What contributions in sustainability science has Mars made?
With the appropriate focus and scientific know-how, cocoa can be a tool for social, economic, and environmental
improvement in developing nations. These combined positive benefits are known as cocoa sustainability.
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Cocoa is a unique crop. About a third of the crop is lost each year due to pests, disease, and poor management, meaning lost effort and income for a farm and community.
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That's why it's important to educate farmers about agricultural best practices to protect the cocoa supply
chain and improve the livelihoods of cocoa farmers and their families.
- Through our efforts, we have seen encouraging evidence regarding increased yields and higher incomes, all of which has the capacity to result in a rising standard of living.
- Cocoa can also be an engine for environmental protection.
- Some participants in Farmer Field Schools (managed by the Sustainability Tree Crops Program) have increased yields and income by 20-50%; some have even doubled their income.
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As incomes rise, so do opportunities for children's education and improved infrastructure.
- Diverse rainforests and tall growth trees, which provide shade, are preferred for healthy sustainable cocoa farms.
Why is cocoa so important for the farmers of West Africa?
Almost 70 percent of the world's cocoa comes from West African nations. It is a driving force behind economic growth, which builds the West African economy and is a positive crop for the environment. Cocoa sustainability is essential to the crop in West Africa. Disease and pests can result in the loss of one third of the crop each harvest. Because cocoa is responsible for 50 percent of household income in Cote d'Ivoire, the cocoa community is committed to improving the production and sustainability of the crop.
What is Mars' role in cocoa sustainability?
Cocoa is the lifeblood of many of Mars' critical brands. It is referred to as an orphan crop that often does not receive sufficient government support in regions where it is grown. Situation analysis in the 1990's indicated that gaps existed in breeding and farming education programs and that little was being done to address the problem. The current situation is more complex and social and environmental issues are driving consumers, NGO's and government officials to become active players.
Mars, Incorporated has been a leader in organizing and driving the cocoa community into action. Many programs led and funded by Mars have brought the industry together with leaders in other related fields, providing education for farmers, conducting research for the development of pest/disease resistant cocoa crops, and much more.
What is Mars' position on Fair Trade Policies?
Because the "Fair Trade" approach can only reach a small minority of farmers, we have chosen to take a different approach.
We are strongly committed to improving the lives of cocoa farmers and their families. Our approach, which will benefit
the vast majority of farmers in West Africa, centers on helping farmers improve their incomes by saving their crops from
pests and diseases and by helping farmers receive higher prices for their cocoa. Our program also seeks to improve social
conditions in cocoa-growing communities by creating opportunities for childhood education and farmer training.
What is Mars doing to stop slavery/child labor in cocoa growing?
In 2001, Mars was a leader in guiding the global chocolate industry in its commitment to address allegations of abuse in
West Africa. We led the effort to bring together world leaders, human rights experts and child labor advocates to establish
a commitment and sign an unprecedented Protocol Agreement, in an effort to eliminate the worst forms of child labor in
West African cocoa.
The Harkin-Engel Protocol, however, is just one part of our broader effort to support social improvement, economic development and environmental conservation in cocoa farming communities. Long-term, we are committed to ensuring positive change in the lives of cocoa farmers and their families.
What is the Harkin-Engel Protocol? Have Mars and the industry met the requirements of the Protocol?
The Protocol calls for development of a credible system of certification that will ensure cocoa is grown free from abusive
child labor. With the certification system now in place in pilot areas of Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana, plans are being developed
for the system's further expansion.
The industry is proud of its work to meet the obligations of the Protocol, and is committed to refining the certification process and to improving the lives of West African cocoa farmers and their families.
On July 1, 2005, the cocoa industry and Senator Tom Harkin issued a joint statement detailing the progress that has been made in cocoa
sustainability efforts.
What developments in sustainability has Mars made?
Mars, maker of some of the world's best loved confections, is a global leader in the effort to ensure cocoa sustainability.
In spite of the many impediments, our long-term approach, along with the industry coalition, is already producing significant
and meaningful results. Mars is on the cutting edge of real solutions to the problems faced every day by cocoa farmers.
The industry is proud of its work to meet the obligations of the Protocol, and is committed to refining the certification process and to improving the lives of West African cocoa farmers and their families.
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Mars initiated the first global conference on cocoa sustainability in Panama in 1998. The principles that came out of this
conference have been the foundation for Mars' and the industry's work on this issue.
- Mars owns and operates the world's privately funded cocoa research facility. Almirante de Cacao in Brazil serves as a development facility for the best practices that can be taught to cocoa farmers around the globe.
- Mars has developed one-of-a-kind partnerships with government agencies like the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and with development organizations like Winrock International.
What are Mars' competitors doing to solve the Fair Trade and child labor program in West Africa?
The larger industry as a whole understands that only by working together can we solve the problems related to cocoa sustainability in West Africa and around the globe.
Through the World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) and other groups, the industry is working to achieve sustainability in cocoa production. The WCF serves as a coordinator and communicator for the industry's sustainability efforts. Mars and its counterparts across the cocoa industry help fund and oversee the operations of the WCF. To learn more about industry sustainability efforts, visit the WCF website at www.chocolateandcocoa.org or visit www.responsiblecocoa.org.
