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Mars, Incorporated and ofi (Olam Food Ingredients) have launched a five-year strategic collaboration running from 2025 to 2029. The partnership is designed to advance climate-smart and regenerative agriculture practices within the companies' shared cocoa supply chain in Ecuador.
The collaboration builds on more than 15 years of joint sustainable cocoa sourcing globally and a decade of specific cooperation within the Ecuadorian market, aligning the resources of two major global ingredients and confectionery players.
Agroforestry Transition and Scale
The initial phase of the project targets more than 960 farmers across major Ecuadorian cocoa-growing regions, including El Oro, Esmeraldas, Guayas, Los Ríos, Manabí, and Santo Domingo. In total, the initiative covers more than 9,000 hectares of farmland.
The core operational shift involves transitioning farmers from full-sun monoculture to multistrata agroforestry. By mimicking natural forest ecosystems, these diversified systems are designed to boost overall cocoa production, support local microorganisms and pollinators, and create natural, biological barriers against pests and disease.
Technical Interventions and Soil Health
In addition to structural agroforestry changes, participating farmers will receive the tools and training necessary to implement specific climate-smart interventions at the farm level. These include:
Low Carbon Fertilisers 🌱 Reducing the reliance on traditional synthetic inputs that contribute heavily to the agricultural supply chain emissions.
Biochar Applications 🪵 Utilising biochar to enhance soil health, improve water retention, and increase long-term carbon sequestration (CO2 removals).
Crop Residue Management 🍂 Improving organic matter recycling to build more resilient, nutrient-dense soil profiles.
These interventions collectively aim to enhance long-term farming resilience and boost cocoa crop yields. By making these practices more accessible and offsetting the costs of new inputs, the partnership opens up new income opportunities for producers. The companies estimate that approximately 4,800 people in the surrounding cocoa-growing communities will benefit from these on-farm investments.
Shared Net Zero Ambitions and SBTi Alignment
The collaboration is underpinned by the shared climate ambitions of both organisations. Both Mars and ofi maintain Net Zero 2050 commitments that have been validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).
Benjamin Guilbert, Global Vice President of Cocoa at Mars, stated that the effort demonstrates how shared common goals can drive meaningful impact at scale, supporting a more modern, inclusive, and sustainable cocoa ecosystem.
Andrew Brooks, Head of Cocoa Sustainability at ofi, noted that scaling up practices like biochar and agroforestry aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions while simultaneously securing the future supply of cocoa. Pedro Amaral, Associate Director and Head of Cocoa Climate Sustainability at Mars, added that having SBTi-validated ambitions enables a bold framework for the companies to co-invest in long-term solutions that benefit the farmers, the environment, and the future viability of the supply chain.
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