Mars in partnership to improve sustainability of its supply chain

Mars has partnered with Field to Market – an alliance of more than 120 organisations working to improve agricultural sustainability – in order to make its supply chain more environmentally friendly.

The partnership is part of a wider commitment from Mars to ‘finding [new] ways to ensure our products are sustainable and responsibly sourced’.

Field to Market uses a methodology rich in data to inform continuous improvement opportunities at farm level that involve the growers who produce ingredients for Mars’ products. The chocolate company said that ‘Field to Market’s science-based approach is a valuable tool to guide the right conversations’ around sustainability.

And, as the alliance brings together experts from across the agricultural industry, the project will allow Mars to ‘leverage their knowledge and learn from their successes and failures when it comes to their supply chain and sustainability efforts’.

A spokesperson for Mars explained: “We are proud to operate, with great partnerships like Field to Market, in a way that provides a win-win for all those who play a role in our supply chain. Our products, and the ingredients they’re made of, are the heart of our business – and we want to make sure we source and produce them responsibly.

“These partnerships are designed to be mutually beneficial, with Mars sharing our knowledge and expertise as well. We’re constantly working to find ways to ensure our products are sustainable and responsibly sourced. That means we have the opportunity, through our membership in Field to Market, to drive conversation and meaningful change across multiple raw materials that are critical to our business – from the peanut farms of Georgia to the corn fields of the Midwest.

“For example, when it comes to the sustainability of our two biggest chocolate brands, Snickers and M&M’s, one key ingredient comes to mind: peanuts. Mars Chocolate believes the peanut industry already has a good story to tell on sustainability, but is keen to ensure it becomes a great one. We are proud to support the American Peanut Council’s collaboration with Field to Market, as the entire peanut industry is working together to obtain even better sustainability data of peanut production. Through these efforts, the peanut industry, and most importantly the farmer, will be able to demonstrate progress and drive continuous improvement at the farm level.

“Mars is an active advocate in the American Peanut Council’s Sustainability Task Force and will utilise our own Field to Market membership to collaborate and help ensure success of the industry’s efforts.”

The announcement comes just days after Mars, alongside other chocolate giants like Nestlé and Ferrero, signed a socially conscious commitment to lower the number of calories in some of their most commonly purchased products.

The companies will utilise smaller portion sizes and innovative new product launches to bring the average calorie count below 200kcal by 2022.