With an innovative focus on households, Nestlé’s Income Accelerator Program builds on existing sustainability activities: The adoption of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) through the intensive pruning of cocoa trees, reducing the prevalence of child labour and increasing protections for children, promoting agroforestry and alternative incomes, and reducing gender inequalities while empowering women.
Under the program, cocoa-farming families can receive incentives for engaging in quality pruning – one of the four pillars of the income accelerator program. The first 50% of the incentive is delivered when families ‘promise to engage in pruning’ so that households have enough funds to invest in pruning their farms.
After a successful rollout in Côte d’Ivoire, the program was extended to Ghana in 2024, where it now covers 2,914 households from 58 communities.
Boosting Yields
Joseph Mensah, from Kobin in the Ashanti region of Ghana, has seen a remarkable transformation on his farm thanks to the pruning initiative. Joseph agreed to have 2.5 acres of his cocoa farm pruned, and after 6 months, the results are already noticeable.
“I saw a significant difference between the pruned and non-pruned areas of my cocoa farm,” he says.
The pruning allowed more sunlight and improved aeration, creating a healthier environment for his cocoa trees. As a result, the pruned area yielded six bags of cocoa, compared to only four bags from the similar-sized section left unpruned. But the benefits do not stop there, Joseph believes the pruned section will produce even more, with an additional four bags expected before the season ends.
“This program has made a huge impact on my farm,” he says, “I’ve seen firsthand how pruning improves yields, and I’m encouraging my fellow cocoa farmers to embrace pruning activity for better results.”
Providing Access To Labour
Under the program, 70 labour groups—comprising a total of 700 members—have been established. The members have been trained in pruning and planting services and equipped with the necessary tools to carry out their work.
These groups ensure there is sufficient skilled labour available to farmers whilst employing other households in the community. By making adult labour more easily affordable and accessible and performing tasks that children may otherwise have done. So far, they have pruned 1,295 hectares of cocoa farms, benefiting 1,949 farmers.
In the coming year, we will provide subsidised maintenance pruning for 1,755 households and new pruning for 2,000 households to reach the target of 3,295 hectares.
By expanding access to training, resources, and incentives, the Accelerator Program continues to drive positive change for cocoa farmers and their families in Ghana.
About the Nestlé Income Accelerator Program
The Accelerator Program is part of Nestlé’s programme to reduce the incidence and risk of child labour by improving household resilience regarding, for example, climate shocks, food and nutrition security, health, and economic shocks.
