The Ferrero Group has announced the latest progress in its sustainability journey as the company accelerates efforts to meet its targets.
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.
These pillars include protecting the environment, sourcing ingredients responsibly, promoting responsible consumption and empowering people.
Executive chairman of the Ferrero Group, Giovanni Ferrero said the group recognises the critical role the company has in safeguarding nature.
“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.
“As Ferrero grows and diversifies its portfolio, we continue to value our long-term partnerships, in particular 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, to move forward our sector’s social and environmental agenda, and finally to create societal value,” said Ferrero.
90.7% of Ferrero’s packaging is now designed to be recyclable, reusable, or compostable, which is up from 88.5% in 2021/22.
The latest Sustainability Report, for the 2022/23 financial year, highlights Ferrero’s continued focus on driving greater transparency across its core ingredients supply chain.
In its hazelnut supply chain, Ferrero has now achieved 90% traceability, a significant increase from the 79% reached in the previous year 2021/22.
This is sustained by the company’s continued work with farmers, suppliers, institutions, universities, and research centres 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, across the areas from which it sources ingredients.
The company even utilised satellite mapping to help increase traceability of cocoa back to farm level to 93% in 2022/23.
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 in tackling the causes behind child and forced labour.
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 Organisation (ILO) across its palm oil and hazelnut supply chains respectively to help support responsible labour practices.