Dutch Mars Brand to Switch to UTZ Certified Sustainable Cocoa

Mars, Inc. set new targets in 2009 to have its total volume of cocoa worldwide certified sustainable by 2020. This partnership with UTZ CERTIFIED is a major milestone towards that goal.

Oct 19 2011 --- The Netherlands will be the first country in Europe where the MARS bar appears on the market made from sustainable cocoa, where it will carry the UTZ CERTIFIED logo. This sustainable cocoa is produced with proper farming techniques, sound working conditions, respect for the environment and provides the cocoa farmer with a better price for a better product. Mars, Inc. set new targets in 2009 to have its total volume of cocoa worldwide certified sustainable by 2020. This partnership with UTZ CERTIFIED is a major milestone towards that goal.

To indicate that all MARS chocolate bars in the Netherlands will only be made with 100 percent certified sustainable cocoa, the UTZ CERTIFIED logo will soon be imprinted on the package. The expectation is that bars made from the first fully certified sustainable cocoa will be in stores from from February 2012.

Timo Hoogeboom, director Mars Netherlands: "As one of the biggest cocoa consumers in the world we see it as our responsibility to use certified sustainable cocoa. We are pleased and proud that in 2012 each MARS bar in the Netherlands can offer sustainable cocoa and see this as an important milestone in our journey to 2020 to have all bars around the world made with 100 percent certified sustainable cocoa."

UTZ CERTIFIED is a worldwide certification for sustainable coffee, tea and cocoa. The logo stands for an improved position of cocoa farmers and entrepreneurs in the world and meet strict criteria in terms of entrepreneurship, social and environmental conditions. The farmers receive training on fertilizing, planting and pruning techniques, and are strengthened in their operations. The farmers are audited by independent parties to ensure that they correctly apply the criteria. This increases the quality of their product and they can produce more at a lower cost.

Han de Groot, CEO UTZ CERTIFIED: "We are delighted that the Mars bar in the Netherlands is UTZ CERTIFIED. Because Mars, Inc. purchases large volumes of cocoa, this step means that we have more farmers with whom we can make a difference and improve their living standards. Dutch consumers can be confident that soon the cocoa beans for their MARS product will be grown and harvested in a socially and environmentally responsible manner. We look forward to the continuation of a successful, more intensive, collaboration with Mars. "

From July, starting in Germany, Mars began offering its popular chocolate coated wholemeal biscuit Balisto with the UTZ Certified stamp. Mars has committed to purchasing both 100,000 tons of UTZ Certified and Rainforest Alliance certified cocoa annually by 2020, in its sustainability push.