Nestlé: over 15,000 join ReNest. Food inspires a manifesto for more conscious consumption

(Il Sole 24 Ore Radiocor) – Over 15,000 attendees, more than 40 panels, 120 guided tours and over 50 on-stage presentations. These are the figures as ReNest draws to a close. From roots to the future. A journey into food, the project promoted by the Nestlé Group in Italia, under the patronage of the City of Milan and Assolombarda, which from 12 to 24 May transformed Piazza Elsa Morante, at CityLife, into an experiential space dedicated to the future of food. The initiative brought often complex issues such as sustainability, food waste, regenerative agriculture, supply chains and circularity to the heart of the city, seeking to translate them into accessible language through interactive installations, workshops, show cooking sessions, meetings and discussions with members of the public, experts, businesses and institutions. At the heart of the exhibition was ‘Il Nido’ (The Nest), a reference to Nestlé’s historic symbol, designed as a space for listening and participation to build greater awareness of the value of food.

However, the conclusion of the initiative is not an end in itself. ReNest has, in fact, given rise to the ‘ReNest Yourself’ manifesto, an invitation to take the lessons learnt from the Milanese experience — into the home, the school, the workplace and the city — and apply a new focus on food, resources and everyday behaviour. The aim is to shift our focus from the product to the system. As the manifesto reminds us, every food item is the result of supply chains, local areas, ingredients, skills, people, and both industrial and individual choices. Hence the need to make information on nutrition, sustainability, regeneration and circularity more accessible, ensuring these topics are not confined to industry insiders alone. Understanding the future of food also means being able to navigate data, messages and sources, moving beyond oversimplifications and false myths. The manifesto thus highlights the need to cultivate a more informed and critical perspective on the connections between production, consumption, waste, well-being and the environment.

ReNest’s message emphasises, above all, the practical aspect of change. Sustainability does not depend solely on major industrial or regulatory decisions, but also on habits repeated every day: reading labels more carefully, reducing waste, making the most of resources, making more informed choices and recognising the value of items that can be given a second life. With this in mind, ReNest seeks to build a bridge between businesses, citizens, schools, institutions, the scientific community and local areas. Food thus becomes a common language, capable of uniting different generations and cultures and fostering alliances geared towards continuity, going beyond one-off events.

The first concrete step concerns the materials used in the installation, which will be reused in various locations, including company premises, educational spaces and local organisations. Some elements of the Nido, including the walkway, the benches, the fence and the wooden floor, together with the totems dedicated to sustainability, recycling and reading labels, will be donated to the Italian Red Cross. Donations to three food hubs in Milan, managed by the Ibva Foundation and Banco Alimentare, have been scheduled between April and June, with an initial donation of 1,300 kilos of produce. Other symbolic elements of the installation, such as the arch made from used coffee capsules and the totems dedicated to coffee and the circular economy, will be moved to Nestlé’s headquarters in Assago, whilst some materials will be incorporated into the Perugina factory and museum in San Sisto.

“With ReNest, we wanted to create an open, accessible and participatory space, capable of bringing to life topics that are often perceived as complex or distant, such as sustainability, supply chains and the circular economy,” explains Valeria Norreri, Head of Corporate Brand & Content Strategy at Nestlé Italia. “The figures from these two weeks show strong participation, but the most important outcome is cultural. ReNest has made us realise that people want to learn more, to engage with the issues and to feel part of a possible change.” For Nestlé, therefore, the project’s legacy is above all cultural: transforming the awareness gained during the experience into more informed choices and everyday acts of care for oneself, others and the environment.