The initiative forms part of the Regenerative and Resilient Agriculture Pilot Project (2023–2027), a collaboration between Nestlé and Solidaridad that supports the adoption of regenerative agriculture practices among smallholder coffee farmers in southern Mexico. Building on more than 15 years of work through Plan Nescafé®, the project combines technical assistance, digital tools and recognition mechanisms that encourage farmers to adopt sustainable practices on their farms.
Through training, technical assistance and personalized support, the programme helps farmers improve productivity, strengthen climate resilience and build stronger livelihoods while working in harmony with nature.
The results are already encouraging. Farmers participating in the programme have achieved yields up to 55% higher than those who are not participating, while 70% have reached advanced levels of regenerative practice adoption.
Soil Guardians: recognizing commitment in action
During ceremonies held in Oaxaca and Guerrero, 322 farmers were recognized for adopting regenerative practices on their farms and for helping drive the transition towards more sustainable agricultural systems.
More than a symbolic recognition, the initiative demonstrates that sustainability can deliver tangible results on coffee farms. Improved farming practices are contributing to higher productivity and helping coffee-farming families strengthen their livelihoods.
I am proud to be a farmer because it provides a livelihood for my family.
-Florina Jerónimo Altamirano, coffee farmer and Soil Guardian
Addressing a key challenge facing coffee production
Coffee provides a livelihood for thousands of smallholder farmers across Latin America. However, climate change is creating growing challenges that affect both productivity and profitability.
In response, initiatives that make coffee production more profitable and sustainable are becoming increasingly important. Programmes such as Plan Nescafé® Regenerative Support are designed to address these challenges by linking the adoption of sustainable practices.
Increasing productivity is essential to improving farmers’ livelihoods.
Will Pauffley, Coffee Programme Manager, Solidaridad Mexico
A model that rewards progress on the farm
Through Plan Nescafé® 2030, Nestlé and Solidaridad are working together in Mexico to promote a more sustainable, resilient and productive coffee sector. Since 2023, the programme has worked with approximately 1,000 smallholder coffee farmers in Guerrero and Oaxaca.
The approach is straightforward: recognize farmers based on the level of regenerative agriculture practices they adopt on their farms.
Regenerative agriculture is about caring for and protecting the soil. Healthy soil provides the nutrients plants need and forms the foundation of coffee production and productivity.
Gonzalo Contreras, Agricultural Manager, Nestlé Mexico
These practices include managing shade appropriately in coffee plantations, improving soil health through organic inputs and ground cover, and renovating coffee plants to maintain productivity over time.
By linking these practices directly, the model not only accelerates adoption but also helps improve productivity, strengthen climate resilience and increase household income.
How does the model work?
The model brings together different actors to ensure measurable and verifiable results on coffee farms. Nestlé supports the farmer recognition scheme, while Solidaridad provides personalized technical assistance, ongoing training and field verification.
Within this approach, Solidaridad plays an important role in designing and implementing models that connect sustainable farming practices. Through digital tools, participatory methodologies and on-farm support, Solidaridad helps farmers strengthen their skills and adopt solutions that can be scaled across the sector.
The goal is not simply to benefit a company. It is to help farmers increase their income and improve the living conditions of their families.
Aldo Michel Soriano Pérez, Coffee Project Officer, Solidaridad Mexico
Results that show what’s possible
After three years of implementation, the pilot is already delivering measurable results in both productivity and the adoption of regenerative agriculture practices.
- In Guerrero, farmers who have participated consistently in the programme have achieved yields up to 55% higher than non-participating farmers.
- In Oaxaca, where implementation began more recently, farmers have recorded an average productivity increase of 34%.
- Seventy percent of participating farmers have reached an advanced level of regenerative practice adoption, moving closer to the programme’s goal of 100% by the end of the project.
These results are linked to practices such as the use of organic fertilizers, soil management based on soil analysis, coffee plantation renovation and the implementation of agroforestry systems. Together, these practices are helping lay the foundation for a more resilient and sustainable coffee sector.
“I now harvest more than two metric tonnes,” says Agapito Estrada, coffee farmer from Colonia de Guadalupe, Guerrero.
Building momentum for change in the coffee sector
This pilot represents another step in Nestlé’s long-term efforts through Plan Nescafé® to strengthen the sustainability and resilience of coffee production in Mexico.
More importantly, it demonstrates that sustainability can work in practice. When farmers adopt proven agricultural practices and receive the right support, those practices can translate into higher productivity, stronger resilience and tangible benefits for farming families.
The next step is expanding the model’s reach.
Achieving that will require more companies, partners and organizations across the coffee sector to integrate similar approaches into their supply chains. These models are not only a climate solution; they are also a way to strengthen productivity, improve resilience and support long-term supply security.
Transforming the future of coffee cannot be achieved by one actor alone. It requires collaboration and practical solutions that create value for farmers, businesses and communities alike.