The Plan is a global initiative by Nestle S.A., and brings under one umbrella the company's commitment on coffee farming, production and consumption and will help the company in further optimising its coffee supply chain, according to a press release issued here on Thursday.

To start the rollout of the Plan in India, the company's first coffee demo farm and training centre was inaugurated in Bindhu Estate, Kodagu district, Karnataka, by Jawaid Akhtar, chairman, Coffee Board of India; Nandu Nandkishore, Nestl‚ executive vice-president and zone director for Asia, Oceania, Africa and the Middle-East; and Antonio Helio Waszyk, CMD, Nestl‚ India.

The first coffee demonstration farm in India will help farmers improve quality, productivity and sustainability. The company is assisting coffee farmers in the states of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu to develop their agricultural practices as demand for the company's soluble coffee grows in the country. Furthermore, its R&D teams aim to provide farmers with high-yielding, disease-resistant plantlets suitable for Indian conditions.

Through the initiative, the company seeks to source coffee sustainably by working closely with Indian coffee farmers and ensuring competitive prices, transparency and traceability.

Elaborating on the Plan, Akhtar said: "I am happy that the Nescafe Plan is being launched in India. It will provide coffee farmers with technology and best practices for sustainable production of high quality coffee and also benefit them with improved access to markets."

During the event the first group of 20 farmers who have been trained under the Plan were felicitated. While formally releasing the training manual Nescafe Better Training Practices, Nandkishore said: "Nescafe is the world's leading coffee brand. As a leader we have the responsibility to continue to supply good quality coffee to consumers, while ensuring that coffee farming remains attractive for farmers and is sustainable across the value chain."