Nestlé Ghana is deepening the use of locally sourced raw materials and packaging in the production of CERELAC as the company seeks to strengthen the local value chain behind one of its major nutrition brands.
The company said CERELAC maize is produced from maize sourced in Ghana, while other ingredients and packaging materials that are available locally are also purchased from Ghanaian suppliers.
Deborah Kwablah, Corporate Communication and Public Affairs Manager at Nestlé Ghana, said the company’s approach was to examine the entire value chain, from farms to packaging, and source locally wherever the required materials were available.
“We are really proud that this is a product that we produce in Ghana right here in our factory,” she said.
She explained that while Ghana does not produce wheat, Nestlé purchases wheat powder in Ghana, alongside other locally available ingredients and packaging materials used in producing different CERELAC variants.
Local value chain
The local sourcing strategy gives Ghanaian farmers and businesses opportunities to participate in the production of a widely consumed nutrition product, while keeping part of the value created by the brand within the domestic economy.
Ms Kwablah said the company was particularly proud of the Ghanaian content in CERELAC and encouraged parents and caregivers to continue patronising the product.
She said CERELAC is designed for children from six months as they transition from exclusive breastfeeding to complementary feeding.
According to her, the product combines macronutrients such as maize, wheat and rice with micronutrients including iron and vitamins.
Promotion to reward consumers
Nestlé Ghana’s emphasis on local production comes alongside the launch of its CERELAC Akyɛdeɛ Pa promotion, its first national consumer promotion aimed at rewarding mothers, caregivers and families who have bought the brand over the years.
Kwabena Aseidu Adaakwa, Manager for Nutrition and Dairy Powders at Nestlé Ghana, described the campaign as a national “thank you” to families who have trusted CERELAC.
He said the promotion was designed to turn consumer loyalty into rewards that respond to the needs of families, particularly at a time when households are making more careful spending decisions.
Consumers who purchase specially marked CERELAC packs will have opportunities to win cash and MoMo rewards, educational scholarships for their children and an all-expenses-paid trip to Mauritius.
“Just buy CERELAC, enter the promotion and stand a chance to win a good gift,” Mr Adaakwa said.
Beyond the promotion
While the campaign is positioned as a consumer reward initiative, the company’s local sourcing activities highlight the wider economic activity surrounding the production of CERELAC in Ghana.
The value chain includes farmers supplying locally available ingredients, businesses providing packaging materials and other suppliers supporting local manufacturing.
For Nestlé Ghana, maintaining these local linkages allows the company to support domestic suppliers while producing CERELAC locally for the Ghanaian market.
The company said its focus on local sourcing would continue wherever the necessary ingredients and packaging materials could be obtained in Ghana.
