Mars Joins Effort to Certify Sustainable Cocoa
The first pilot project will take place in early 2008 in Côte d’Ivoire, the world’s largest cocoa producing country, with additional pilot projects in 2009. Initially UTZ hopes to certify as many as 10,000 farmers.
15/02/08 Mars joins effort to certify sustainable cocoa. Furthering its longstanding efforts to improve the situation facing families in cocoa farming communities around the world, Mars has joined an independent program to create global certification standards for sustainably grown cocoa in West Africa.
The initiative, called UTZ CERTIFIED “Good Inside Cocoa Program,” is spearheaded by a not-for-profit, non-governmental organization called UTZ. Based in Amsterdam and founded in 1997, the group is known for recognizing responsible producers through its worldwide coffee certification program. Now, UTZ is drawing on its experience with coffee to expand into other commodities, including cocoa, which faces similar economic, social and environmental challenges.
Mars and seven other companies have committed to the UTZ CERTIFIED program, which is supported by Oxfam Novib, a Dutch organization striving to eliminating poverty and injustice. As a member of the Program Steering Committee, Mars will lend its knowledge of the cocoa industry to help develop a Code of Conduct with criteria and standards for cocoa farmers.
Peter van Grinsven, a manager for sustainable cocoa supply for Mars, discussed in an interview how Mars began its involvement. “UTZ invited cocoa industry players to work with them to make sure the code they write is functional and meaningful for farmers who apply it”.
Van Grinsven describes certification as a “win-win” situation for all parties involved. Not only do farmers benefit from better business practices, but the program also responds to rising consumer expectations about quality assurance and supply chain traceability.
The first pilot project will take place in early 2008 in Côte d’Ivoire, the world’s largest cocoa producing country, with additional pilot projects in 2009. Initially UTZ hopes to certify as many as 10,000 farmers, and the first “Good Inside” cocoa is expected to be available in the second half of 2009.
Mars participation in this initiative reinforces its commitment to cocoa sustainability and complements its $4.5 million investment in a separate long-term program called Impact (Mars Partnership for African Cocoa Communities of Tomorrow) announced in April 2007.
