Corporate action on WASH in supply chains Case study

Nestlé’s focus on WASH in agricultural supply chains emerges from the Nestlé Cocoa Plan. It is motivated by the need to secure the long-term supply of key raw materials. The three main components of the Nestlé Cocoa Plan are efforts to increase productivity, improve quality and to improve the livelihoods of farmers (see Nestlécocoaplan.com). The focus countries for the Cocoa Plan are Cote D’Ivoire and Ghana, with work in Cote D’Ivoire more advanced because of the importance of the market and the strength and maturity of the Cote D’Ivoire farming co-operatives.

A demand for a focus on WASH came from the farming communities themselves, although WASH is not a priority everywhere relative to other issues. There is also a correlation between those communities and co-operatives who have sought certification via UTZ and Fairtrade and the demand for a focus on WASH, possibly because these communities are well-organized and better able to articulate and act on shared social priorities.