Mars Partners with Ofi to Cut Carbon Footprint in Cocoa Supply Chain
- Mars and Ofi have teamed up to launch a project aimed at reducing the carbon footprint of cocoa production in Ecuador.
- This five-year initiative will help farmers adopt sustainable agriculture practices to boost cocoa production, cut emissions, and meet climate targets.
- Mars aims to halve its emissions by 2030 and achieve net-zero status by 2050, while Ofi plans to cut its emissions by 2030 and reach net-zero by 2050.
Project Details and Impact
The partnership between Mars and Ofi began last year and will continue until 2029, focusing on sustainable cocoa sourcing. The project will support over 960 farmers in key cocoa-growing regions in Ecuador, implementing regenerative agriculture practices across 9,000 hectares of farmland. This includes the use of multistrata agroforestry, a system that combines trees, shrubs, and crops to boost cocoa production and improve soil health.
Farmers will receive training on low-carbon fertilizers, crop residue management, and biochar applications to increase carbon removals and improve yields. Around 4,800 people in cocoa-growing communities are expected to benefit from this initiative, creating new income opportunities and building more resilient livelihoods.
Ofi’s Head of Cocoa Sustainability, Andrew Brooks, stated, “Together with Mars, we’re scaling up regenerative practices in Ecuador to cut greenhouse gas emissions and secure the future cocoa supply. By making these practices more accessible to farmers, we aim to reduce barriers to implementation and create new income opportunities.”