Nestle reaffirms local sourcing commitment with MAGGI regenerative farming initiative

MAGGI, Nigeria’s leading seasoning brand from Nestlé, has restated its commitment to local sourcing with the announcement of the completion of its Regenerative Agriculture pilot for local soybean sourcing.

This is contained in a statement issued by the Corporate Affairs Manager, Nestlé Nigeria Plc, Toju Egbebi, on Wednesday in Lagos.

Egbebi said the milestone had inspired a broader programme supporting 25,000 smallholder farmers across Nigeria.

She said the initiative was launched in 2023 with an investment of over ₦100 million.

Egbebi noted that the pilot had supported 1,030 soybean farmers to adopt climate-smart practices that improved their yields, while restoring soil health.

She added that the initiative was implemented in partnership with TechnoServe and IDH, with technical guidance from the Centre for No-Till Agriculture, Ghana.

According to her, the project demonstrated the potential of regenerative farming to transform smallholder agriculture in Nigeria.

“The pilot introduced simple but effective techniques such as cover cropping, minimal tillage (ripping), crop rotation, and hedgerows, leading to healthier soils and higher yields,” she said.

The Category Manager for Culinary, Nestlé Nigeria, Mrs Funmi Osineye, described the initiative as more than a sourcing strategy.

“It is an investment in resilient food systems.

“By equipping farmers, especially women and youth, with regenerative agriculture skills, we are improving productivity today while protecting the land for future generations.

“This is how MAGGI continues to nourish Nigerian families while helping build a stronger agricultural economy,” Osineye said.

Also to mark the pilot’s success, over 150 stakeholders from agriculture, development and industry came together to recognise five award-winning farmers for their outstanding adoption of regenerative practices.

One of the farmers, Mr Lawan Abdul, shared a compelling testimonial of how far the company had empowered his trade.

“Since I started adopting these strategies, as we were taught in this project, my yields have increased by 100 per cent. This was very encouraging, and I would like to applaud the project organizers and thank MAGGI for bringing this to us,” Abdul said.

The pilot’s success has paved the way for a larger, multi-partner scale-up initiative, now backed by AGRA and MAGGI’s parent brand, Nestlé, to reach 25,000 smallholder farmers across Nigeria.

The programme aims to produce at least 80,000 metric tonnes of quality grains annually, with a growing share cultivated using regenerative practices.