Nestlé UK and Ireland have announced a new initiative to create a low-carbon fertilizer out of cocoa shells, following endeavors to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. These will be utilized at two UK farms, which supply wheat to Nestlé factories producing breakfast cereals and pet food.
The project, in collaboration with global food corporation Cargill, could produce up to 7,000 tons of low-carbon fertilizer for UK farmers if successful. This amounts to about 25% of Nestlé UK’s total fertilizer use for wheat.
“This project is a small, but very meaningful step towards a net zero future, where farmers, local enterprises, and nature all stand to benefit.”
A two-year trial is currently underway on arable farms in Suffolk and Northamptonshire, with cocoa shells supplied by Cargill. It will evaluate the fertilizer’s effect on crop production, soil health, and greenhouse gas emissions reduction.
According to reports, the production and use of conventional fertilizer amounts to around 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Fertilizer use accounts for more than half of the carbon footprint of UK-grown wheat.
The potential of recycling valuable nutrients from waste streams within the food system to induce lower emissions remains “promising”. With this, Nestlé aims to increase low-carbon fertilizer production in the UK to provide farmers with a more sustainable alternative at a reasonable price.
“Farmers often find themselves to be among the first groups to be exposed to global issues, and these risks are then borne by the food system we all depend upon,” said Matt Ryan, regeneration lead at Nestlé UK and Ireland. “We have to find ways to build more resilience into the system and optimizing our use of natural resources is a critical part of this.”
Ryan added: “This project is a small, but very meaningful step towards a net zero future, where farmers, local enterprises, and nature all stand to benefit.”
Reducing carbon emissions in farming
The cocoa shells provided by Cargill are processed at a confectionery site in York to make key ingredients in products such as KitKat and Aero. At the moment, a trial volume of cocoa shell has been processed and pelletized by cleantech company CCm Technologies.
Initial reactions seem promising. Richard Ling, farm manager at Rookery Farm in Norfolk, supplies wheat to Nestlé Purina. His team have finished harvesting and have successfully grown a winter wheat crop using the fertilizer.
“We’ve compared two parts of the field, one which used the cocoa shell fertilizer, and one which used the conventional fertilizer, and there is no significant difference in the yield so we can see that it works!” he said. “We are really reassured with the results and are looking at running further trials. It’s a step change to be able to use a fertilizer made from a waste stream and see the same results as using a conventional product.
“It’s an exciting and promising time and we are pleased to be taking part in these trials to help reduce the carbon emissions from our farming.”
Comments 1