Enjoy A Better Break

In 2022, we launched the income accelerator programme. This innovative, family-centred programme aims to help close the living income gap and reduce the child labour risks faced by cocoa-farming families within our supply chain. It rewards positive changes in behaviour and practices, both within the home and on the farm.

The programme focuses on some key areas:

     • Planting forest and fruit trees on cocoa farms 

     • Improving pruning practices to increase crop productivity 

     • Helping children, aged 6-16, into school 

     • Empowering women to start businesses and diversify sources of income 

So, how does that translate into practice? 

On the farm: 

     • We provide incentives for adopting agricultural practices, focusing on pruning to enhance productivity, agroforestry (planting forest and fruit trees) and introducing composting practices. These incentives can reach up to €250 in the first two years. 

     • We support the delivery of these practices through training, equipping pruning groups, or providing forest and fruit tree saplings. 

In households: 

• We provide incentives to help get children aged 6-16 into school. These incentives can reach up to €250 in the first two years. 

• We provide support for diversifying incomes, including establishing Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) in all communities. 

Households can earn up to €500 per year for the first two years, then €250 each year after that. These incentives are paid directly into the hands of both heads of household via secure mobile payments. 

Our programme is unique because it centres around the family, not just individual farmers. Every cocoa-farming family, no matter how big or small their farm, can earn the same incentives. This support is provided in addition to the Nestlé Cocoa Plan and the premium paid for Rainforest Alliance-certified cocoa. 

So far, the programme has reached 30 000 cocoa-farming families in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, moving to 50 000 families during 2026 with the ambition to reach an estimated 160 000 during 2030. More information is available in the latest progress report summary of the Nestlé income accelerator programme. 

Visit each of the pages below to learn more about how we’re supporting cocoa-farming families through the different pillars of the programme:

Planting Trees on Cocoa Farms

Supporting cocoa-farming families

Helping Kids Into School

Your break is part of an innovative program in West Africa that supports cocoa-farming families by increasing their incomes, planting trees, and helping kids into school.

The program isn't just about growing cocoa – we want people to flourish too.

This is why we're supporting women to have more power to make decisions and support their families with other sources of income, to fortify households.

Our approach:

• Incentives are split equally between both heads of household via secure mobile money cash transfers

• Training and support for gender equality, income diversification, and business skills, such as beekeeping, raising livestock such as chickens, and selling vegetables from community-led gardens

• Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) help women improve their access to finances and build resilience for their families

The results in 2024 (see the latest progress report summary of the Nestlé income accelerator program for more details

• 80% of households have women participating in Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs)

• +18% improvement in women's empowerment index*

• 74% of women classified as empowered** in 2024 (up from 54% in 2022)

Gender justice isn't just a women's issue. Employing the Gender Action Learning System (GALS) methodology, we're training women and men to recognise that they can achieve more and improve their lives if they work together.

So far, the program has reached 30 000 cocoa-farming families in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, moving to 50 000 families by 2026 with the ambition to reach an estimated 160 000 by 2030.

More information is available in the latest progress report summary of the Nestlé income accelerator program.