- Mars aims to build on its responsibly sourced cocoa program, by taking steps to create greater transparency in its cocoa supply chain
- Strengthens Mars’ interventions to help advance respect for human rights and help protect the environment in the complex global supply chain
MCLEAN, VIRGINIA (December 16, 2024) – Mars, Incorporated today shared an aim to achieve a physically segregated global cocoa supply chain by 2030 building on its existing commitment to its Responsibly Sourced Cocoa Program. Under a segregated global cocoa supply chain, Mars will be able to make products only using cocoa which has been produced and sourced from farms participating in the Mars Responsibly Sourced Cocoa Program or which meet the cocoa certifications standards of Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance and other certification bodies approved by Mars. By achieving a segregated global cocoa supply chain, Mars will have greater visibility through its suppliers to the farming organizations and farmers who provide cocoa for Mars products and will be able to better support those suppliers and their farming organizations and farmers in helping advance respect for human rights and preserving the environment.
Over the next five years, Mars will be working closely with its cocoa suppliers to invest in new infrastructure, processes and systems which will allow the suppliers to:
- Purchase cocoa produced by specific farms that participate in the Mars Responsibly Sourced Cocoa Program or which meet the cocoa certifications standards of Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance and other certification bodies approved by Mars and keep that cocoa physically segregated from cocoa from other sources;
- Convert the physically segregated cocoa into cocoa ingredients for Mars and keep those cocoa ingredients physically segregated from cocoa ingredients converted from other sources of cocoa.
- Deliver the physically segregated cocoa ingredients to Mars factories for use in making Mars chocolate and finished products.
Harper McConnell, Global Vice President of Cocoa Sustainability, Mars said, “The move to a segregated global cocoa supply chain is a significant undertaking that builds on our years of investment in our responsibly sourced cocoa program. It will enable us to target interventions providing more focused support for cocoa growing communities in our supply chain. This ambition is part of a holistic, long-term approach by Mars to contribute towards the development of a modern, inclusive and sustainable cocoa ecosystem around the globe.”
A critical milestone toward Mars’ achievement of ‘Cocoa for Generations’ strategy
Achieving a segregated cocoa supply chain is a key milestone within Mars’ ‘Cocoa for Generations’ strategy. Backed by a $1 billion USD investment over ten years (2018 - 2028), Mars’ ‘Cocoa for Generations’ strategy aims to:
- Support a modern, profitable, and highly productive cocoa farming system driven by scientific innovations.
- Prioritize inclusivity where everyone – especially women and children – have access and opportunities to achieve prosperity.
- Support a sustainable cocoa supply chain where the planet’s resources are responsibly managed and more resilient to absorb shocks and stresses.
Further, this ambition enables Mars to help tackle environmental issues, such as deforestation, on its journey to achieving its goal of reaching Net Zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across the company’s full value chain by 2050, and halving emissions by 2030 as outlined in Mars' Net Zero Roadmap published last year.
To learn more about Mars, Incorporated’s commitments to creating climate-smart solutions, advancing respect for human rights, and providing opportunities to thrive under its holistic and human-centric Cocoa for Generations strategy, visit here: https://www.mars.com/sustainability-plan/cocoa-for-generations.
Media Contact:
Caitlyn Camacho
caitlyn.camacho@effem.com
Saint-Francis Tohlang
saint-francis.tohlang@effem.com
