Snacking, food, and pet care products provider Mars and ingredients supplier ofi (olam food ingredients) announced the launch of a new joint cocoa agroforestry partnership, aimed at accelerating climate-smart and regenerative agriculture practices in cocoa production in Ecuador, across the companies’ shared cocoa supply chain.
According to the companies, the new collaboration will help to reduce the carbon footprint for cocoa in Ecuador, and to increase productivity and enhance farmer resilience.
Andrew Brooks, Head of Cocoa Sustainability at ofi, said:
”Together with Mars, we’re scaling up regenerative practices like agroforestry and biochar in Ecuador aimed at cutting greenhouse gas emissions and helping to secure the future supply of cocoa. By making these practices more accessible to farmers, we hope to reduce barriers for implementation and costly inputs, while opening new income opportunities that can make a real difference to building more resilient livelihoods.”
In the first phase of the project, more than 960 farmers across major cocoa growing regions are expected to implement regenerative agriculture pracitces, across more than 9,000 hectares of farmland to boost cocoa production, support microorganisms and pollinators, and create natural barriers against pests and disease.
Aditionally, farmers will be equipped with tools to use low carbon fertilizers, improved crop residue management, and biochar applications. The companies said that the interventions aim to help participating farmers strengthen long term resilience in cocoa farming by enhancing soil health, reducing GHG emissions, increasing CO2 removals, and their cocoa crop yields.
Approximately 4,800 people in surrounding cocoa-growing communities are also estimated to benefit from these on-farm investments.
Mars said that the new initiative forms part of its broader Mars Net Zero Roadmap plan to achieve net zero value-chain emissions by 2050.
Pedro Amaral, Associate Director, Head of Cocoa Climate Sustainability at Mars.said:
“True progress on climate requires shared ambition and mutually beneficial value. Having Net Zero ambitions validated by SBTi enables a bold framework for Mars and ofi to invest together in the long term in solutions that are good for cocoa farmers, good for the environment, and good for the future of our supply chain.”
