Sustainability innovator

A BRAND that warrants no introduction, Nestlé has a portfolio that currently exceeds 60 innovative products offered in the Middle East. It has stood by its commitment to provide nutrition, health and wellness, and at the same time expand its sustainability initiatives. In a recent interview with Food Manufacturing Journal – Middle East, Rainer Mueller, communications director at Nestlé Middle East, shares how the brand has roped in shared value for its customers and investors.

Rainer Mueller Communications director, Nestlé Middle East 

Nestlé’s scorecard on sustainability has improved considerably over the past year, according to the latest Oxfam report. What has been achieved so far in the region?

Our commitment to sustainability and creating shared value is a core enabler of our business strategy, which will continue to delight our consumers for future generations. As a company, Nestlé is best positioned to create shared value in three areas; nutrition, water and rural development.

Over the last five years, Nestlé Middle East operations have significantly reduced water consumption. Between 2009 and 2012, our regional production volumes increased 77% while successfully reducing specific water consumption by 25% per tonne of manufactured product.

Preserving water means also spreading the need to protect it. Project WET (Water Education for Teachers) is an international programme to educate children on the importance of water and the need to preserve this scarce resource. Nestlé Waters have been supporting Project WET for the last 18 years. In the region, WET runs in Lebanon, UAE and Jordan and is further expanding to other countries in the region.

Our focus on agriculture and our involvement with farmers is also part of our Creating Shared Value strategy. Over the last 12 years, we have continuously increased our work with farmers in sustainable agriculture practices. In 2013, there were more than 68,000 farmers supplying Nestlé directly and we have over 300,000 farmers trained through effective capacity building programmes.

What about environmental efforts?

In the Middle East, we have also attained a number of environmental certifications:

The Environmental Management System Certifications (ISO14001) – Nestlé Dubai Manufacturing is certified to ISO14001 by Bureau Veritas and ProCert.

The Green Building Certification by LEEDS, USA – Certification awarded to our KitKat? plant at Nestlé Dubai Manufacturing that is constructed in accordance to the Green Building classification in compliance with the local authorities’ requirements.

The Environmental Performance Award – Nestlé Dubai Manufacturing was awarded by the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Environment and Water for its efforts towards Environmental Sustainability by receiving the Performance Award in 2013. This recognition came after the delegates from the Ministry conducted an extensive audit at the factory site. The Ministry invited the factory to share the success story with other companies who were present in Environment Performance Card awarding ceremony.

Please tell us more about the company’s shared value initiatives.

Nestlé’s Creating Shared Value is a fundamental part of Nestlé's way of doing business. It means that for a company to be successful, it should not only create value for shareholders but also for society at large. One of our ambitious Creating Shared Value initiatives is Nestlé Healthy Kids Programme which is designed to promote a healthy life with children. Launched globally in 2009, this initiative is focused on creating partnerships with the aim to improve basic knowledge of nutrition and physical activity in children around the world.

What are some of the activities under the Healthy Kids Programme?

Nestlé Ajyal Salima, our Middle East programme, was launched in October 2010 in Lebanon in collaboration with the American University of Beirut, which shares the common aim of entrenching nutritional awareness, better eating habits and a more active lifestyle among nine-to-eleven-year-old schoolchildren.

This nutrition education intervention curriculum has been developed by the American University of Beirut/Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences and has been validated through research to create positive impact on children in terms of both knowledge and dietary habits.

The programme was launched in 2012 in Dubai public schools in collaboration with Dubai Health Authority, Dubai Education Zone and the Princess Haya Initiative for the Development of Health, Physical Education & School Sports. The programme is being expanded to all 29 public schools by 2014, and is based on a training model that equips teachers with the know-how, educational materials and tools to implement the programme successfully in the classroom. 

How successful is this programme?

We, at Nestlé, believe in evidence-based results. A scientific study commemorating three years of Nestlé Ajyal Salima programme in Lebanon found that children from nine to eleven years eat vegetables twice more frequently, and their general nutrition awareness increased significantly following interventions by the Nestlé Ajyal Salima. The study covering 30 schools across Lebanon concluded, through evidence-based results, palpable differences in attitudes towards various foods among 957 students who completed programme sessions, compared to 621 who didn’t, mainly finding that knowledge and self-efficacy increased significantly. Study results include other specifics such as 60% reductions in children’s probability of consuming chips daily, 35% reduction in soft drink consumption and a 56% lower chance of consuming sweet drinks.

Moving forward, the American University of Beirut has designed a cohort research study over a three-year period with an objective to measure the impact of the programme over long term and to test its effectiveness on obesity indicators.

Furthermore, Nestlé Ajyal Salima has become the first initiative from the Middle East to join the EPODE International Network (EIN), which encompasses over 36 programmes in 24 countries working to tackle childhood obesity by promoting partnerships among various entities including companies, governments, and NGOs.

The KitKat? plant at Nestlé Dubai Manufacturing complies with the Green Building classification

Tell us about the Choose Wellness campaign in the Middle East.

As a leader in nutrition, health and wellness, we embarked on a regional movement designed to encourage the adoption of healthy habits through a series of fun and interactive initiatives. Nestlé Choose Wellness is a movement for a healthier Middle East. The programme provides tips and tools to help people take simple steps on their journey to making a real difference, and encourages everyone to pledge to eat healthier, move more and live better.

The movement, which includes Lebanon, Jordan and the GCC, aims to help combat the growing rates of lifestyle diseases and obesity. The region has one of the highest rates of diabetes and obesity in the world. Six out of the top 10 countries for prevalence of diabetes are in the Middle East according to the International Diabetes Federation. Additionally, obesity rates in the region are among the highest in the world, according to the United Nations. 

How do consumers engage in this movement?

Nestlé Choose Wellness is reaching people via several means, through an interactive phone App (Nestlé Choose Wellness) and its own hashtags: #ichoosewellness; #?????_??????? on social media pages including Facebook (Nestlé Choose Wellness), Instagram (Nestlechoosewellness), Twitter (Nestlewellness), and YouTube (Nestle Choose Wellness).  The App prompts users to take a daily pledge to eat healthier, move more and to live better, which it then follows up with simple tips that can be shared on social media and which allow for points collection and prize winning by tracking personal progress. 

How much is invested in research and development?

Nestlé has 32 research and development centres around the world and invests over US$1.67bn in R&D every year, more than any other food company. This provides the understanding we need to address malnutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, obesity and other global nutrition issues, and to continuously improve our product portfolio. 

We also understand our role as an innovator in all the categories we are active in, which is why we recently launched Nescafé Arabiana, the first instant Arabic coffee, in Saudi Arabia. Arabiana – which is made using premium green coffee beans, cardamom and natural flavours – is the first product specifically developed for Saudi Arabia and takes its inspiration from the traditional Arabic coffee that is so loved in the country.

Are there plans to expand in the near future?

In terms of expansion, we will open a new manufacturing facility in Dubai next year for culinary and coffee products. As the region’s population continues to grow and we introduce new products to the region, we expect to see continued demand for Nestlé goods and project double digit growth over the next few years.

Boardroom Connection: Rainer Mueller

Position: Communications director

Company: Nestlé Middle East

A: P.O. Box: 17327, JAFZA, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

T: +971 4 8100 000