UTRECHT, The Netherlands —Nestlé and Solidaridad have recognised smallholder coffee farmers in the Mexican states of Guerrero and Oaxaca for adopting regenerative agriculture practices through the Plan Nescafé® Regenerative Support programme. The recognition marks an important milestone for coffee production in Mexico and highlights the role of farmers in supporting the transition toward more sustainable and resilient agricultural systems.
The initiative forms part of the Regenerative and Resilient Agriculture Pilot Project, a collaboration between Nestlé and Solidaridad running from 2023 to 2027.
The project supports smallholder coffee farmers in southern Mexico as they adopt regenerative agriculture practices designed to improve productivity, strengthen climate resilience and support better livelihoods.
Building on more than 15 years of work through Plan Nescafé®, the programme combines technical assistance, digital tools and recognition mechanisms to encourage more sustainable farm management.
Through training, personalised support and field-based assistance, farmers are being helped to improve productivity while working in closer balance with nature.
Early results from the programme are encouraging.
Farmers participating in the initiative have achieved yields up to 55 percent higher than those not taking part. In addition, 70 percent of participating farmers have reached advanced levels of regenerative practice adoption.
Soil Guardians recognise progress on farms
During ceremonies held in Oaxaca and Guerrero, 322 farmers were recognised as Soil Guardians for adopting regenerative practices on their farms. The recognition highlights their contribution to a wider shift toward more sustainable coffee production systems.
Nestlé and Solidaridad said the initiative is more than symbolic, as improved farming practices are already contributing to higher productivity and helping coffee-farming families strengthen their livelihoods.
Coffee farmer Florina Jerónimo Altamirano, one of the recognised Soil Guardians, said she is proud to be a farmer because coffee production provides a livelihood for her family.
Responding to climate and productivity challenges
Coffee is an important source of income for thousands of smallholder farmers across Latin America. However, climate change is creating growing pressure on coffee production, affecting both productivity and profitability. In response, programmes that make coffee farming more profitable and sustainable are becoming increasingly important.
The Plan Nescafé® Regenerative Support programme is designed to address these challenges by encouraging the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices that can improve both farm performance and resilience.
Will Pauffley, Coffee Programme Manager at Solidaridad Mexico, said increasing productivity is essential to improving farmers’ livelihoods.
A model based on rewarding farm-level progress
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 model is based on recognising farmers according to the level of regenerative agriculture practices they adopt on their farms. Gonzalo Contreras, Agricultural Manager at Nestlé Mexico, said regenerative agriculture is about caring for and protecting the soil.
He said healthy soil provides the nutrients plants need and forms the foundation of coffee production and productivity.
The practices promoted through the programme include appropriate shade management in coffee plantations, improving soil health with organic inputs and ground cover, and renovating coffee plants to maintain productivity over time.
By linking these practices with recognition and support, the model is designed to accelerate adoption while also improving productivity, strengthening climate resilience and increasing household income.
Collaboration, verification and digital tools
The model brings together different actors to ensure measurable and verifiable results on coffee farms. Nestlé supports the farmer recognition scheme, while Solidaridad provides personalised technical assistance, ongoing training and field verification.
Solidaridad also plays a key role in designing and implementing models that connect sustainable farming practices with practical farm-level improvements.
Through digital tools, participatory methodologies and on-farm support, the organisation helps farmers strengthen their skills and adopt solutions that can be scaled across the wider coffee sector.
Aldo Michel Soriano Pérez, Coffee Project Officer at Solidaridad Mexico, said the goal is not simply to benefit a company, but to help farmers increase income and improve living conditions for their families.
Measurable results from the pilot
After three years of implementation, the pilot is already showing measurable progress in productivity and regenerative agriculture adoption. In Guerrero, farmers who have participated consistently in the programme have achieved yields up to 55 percent higher than non-participating farmers.
In Oaxaca, where implementation began more recently, farmers have recorded an average productivity increase of 34 percent. Overall, 70 percent of participating farmers have reached an advanced level of regenerative practice adoption, moving closer to the programme’s goal of full adoption by the end of the project.
These results are linked to practices including organic fertiliser use, soil management based on soil analysis, coffee plantation renovation and agroforestry systems. Together, these measures are helping establish the foundations for a more resilient and sustainable coffee sector.
Agapito Estrada, a coffee farmer from Colonia de Guadalupe, Guerrero, said he now harvests more than two metric tonnes.
Building momentum across the coffee sector
The pilot represents another step in Nestlé’s long-term efforts through Plan Nescafé® to improve the sustainability and resilience of coffee production in Mexico. It also demonstrates that sustainability can deliver practical results when farmers receive the right support and adopt proven agricultural practices.
Nestlé and Solidaridad said the next step is expanding the reach of the model.
Achieving broader impact will require more companies, partners and organisations across the coffee sector to integrate similar approaches into their supply chains.
The partners said these models are not only climate solutions, but also a way to improve productivity, strengthen resilience and support long-term supply security.
By recognising farmers as Soil Guardians and linking regenerative agriculture to measurable farm-level outcomes, Nestlé and Solidaridad are working to create value for farmers, businesses and communities while supporting the future of coffee production.
