Ferrero Group is strengthening its focus on farm-level traceability as food businesses face growing pressure to understand where their ingredients come from.
The company’s latest Sustainability Report, covering the 2024/25 financial year, outlines progress across responsible sourcing, emissions, packaging, nutrition and workplace initiatives.
At the centre of the report is an expanded responsible sourcing framework known as Ferrero Farming Values. The approach is intended to improve visibility across agricultural supply chains while supporting farmers, suppliers and producing communities.
Following Ingredients Back to the Farm
Ferrero Farming Values applies to key ingredients including cocoa, palm oil, hazelnuts, coffee and dairy. It covers five connected areas: supplier due diligence, supply chain traceability, certification and standards, farming practices and communities and broader industry collaboration.
Ferrero reported high traceability levels across several major commodities during the financial year. Cocoa reached 98 per cent traceability to mapped farm boundaries, palm oil reached 98.6 per cent traceability to plantation and hazelnuts reached 97 per cent traceability to farmers. Coffee beans achieved 100 per cent traceability to plantation maps.
The company also analysed almost 230,000 supply chain land parcels linked to coffee, palm oil and cocoa suppliers through monitoring processes aligned with the European Union Deforestation Regulation.
Certification remains another major component of Ferrero’s sourcing program. According to the report, 99 per cent of cocoa volumes were sourced through certifications or independently managed standards including Rainforest Alliance, Fairtrade and Cocoa Horizons. Palm oil volumes were 100 per cent RSPO-certified while coffee beans were 100 per cent Rainforest Alliance Certified under a segregated supply chain model.
Further information on Ferrero’s work with cocoa-producing communities is available through its responsible cocoa sourcing program.
Emissions and Packaging Progress
Beyond ingredient sourcing, Ferrero reported a 7.2 per cent year-on-year reduction in Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions. Twenty-four of its manufacturing plants were operating on 100 per cent renewable electricity sourced from the grid.
Packaging was another focus, with 92.9 per cent reportedly designed to be recyclable, reusable or compostable. However, the proportion considered recyclable, reusable or compostable in practice and at scale was lower at 86.8 per cent, highlighting the continuing role of local collection and processing infrastructure.
Ferrero also introduced new science-based nutrition criteria to guide product development and updated its advertising and marketing principles.
What It Means for Foodservice
For cafés, bakeries, restaurants and other foodservice businesses, greater traceability can make it easier to assess suppliers and respond to customer questions about sourcing.
Ferrero’s report also reflects a broader shift across the industry: sustainability claims are increasingly expected to be supported by measurable supply chain data, recognised standards and clear reporting.
The complete Ferrero Sustainability Report 2025 is available online.
