The new Hazelnut Charter and Action Plan outlined continued activities to improve working and living conditions for agricultural workers and their families, and to promote supply chain traceability and regenerative agriculture.
As part of Ferrero’s multi-stakeholder approach to the elimination of child labor, the company also announced the extension of its partnerships with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) for another three years.
Hazelnuts were a key ingredient in many of Ferrero’s products, which was why the company was dedicated to creating an ethical, transparent, and sustainable hazelnut supply chain. Launched in 2021, Ferrero’s Hazelnut Charter had set an industry-leading standard for supply chain practices, outlining clear commitments across three main pillars: Human rights and social practices; Environmental protection and sustainability; and Supplier transparency.
Ferrero’s Annual Hazelnut Progress Report 2023 showed the headway the company had made in meeting the commitments laid out in its first Hazelnut Charter ¹ ²:
– Key Achievements:
– Hazelnut Traceability: Over 90% hazelnut traceability back to farm level
– Supplier Acknowledgement: 100% of suppliers acknowledged Ferrero’s Supplier Code
– Farmer Engagement: More than 21,000 hazelnut farmers were reached with Guidelines for Sustainable Hazelnut Production
– Child Engagement: Nearly 18,000 children were engaged through collective partnerships in the three years since Ferrero launched its Hazelnut Charter
Marco Botta, General Manager Ferrero Hazelnut Company, said, “At Ferrero, we’re always pushing for better. With our initial Hazelnut Charter in 2021, we laid a strong foundation. We launched our new Hazelnut Charter building on the strong achievements we had made over the last three years.”
Progress Against Key Pillars:
– Human Rights and Social Practices: 1,163 farms were audited against the Ferrero Farming Production Standard
– Environmental Protection and Sustainability: Four Farm Management Plans were deployed at Ferrero’s Agrifarms with integration of regenerative agriculture principles
– Supplier Transparency: Over 90% of Ferrero’s total sourced hazelnuts could be traced back to farms
The Ferrero Hazelnut Charter and Action Plan 2024-2026 committed to:
– Human Rights and Social Practices: Renewing the strategic partnership with the ILO to improve fair and safe working conditions
– Environmental Protection: Implementing principles of regenerative agriculture
– Supplier Transparency: Building on existing traceability levels and publishing the Ferrero Farming Values Production Standard and Guidelines on the Ferrero Hazelnut Company website.
