the world," said Nestle's Asia, Oceania, Africa. Mideast zone director Nandu Nandikishore.

The company currently operates five factories in Vietnam and employs more than 1,500 people nationwide.

The project is has been run in partnership with the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development since last year, the Singapore's Procurement Asia reported.

The company said that through this initiative, it will help support more than 20,000 farmer households in the country, allowing the farmers to obtain better prices and a steady income. Measures include improving coffee productivity through better farming practices and distributing high-yield, disease-resistant plants over the next five years.

Additionally, Nestle sources its coffee directly from other markets in southeast Asia such as Thailand, China, Indonesia and the Philippines. It also sources coffee from farmers directly in Brazil, Colombia, Cote d'Ivoire and Mexico.

On another issue, the company earlier this month responded to reports by the Fair Labour Association, drawing up more sustainable action plans to prevent child labour in Cote d'Ivoire.