Nestle Pledges to Improve Agriculture Value Chain

By Dike Onwuamaeze

The Nestle Central and West Africa Limited (NCWAL) has re-stated its commitment to growing the agricultural value chain in the Central and West African sub- regions by increasing local sourcing of raw materials for its manufactured products.

The company stated that nearly 75 per cent of the raw materials used in its products are sourced locally from suppliers to provide income and create job opportunities for thousands of citizens in the sub regions.

The Business Executive Officer for Culinary at NCWAL, Mr. Dominique Allier, said in recent virtual conference that Nestle has also taken the manner it communicates its products to the consumers a step further by launching the Maggi website that would provide a “recipe hub” of varied dishes from all over the region and enable people anywhere to prepare African traditional cuisine.

The MAGGI website, which provides information on how to prepare more than 40 African recipes on an easy-to-use platform, would help families to cook balanced and nutritious meals.

Allier said that the launching of the website is one of the innovative ways MAGGI is meeting its consumers’ digital and nutritional appetites, while also contributing to Nestlé’s purpose of enhancing quality of life and healthier future for its customers.

“Now that many of us are spending more time cooking at home, who isn’t stuck for new food ideas? Get some inspiration from the Recipe of The Day or the With-A-Twist section! There are recipes for kids, adventurous cooks, those who love a classic dish and time-saving one pot meals, all available in English and French.

“MAGGI innovates once more by providing different variations of beloved African dishes that offer something for every food lover. We are proud to be the first region worldwide chosen by MAGGI to launch this unique website,” he said.

According to the Nutrition, Health and Wellness Manager for NCWAL, Ms. Akua Kwakwa, the website would highlight the importance of including nutritious diets in daily lives with well-known family favourites and provide “people across the globe with easy access to traditional African recipes we know and love.

“For people who are more concerned about sodium, saturated fat and added sugars, the website features the unique ‘MyMenuIQ’ guide that illustrates how nutritionally-balanced each recipe is. The higher the score, the more balanced the meal is.”

Kwakwa said that MAGGI has been organising local events to encourage healthy cooking, like pop-up kitchens, cooking caravans and online nutrition education programmes, which have reached over 10 million people across the region.