The Nestlé Group and the Centre National de Recherches Agronomiques (CNRA) have renewed their partnership agreement for the development of high-yielding raw material varieties. On Wednesday, November 25, 2020, the two entities signed this agreement at the premises of the Nestlé Research and Development Center (CRD) Abidjan.

The Nestlé Research and Development Center (CRD) and the National Center for Agricultural Research (CNRA), began their collaboration in 2009. For 11 years, they have been carrying out joint projects, anticipating and responding to the ever-changing needs of the market. Their work has contributed significantly to the revival of cocoa and coffee production in Côte d'Ivoire, through the medium-term distribution of highly productive plants with excellent sensory characteristics.

" I am very proud of this strong collaboration between our two institutions that share common goals to ensure the production and availability of good quality raw materials while increasing the incomes of our producers ," said Tesfalidet Haile, Director of CRD Abidjan. " We are convinced that this new framework contract, which extends to other speculations, such as cereals, will greatly contribute to the well-being of our community as well as to the improvement of the incomes of our producers. We are committed to implementing Nestlé's mission to drive innovation to improve quality of life and contribute to a healthier future for Ivorians and beyond ," he added.

As for Yté Wongbé, the Director General of the CNRA, he welcomed the renewal of this partnership which shows the importance of this collaboration. "We are very satisfied with this public-private partnership which remains unique in its kind, because it allows to have tangible results, such as -emerging coffee- which goes into production within a year. We look forward to working closely with the Nestlé Group on speculations other than coffee and cocoa, namely cassava, maize, sorghum... used by the group, with a view to extracting the best nutritional elements for consumers," he said.

Taking part in this ceremony, Thomas Caso, CEO of Nestlé Côte d'Ivoire, thanked the CNRA for the support provided to the work of the CRD and reiterated his group's commitment to sustainable collaboration for the benefit of producers and consumers.

The CNRA and Nestlé collaborate on the technical and scientific levels in the fields of training, consulting, research and development.

Nestlé has the world's largest private food and nutrition research organization, involving approximately 4,200 people in nearly 23 research & development centers around the world, including the one in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, inaugurated in 2008.