According to a press release, Nestlé’s income accelerator program is delivering measurable improvements in income and household resilience among participating cocoa-farming families in Côte d’Ivoire. This is according to a new independent evaluation by the KIT Institute assessing progress made by the program in 2024.
Despite the 2023/2024 cocoa season being one of the most challenging in recent years, marked by poor cocoa harvests due to changing weather patterns, households participating in the program have seen yields 18% higher than the control group of cocoa farmers not in the program. This has increased total net income, with participating households earning 15% more than their peers.
The report also shows that cocoa farms in the program are healthier. This is largely related to participating farmers’ adoption of good agricultural practices, including pruning, weeding, shade management, and pest control, as well as their investment in labor. Composting was also introduced as a new element in the program.
“Our income accelerator program is one of our key sustainability initiatives,” said Laurent Freixe, CEO of Nestlé. “And we are committed to expanding it further in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, our main cocoa origins. We welcome the interest of governments and other industry players in our approach. Together, we will be able to scale up our work for impact.”
Community impact
The program has substantially improved the resilience1 and the well-being of cocoa farming households. According to the KIT Institute report, the income accelerator program is enhancing children’s well-being,2 improving food security, and empowering women.
Overall, the program’s unique approach – distributing mobile money equally between both heads of household – has helped foster gender equity and financial resilience.
Based on feedback from farming families and partners, the next phase of the program will simplify incentive structures to improve clarity and speed of implementation while maintaining the same level of financial support. Incentives will focus on two core areas: farm support (pruning) and household support (schooling) while continuing to deliver a broad set of activities.
“Since launching the Income Accelerator Program pilot in 2020, we have continuously refined our approach based on feedback from farming families and independent evaluations,” said Darrell High, Nestlé cocoa manager. “This report confirms that even in a challenging year, the program is making a real difference, which is very encouraging.”
Key results among the program’s participants:
- 15% higher total household net income
- 18% increase in cocoa yields
- 21% increase in net cocoa profit accelerated by the rise in cocoa prices
- 18% higher women empowerment index
- 31% increase in children’s well-being
- 88% of children were enrolled in school in 2024, up from 81% in 2022.
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Naresh Khanna – 10 February 2025
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