Mars Chocolate UK and Fairtrade extend partnership to certify cocoa for MARS® Bars

Mars Chocolate UK and The Fairtrade Foundation announced last week that they are extending their global cocoa partnership with a commitment to source Fairtrade certified cocoa for all MARS® Bars in the UK and Ireland by Autumn 2015.

Mars is the first UK company to announce a commitment under the new Fairtrade Cocoa Sourcing Programme, which specifically aims to deliver more opportunities for cocoa farmers to sell on Fairtrade terms and connect them with businesses that actively support efforts to improve farmer livelihoods.

In 2009, Mars was the first global chocolate company to commit to certify its entire cocoa supply as being produced in a sustainable manner by 2020. In the UK, this new commitment from the MARS® Bar brand builds on the success of Mars’ partnership with Fairtrade on MALTESERS®, announced in 2011 and the Fairtrade Cocoa Sourcing programme model which was launched in partnership with Mars Chocolate Germany and the TWIX® brand in 2014. It will take the total premiums paid by Mars globally to Fairtrade cocoa cooperatives in West Africa to over US$2m per year by 2016.

Mars is guided by its principle of Mutuality, creating ‘mutual benefits’ for partners throughout the supply chain and this extended partnership between Mars and Fairtrade is rooted in a shared belief in putting farmers first. It is an innovative new approach working hand-in-hand with cocoa cooperatives in Cote d’Ivoire, through which farmers themselves will be empowered both financially and with expert support. It will see Fairtrade cooperatives investing certification premiums enabling Fairtrade farmers to dramatically increase their yields and incomes helping to enhance local livelihoods. An initial project with one of the cooperative groups supplying the cocoa for MARS® Bars will begin in 2015 and Mars and Fairtrade International have made a joint pledge to extend the programme to more West African cocoa cooperatives covering Mars’ existing Fairtrade cocoa volumes over the coming years.

MARS® Bars made from Fairtrade certified cocoa will appear in stores from October 2015 in the UK and Ireland.

Speaking about the commitment, Blas Maquivar, President, Mars Chocolate UK, said:

“I’m really proud that our iconic MARS® Bar brand is at the forefront of Fairtrade’s new Cocoa Sourcing Programme. It’s a crucial next step in our global commitment to certify that 100 percent of our cocoa has been produced in a sustainable manner by 2020 and it means that all three of our top UK chocolate brands now source certified cocoa, supporting farmers to improve productivity and yields and ultimately leading to improved income and better quality of life for farmers, their families and their communities.

“This partnership brings us one step closer to sustainable, ethically sourced cocoa becoming the norm in the chocolate industry.”

Mike Gidney, Chief Executive of The Fairtrade Foundation, said:

“What a great kick off for Fairtrade Fortnight 2015! We’re entering a new era in Fairtrade’s work with cocoa farmers in West Africa, increasingly connecting forward-looking businesses like Mars more directly to entrepreneurial cocoa cooperatives who themselves want to be at the forefront of product quality, productivity and rural community improvement. Cocoa farmers constantly tell us they’re anxious to sell more of their crops on Fairtrade terms, and we know how it can start to change their lives when they receive fairer rewards for their efforts. That’s why we launched the Fairtrade Cocoa Sourcing Programme, and to have Mars leading the way is fantastic news, both here in the UK and on the ground with cocoa cooperatives in Cote d’Ivoire.”

About Mars, Incorporated

In 1911, Frank C. Mars made the first Mars candies in his Tacoma, Washington kitchen and established Mars’ first roots as a confectionery company. In the 1920s, Forrest E. Mars, Sr. joined his father in business and together they launched the MILKY WAY® bar. In 1932, Forrest, Sr. moved to the United Kingdom with a dream of building a business based on the objective of creating a “mutuality of benefits for all stakeholders” – this objective serves as the foundation of Mars, Incorporated today. Based in McLean, Virginia, Mars has net sales of more than $33 billion, six business segments including Petcare, Chocolate, Wrigley, Food, Drinks, Symbioscience, and more than 75,000 Associates worldwide that are putting its Principles into action to make a difference for people and the planet through its performance.

Mars brands include: Petcare – PEDIGREE®, ROYAL CANIN®, WHISKAS®, KITEKAT®, BANFIELD® Pet Hospital and NUTRO®; Chocolate – M&M’S®, SNICKERS®, DOVE®, GALAXY®, MARS®, MILKY WAY® and TWIX®; Wrigley – DOUBLEMINT®, EXTRA®, ORBIT® and 5™ chewing gums, SKITTLES® and STARBURST® candies, and ALTOIDS® AND LIFESAVERS® mints. Food – UNCLE BEN’S®, DOLMIO®, EBLY®, MASTERFOODS®, SEEDS OF CHANGE® and ROYCO®; Drinks – ALTERRA COFFEE ROASTERS™, THE BRIGHT TEA COMPANY™, KLIX® and FLAVIA®; Symbioscience – COCOAVIA™ and WISDOM PANEL™.

For more information, please visit www.mars.com. Follow us: facebook.com/mars, twitter.com/marsglobal, youtube.com/mars, linkedin.com/company/mars

About The Fairtrade Foundation

The Fairtrade Foundation is an independent certification body which licenses the use of the FAIRTRADE Mark in the UK on products which meet international Fairtrade standards. This independent consumer label appears on products to show that disadvantaged producers are getting a better deal from trade. Today, more than 1.5 million people – farmers and workers – across more than 74 developing countries benefit from the international Fairtrade system.

Fairtrade International developed Fairtrade Sourcing Programmes (FSP) for cocoa, sugar and cotton last year as a new and innovative model to drive greater impact and sales for small-scale farmers by encouraging businesses to scale up their purchases of a specific commodity. The Fairtrade Foundation board agreed to introduce FSP cocoa and sugar in 2015 and Mars are the first UK company to take up the Fairtrade Cocoa Sourcing Programme option for the UK market.

For more on the Fairtrade Sourcing Programmes, please visit http://www.fairtrade.net/fairtrade-sourcing-programs.html

For more on Fairtrade Fortnight (23 February – 8 March), please visit www.fairtrade.org.uk