Multinational agribusiness and manufacturing company Johnvents Group has published its first-ever sustainability report, formalising a policy framework that integrates environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and corporate governance across its operations while aligning with globally recognised environmental, social, and governance standards.

The report, covering the 2025 reporting period, consolidates sustainability performance data from the group’s key subsidiaries, Johnvents Foods, Johnvents Industries, Premium Cocoa Products Ile-Oluji, and Noble-Eagle.

The development, according to the firm, represents a step in the company’s evolution from policy formulation to measurable execution, particularly as it navigates stringent international compliance requirements in the cocoa export sector.

Founder and Group Managing Director of Johnvents Group, Mr John Alamu, described the publication as a major milestone in the company’s journey towards responsible growth, noting that the report marks the beginning of a new phase in how the organisation measures and reports its environmental and social impact while remaining accountable to stakeholders.

Alamu said the company’s priority going forward would be to strengthen implementation, deepen governance, expand sustainability initiatives across its value chain, and build a resilient and globally competitive business.

He maintained that the report was prepared in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) 13: Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fishing Sectors 2022 Standard and incorporates a Double Materiality Assessment aligned with the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD).

“The methodological choices position Johnvents Group at the forefront of reporting transparency among Nigerian agribusinesses, providing stakeholders with a consolidated account of its sustainability performance across environmental impact, social responsibility, and governance architecture.

“A central pillar of the group’s sustainability agenda involves extensive supply chain monitoring and farmer empowerment initiatives. During the reporting period, the company screened more than 50,000 farms to monitor deforestation risks and intensified implementation of its 150,000 Cocoa Farmers Empowerment Programme.

“This programme, launched under the banner ‘Nourished Crop, Better Farmer’, aims to rehabilitate, replant, and regenerate cocoa trees across 300,000 hectares of farmland over the next decade.

“Beyond farm-level interventions, Johnvents has expanded its farm-to-warehouse traceability systems to comply with the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) and Rainforest Alliance certification requirements.

“The company also trained 28 licensed buying agents on traceability protocols and regulatory compliance, while 105 cooperative leaders in Owo and Akure participated in governance training programmes designed to strengthen internal capacity and ensure alignment with international due diligence expectations.”

The report further harps on the establishment of the group’s first greenhouse gas inventory in line with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, improved climate governance, strengthened deforestation risk management, and implementation of its Environmental and Social Action Plan (ESAP).

Social compliance efforts were said to have been reinforced through advanced training for 13 field officers from the Child Labour Monitoring and Remediation System team, conducted in partnership with the International Cocoa Initiative.

The company further stated that it had enhanced its governance architecture through board-level oversight and specialised functions responsible for responsible sourcing, sustainable finance, carbon management, compliance, and occupational health and safety.

Group Executive Director Mr Tarun Chawla said sustainability has become central to business performance and long-term value creation, with the report demonstrating the company’s progress in strengthening its sustainability systems while reinforcing its commitment to responsible operations and shared value for stakeholders.

Johnvents Group said it would continue to build resilient agricultural value chains that support farmers, employees, customers, investors, host communities, and the environment through transparent reporting and continuous improvement.