Achieving Net Zero by 2050 is no easy task, but we’re up for the challenge. And the single largest and most significant first step we can take towards this ambition is achieving a deforestation-free cocoa supply chain.  

More than five million farmers in West Africa, Southeast Asia and the Americas grow cocoa, often in areas where deforestation is an issue. Most of them are smallholders, working modest plots of land, many of them planted with aging, unproductive cocoa trees that generate little income. There is an urgent need to help farmers grow more cocoa on existing farmland, without encroaching on remaining forests.  

Our goal is to achieve a deforestation-free supply chain for 100% of the cocoa we source by 2025. And today we are proud to share we have made great progress and are on track to deliver on our Cocoa & Forests Initiative (CFI) commitment for Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, where more than 65 percent of the world’s cocoa is grown. Discover our results and key achievements here.  

Stopping deforestation in cocoa starts with transparency and technology but is ultimately made possible by working with our suppliers and other partners, while keeping the farming communities at the center of our efforts. 

While the figures are representative of our progress, we can only truly understand the real impact of our efforts by hearing first-hand from the cocoa farming communities. Their testimonials tell us how important it is that we take our responsibility as an industry leader seriously and that public private partnerships such as CFI are critical to achieve meaningful impact at scale.

Amber Johnson, Global Vice President, Mars Cocoa

• We’ve now polygon mapped almost 94% of the cocoa plots (>130,900) we source cocoa from in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire. Knowing the precise boundaries helps provide a more accurate picture of the farm’s location, rather than just one GPS location point. This is essential to helping protect the forests and stop deforestation. 
• In 2021, >272,600 hectares in our cocoa supply chain in Côte D’Ivoire and Ghana were included in a deforestation risk assessment – an area roughly the size of Luxembourg. 
• To help roll back the worst effects of climate change and promote healthier forests, more trees need to be planted. We have worked alongside suppliers and civil society partners to distribute >1,118,300 new non-cocoa trees in 2021 – to increase important biodiversity and shade, and help to capture carbon. 

We are committed to creating a more modern, inclusive, and sustainable cocoa supply chain for future generations. To achieve meaningful impact that enables cocoa farmers to thrive, public-private partnerships like CFI coupled with appropriate due diligence legislation where needed will be essential. Together these enablers can help improve farmer income, advance respect for human rights and protect the environment in cocoa growing communities.