Mars Inc. says its suppliers sourced an annual volume of deforestation- and conversion-free cocoa under the company’s Responsibly Sourced Cocoa Program equivalent to 98% of its total cocoa volume in 2025.
The milestone was included in Mars’ Cocoa for Generations 2025 Progress Report, released Sept. 17, detailing the company’s efforts to create what it describes as a more modern, inclusive and sustainable cocoa ecosystem.
The report is part of Mars’ 10-year, $1 billion Cocoa for Generations commitment, which runs from 2018 through 2028 and is aimed at strengthening cocoa-growing communities and protecting the environment.
“2025 was a landmark year for Cocoa for Generations, signifying a turning point in our efforts to help address the industry’s most deep-rooted, interconnected challenges,” said Benjamin Guilbert, Global Senior Vice President, Cocoa Enterprise at Mars. “These challenges require collaboration and collective efforts among the stakeholders in the cocoa sector; the development and implementation of integrated, scalable and sustainable solutions; and transparency from companies on progress made.”
Among the initiatives highlighted in the report, Mars released improved cocoa planting materials in Brazil and Indonesia. The company released two new clones, ISC1 and SCC11, in collaboration with the Indonesia National Research and Innovation Agency and registered 37 high-productivity, disease-resistant cocoa clones with Brazil’s Ministry of Agriculture.
Mars also reported developing and deploying artificial intelligence tools across the cocoa supply chain. Cocoascan is designed to help farmers in Latin America detect potential visual indicators of Witches’ Broom, Frosty Pod and Black Pod diseases. Another mobile application, Cocoa Fresh AI, is intended to modernize wet and dry cocoa bean supply chains.
The company also launched its first climate-smart agriculture program with suppliers in Latin America, involving 430 farmers across 3,541 hectares. According to Mars, participating farmers applied climate-smart agricultural practices aimed at improving soil health and cocoa crop yields while supporting the company’s land-use and emissions-reduction objectives.
Mars said its Women for Change Program, conducted with CARE from 2016 through 2025, reached 106,239 Village Savings and Loan Association members, 77% of whom are women. Participants generated $26.56 million in savings and $17.68 million in loans, according to the report.
Mars is also continuing its Journey to Thrive program, established in late 2024. The initiative combines agricultural and community-level programs, including conditional cash incentives, subsidized professional farm labor and Village Savings and Loan Associations, to support cocoa-growing communities in Côte d’Ivoire.
The company said Journey to Thrive had reached more than 9,334 cocoa farmer households by the end of 2025.
As Mars moves into the next phase of its Cocoa for Generations strategy, the company said it will focus on professionalizing farms by improving productivity, farming practices and management capabilities while helping farmers build more reliable income streams.
Mars also plans to diversify where it sources cocoa while investing in climate-smart and regenerative agricultural practices intended to improve soil health, protect biodiversity and make farms more adaptable over time.
The company said it plans to continue using science and technology in those areas to improve yields and incomes and build a more resilient and sustainable cocoa supply chain.
