The SUCCESS Project was extended to Vietnam in 2003. Then, in 2004, Mars collaborated with the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to organize the first federally sponsored senior government cocoa commission whose aim was to establish the production of cocoa selected provinces.
A steering committee was instituted in 2005 and is comprised of officials from a wide range of Vietnamese ministries and research bodies to oversee the development of cocoa in Vietnam. This committee is tasked with ensuring cocoa remains an advantageous crop for farmers, the environment and country.
Under the governments’ auspices, Mars collaborated with the Dutch government and others at the inception of the program to develop the cocoa purchasing pipeline and to institute quality standards.
Mars is also working with the Forestry Science Institute of Vietnam and Nong Lam University to set up a comprehensive, long-term trial to study the performance and effects of a sustainable cocoa agroforestry system within Vietnam.
Additionally, Mars is very encouraged by its current work with world-class scientists in controlling pests through pheromone traps. This method uses the pests' sexual scent to trap them. Because pheromones are naturally produced, their effect on the environment is benign.
In addition to these efforts to benefit local farmers, the SUCCESS Project established an upcountry buying station in Central Sulawesi to educate former farmers using SUCCESS Alliance methods, such as information exchange and applied research to control cocoa pests to produce improved quality cocoa beans.
