"Ferrero Precious Agriculture Program" Reaches 40,000 Farmers

Bamsı Akın, General Director of Ferrero Hazelnut, said they set out with the aim of "Creating Value for Everyone in the Hazelnut Sector," adding, "Through the Ferrero Valued Agriculture Program, we have reached 40,000 farmers with more than 100 experts since 2012."

Pointing out that Turkish hazelnut is at the heart of their products, Akın said, "Hazelnut is the most distinctive ingredient we use in our products. In Turkey, we started our operations under the Ferrero Hazelnut umbrella in 2014, reinforcing our confidence in Turkish hazelnut.

We see ourselves as a long-term, strategic partner of the Turkish hazelnut sector and we are proud to create value in the sector as an important employer," he said.

Noting that they pursue sustainability focused on social and environmental aspects across all raw materials used in products and throughout the entire value chain, Akın stated, "In line with this focus, the Ferrero Valued Agriculture Program aims to support good agricultural practices, increase traceability, and improve social practices throughout the value chain. Our team of experts visits hazelnut orchards in the region and provides training on proven good agricultural practices, including health and safety, improving working conditions, preventing child labor, optimizing water use, and combating diseases that could affect production. The Ferrero Valued Agriculture Program is also an indicator of how we work with farmers in collaboration with other value chain stakeholders, including civil society organizations and local communities," he said. Noting that hazelnut is not sourced with a short-term perspective, Akın said, "We build and develop our value chain from a long-term perspective. Our goal is to be a driver of a hazelnut sector where hazelnut production creates value for everyone. This means the development of farmers and farming communities, respect for worker and child rights, and improvement of environmental values through regenerative agricultural practices."   Source