Global chocolate maker Mars Wrigley, has announced progress on its ‘Women for Change’ programme and deforestation milestones in its Cocoa for Generations progress report published this month.
The report announced the company’s advancement toward creating a sustainable cocoa supply chain, with 100% of its cocoa being responsibly sourced and traceable from farm to first point of purchase by 2025.
“Too many cocoa farmers continue to face a series of challenges from poverty to child labour and deforestation,” said Mars Wrigley Global President Andrew Clarke. “The impacts of climate change and global crises are exacerbating existing vulnerabilities across cocoa farming communities and beyond. This is why we aim to accelerate the transformation of the cocoa supply chain so that it benefits both people and the planet. To get there, we’re working to protect children, preserve forests, and improve farmer incomes.
“We are challenging ourselves and the entire sector to evolve and adopt approaches that deliver greater impact where it matters most – in cocoa farming communities across Latin America, West Africa, and Southeast Asia.”
The report also details Mars Wrigley’s progress throughout 2021 and highlights its Cocoa for Generations strategy, aiming to transform the sustainability of its cocoa supply chain with its vision for “responsible cocoa today and sustainable cocoa tomorrow”
Recently, the company launched two programs to support 14,000 smallholder farmers in Côte d’Ivoire and Indonesia on a path to a sustainable living income by 2030.
Mars Wrigley Cocoa Vice-President Amber Johnson commented: “We can’t do this work alone. The shifts and the scale to reach sustained, demonstrable improvements for cocoa farming families and their communities requires thinking and collaborating in new ways. We are working to transform the cocoa ecosystem, and while we’ve made important progress to-date, we’re not done yet.
“Through our programs and in collaboration with key global partners, including industry peers, governments, development agencies, research institutions and civil society organisations, we’re sharing what works and what we learn along the way. We remain constructively discontent – relentless in our work to create a modern, inclusive, and sustainable cocoa supply chain. One where the environment is protected, human rights are respected, and everyone has the opportunity to thrive.”
The Cocoa for Generations together with CARE, the Women for Change program has reached more than 77,000 members in cocoa farming communities in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, through its Village Savings and Loans Association program.
The collaboration has supported almost 58,000 women, resulting in over $7.4 million in collective savings and over $3.7 million in loans distributed. These funds have been used for cocoa farming activities like education, health, food growing other crops and raising sheep, pigs, and other livestock.
The report also details Mars Wrigley plan to achieve a deforestation and conversion-free supply chain for 100% of the cocoa it sources by 2025. One way is by farm plot polygon mapping, which traces the perimeter of a farm rather than only one GPS point and results in increased traceability from the farm to the first point of purchase.
Through its suppliers, Mars Wrigley has distributed more than 1.9 million new non-cocoa trees in 2021, helping to increase shade and biodiversity and capture carbon. Achieving its goal of the cocoa it sources being 100% deforestation will give an estimated 20% reduction in Mars Wrigley’s total greenhouse gas footprint, progress towards Mars. This will help to hit a 27% reduction of value chain emissions by 2025 as well as net zero emissions across the full-value chain by 2050.
