Dubai: The Ferrero Group has announced the latest progress in its sustainability journey with the release of its 15th Sustainability Report. Guided by Ferrero Group’s long-standing commitment to having a positive impact throughout its value chain, the report demonstrates considerable headway across its key sustainability pillars: Protecting the Environment, Sourcing Ingredients Responsibly, Promoting Responsible Consumption, and Empowering People.
“Ferrero Group recognizes the critical role that the company plays in safeguarding nature for future generations. We reaffirmed through concrete engagements that sustainability is embedded in Ferrero’s long-term strategy. All four pillars of our sustainability framework guide every strategic decision we take,” said Giovanni Ferrero, Executive Chairman of the Ferrero Group.
“As Ferrero grows and diversifies its portfolio, we continue to value our long-term partnerships, particularly those dedicated to the communities where we operate and where our raw materials are sourced. We believe in the importance of partnerships to achieve progress, advance our sector’s social and environmental agenda, and ultimately create societal value.”
The latest Sustainability Report, for the 2022/23 financial year, highlights Ferrero’s continued focus on driving greater transparency across its core ingredient supply chain, in line with its responsible sourcing approach. In its hazelnut supply chain, Ferrero has now achieved 90% traceability—a significant increase from the 79% reached in the previous year (2021/22)—sustained by its continued work with farmers, suppliers, institutions, universities, and research centers to promote and share sustainable farming practices.
In collaboration with partners on the ground, Ferrero has also helped address complex supply chain challenges like deforestation in the areas from which it sources ingredients. For example, Ferrero uses satellite mapping to increase the traceability of cocoa back to the farm level to 93% in 2022/23. In addition to working extensively with cutting-edge technology, Ferrero is a long-standing member of the World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) and the International Cocoa Initiative (ICI).
Collaboration has also played a key role in accelerating progress on tackling the causes of child and forced labor. Ferrero continues to partner with Save the Children, working with 65 communities in the Haut-Sassandra Region in Ivory Coast, one of the main sourcing countries for cocoa, reaching over 18,000 people. Ferrero is also working with the Earthworm Foundation and the International Labour Organization (ILO) across its palm oil and hazelnut supply chains, respectively, to support responsible labor practices.
