Mars aims for ‘a deforestation-free global cocoa supply chain by 2025’

Mars Wrigley Confectionery has shared detailed action plans to make its cocoa supply chain deforestation-free by 2025.

The announcement was made to mark the recent ‘International Day of Forests’ celebration and follows announcements by other large confectionery companies offering similar pledges on deforestation​ and traceability in the cocoa supply chain.

'Cocoa for Generations'

It also follows the release of Cocoa for Generations in September 2018, the company’s strategy to drive towards a sustainable cocoa supply chain that is fully traceable by 2025.

John Ament, global cocoa vice president at Mars Wrigley Confectionery, said: “Our Cocoa for Generations plan embodies our sustainability strategy for cocoa, with protecting people and the planet at its core. Today’s announcement shares our success so far - we have already traced a quarter of our global supply chain. In order to achieve our 2025 ambition of a deforestation-free cocoa supply chain for cocoa we source, we will ensure 100% traceability, and will only work with cocoa supply chain partners who can meet our Responsible Cocoa specifications.  We are proud to share our actions to preserve and protect forests for the future, because the world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today​.”

Mars Wrigley Confectionery, a maker of chocolate for more than 100 years, is one of the largest users of cocoa, and a signatory to the World Cocoa Foundation’s Cocoa & Forests Initiative (CFI) established in 2018. The Cocoa and Forests Initiative is an active commitment of cocoa-producing countries Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Colombia with leading chocolate and cocoa companies.

'Game changer'

Janet Ranganathan, vice president, science & research at World Resources Institute said: “I commend Mars for having the courage to make a bold commitment to a deforestation free cocoa supply chain and for being transparent about its progress. This commitment, together with additional ones on protecting children, improving farmers’ income, and monitoring for impact, has the potential to be a game changer​.”

A spokesperson for Mars told Confectionery News that since launching Cocoa for Generations the company is committed to preserving forests and a traceable supply chain for Responsible Cocoa by 2025, “we’re proud to already have GPS-mapped 24% of our global cocoa supply chain to farm level​.”

Additional actions by Mars to preserve forests including the following:

• An ambition of a deforestation-free cocoa supply chain by 2025;
• Mapping via GPS 100% of the cocoa we source to farm level by 2025;
• Disclosure of cocoa countries of origin, our current Tier 1 suppliers and progress on traceability to Tier 2 farmer groups and Tier 3 farmers as part of our promise of transparency;
• Exclusively sourcing from suppliers who meet our Responsible Cocoa specification of traceability for direct sourcing by 2019 and indirect sourcing by 2022 in Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana;
• Detailed action plans for Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana as part of our contribution to the Cocoa and Forests Initiative.
• In 2019, completing risk assessments for Indonesia, Brazil and Cameroon to be published in 2020;
• Completion of risk assessments for Ecuador and the other countries we source from by 2020.
• Use of third-parties to monitor and verify our progress.

The company said it will report annually on progress against the commitments and goals of our Cocoa for Generations plan.