Nestlé Philippines and the SF Group of Companies (SFGC) have sealed a strategic partnership with a memorandum of agreement (MOA) signing, marking a significant step toward sustainable and profitable coffee farming in Northern Cotabato.

Under this partnership, Sunfood Marketing Inc., a subsidiary of SFGC, will spearhead efforts to expand Robusta coffee cultivation in the region. As part of SFGC’s agritech ecosystem—spanning farm inputs to food production—Sunfood will apply its expertise in agricultural technology and sustainable farming practices to enhance efficiency and productivity.

The pioneering partnership, the first of its kind for Nestlé, enhances its Nescafé Plan, dedicated to helping Filipino smallholder coffee farmers improve their yields, incomes, and quality of life for the long term, by sharing with them the most advantageous farming knowledge, techniques, and technology. Also included are basic business concepts, environmental sustainability practices, and regenerative agriculture. The latter aims not only to maintain but enhance future agricultural productivity, while building resilience to climate change. Further, the Nescafé Plan works with coffee farming communities to accelerate their development. Through the partnership, Nestlé PH will provide technical assistance and capacity-building programs to coffee farmers. 

The Nescafé Plan is one means by which Nestlé PH is implementing responsible sourcing as a major aspect of its local roadmap for zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. 

By combining SFGC’s innovative farming solutions with Nestlé’s global standards for coffee cultivation, the partnership aims to strengthen the agricultural value chain, create economic opportunities for farmers, and build a coffee-growing network in Northern Cotabato.

More specifically, the focus of the partnership is strengthening and expanding Robusta coffee farming in Mindanao through the Corporate Growership Program of SMI. With domestic demand for coffee rising continuously, this collaboration underscores a shared commitment to scaling up Philippine coffee production and increasing Nestlé’s local sourcing of Robusta green coffee bean (GCB) as the country’s biggest coffee manufacturer, in support of farmers and the industry for eventual self-sufficiency and greater food security.