Thomas Molnar, associate professor in the Department of Plant Biology, at the hazelnut orchard at Rutgers Horticultural Farm where he and his team are supporting genetic improvement and study of hazelnuts. Photo credit: Chris Gutierrez, SEBS/NJAES Office of Public Outreach and Communications.
Investments are the latest in an ongoing commitment to help researchers develop methods for growers increasing hazelnut productivity and sustainability in the U.S. and around the world
Ferrero Hazelnut Company (Ferrero HCo), a division of global sweet-packaged food company the Ferrero Group, today expanded its investment in U.S.-grown hazelnuts with a research grant of $180,000 to Oregon State University and a grant of $170,000 to Rutgers University. The grants, a part of Ferrero’s commitment to using high-quality, fresh ingredients, will support the universities’ collaborative efforts with local farmers, producers, and distributors, to advance sustainability and efficiency in the industry.
Hazelnuts are an essential ingredient for Ferrero’s well-loved brands like Ferrero Rocher®, the #1 premium chocolate brand in the U.S., and Nutella®, a power-brand that includes the leading spreads snack in the U.S. convenience channel, Nutella & Go®. As a versatile, premium ingredient, hazelnuts are in high demand during seasonal celebrations across North America, such as the upcoming winter holidays. To ensure year-around availability, the company has diversified its hazelnut sourcing globally to support its rapid growth, especially in North America.
“Our mission is to master the hazelnut value chain from end-to-end to create and deliver value in service of customers, brands, and products,” said Tommaso de Gregorio, Head of Ferrero’s Agri Competence Center. “This is particularly important in North America where we have invested billions of dollars in growth and innovation over the past decade.”
For years Ferrero has partnered with Oregon State University and the state’s growers to foster and strengthen hazelnut cultivation in the Willamette Valley. Recently the company has doubled its hazelnut sourcing from the area and to date has donated over $760,000 to OSU agriculture programs. Ferrero’s latest grant of $180,000 will support multiple ongoing projects including biological control of invasive species, diseases, and fungi as well as integrated weed management within orchards, all with the goal of reducing herbicide.
Thomas Molnar, associate professor in the Department of Plant Biology, holds hazelnuts bred at Rutgers Horticultural Farm. Photo credit: Chris Gutierrez, SEBS/NJAES Office of Public Outreach and Communications.
“Ferrero’s support over the years has helped cement Oregon as a world leader in hazelnut orchard productivity and nut quality,” said Nik Wiman, Associate Professor in Oregon State’s College of Agricultural Sciences. “Ferrero’s latest support helps us to meet new challenges and provide effective solutions for growers to improve grower profitability and industry sustainability.”
New Jersey has emerged as a leader in introducing hazelnut growing to the East Coast, supported by research and breeding programs at Rutgers University. $170,000 will be donated to Rutgers over four years as part of a long-term disease study, which supports the development of hazelnut varieties that can resist EFB through genetic improvement. This on top of $100,000 from a partnership with Ferrero that started in 2020.
“Our team at Rutgers is breeding trees resistant to the fungal disease Eastern Filbert Blight, which severely limits the production of hazelnuts in New Jersey and throughout the East Coast,” said Thomas Molnar, associate professor in the Department of Plant Biology in the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences. “With Ferrero’s generous support, our program is helping to unlock hazelnut production in eastern North America while providing a means to combat this disease if it spreads to new regions of the world.”
In addition to hazelnut cultivation, Ferrero Group has recently invested heavily in logistics, R&D, and manufacturing capabilities in North America. The company’s multiple expansions to its manufacturing campuses in Bloomington, Illinois and Brantford, Ontario have created hundreds of new local jobs, and the company’s first ever North American Innovation Center and R&D Labs opened in Chicago in 2023. Ferrero has other facilities across Georgia, Kentucky, Ohio, Arizona, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey and currently employs over 5,300 across the United States and Canada.
About Ferrero
Ferrero began its journey in the small town of Alba in Piedmont, Italy, in 1946. Today, it is one of the world’s largest sweet-packaged food companies, with over 35 iconic brands sold in more than 170 countries. The Ferrero Group brings joy to people around the world with much-loved treats and snacks including Nutella®, Kinder®, Tic Tac®, and Ferrero Rocher®. More than 38,000 employees are passionate about helping people celebrate life’s special moments. The Ferrero Group’s family culture, now in its third generation, is based on dedication to quality and excellence, heritage and a commitment to the planet and communities in which we operate.
Ferrero entered the North American market in 1969 and has grown to more than 5,400 employees in 15 plants and warehouses, and eight offices in North America across the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. It has expanded its presence and portfolio with the addition of iconic brands such as Butterfinger®, CRUNCH®, Keebler®, Famous Amos®, Mother’s Cookies®, and other distinctive cookie and chocolate brands. Follow @FerreroNACorp on Twitter and Instagram.
