Mars scales climate-smart agriculture across value chain through key partnerships

Mars is bolstering regenerative practices across North America by providing financial incentives to farmers through multiple agribusiness partnerships enacted by its pet food brands.

These programs aim to support wheat, corn and rice farmers in specific regions and reduce Scope 3 emissions, which is part of the global manufacturer’s net zero strategy.

Partners include ADM, The Andersons, Riceland Foods and the Soil and Water Outcomes Fund, led by Royal Canin USA and Mars Petcare US. The regions covered are Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Michigan and Ontario, Canada.

Securing supply with carbon reduction

The initiatives will enable farmers to adopt and implement regenerative agriculture practices such as cover crops, reduced tillage and longer crop rotations. Such steps can help increase yields and slash greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, elevating water quality and soil health and fostering regional biodiversity.

“At Mars, we recognize that an important part of achieving our climate goals is addressing the environmental footprint of our ingredients. Our commitment to regenerative agriculture is key to our broader sustainability strategy. These partnerships reflect our dedication to reducing our environmental impact, supporting farmer livelihoods and helping to ensure a resilient supply chain for the long term,” says Jon Peattie, senior vice president of Commercial, Mars Petcare US.

Mars plans to assess results through monitoring, reporting and verification systems.

“Royal Canin is committed to offering pet owners sustainable choices when feeding their pets, and that starts, in part, with how their food is grown,” says Racquel White, VP of Corporate Affairs at Royal Canin.

Mars’ partnership with ADM brings together stakeholders for outcome-based farming that prioritizes soil health and business development. The program aims to flag and account for environmentally friendly practices like reduced tillage for outcomes like reduced dependence on fertilizers.

Mars Petcare and The Andersons’ corn procurement program will help farmers enroll, offer technical support and report on key metrics. The partnership aims to cover 30,000 acres across Nebraska, Ohio, Michigan and Ontario in 2024.

Additionally, the Riceland Carbon Ready program, launched in 2022, supports the cooperative’s farmer members in executing and maintaining sustainable on-farm practices. As pressure mounts to meet global climate goals, the estimated annual coverage for this program is more than 10,000 acres.

The Soil and Water Outcomes Fund offers financial incentives directly to farmers who venture into or scale on-farm conservation practices that lead to positive environmental outcomes such as carbon sequestration or reduced emissions. These practices are voluntary and can include fertilizer management or extended crop rotations.

Mars reported an 8% reduction in GHG emissions in its 2023 Mars Sustainable in a Generation Report. According to the company, this doubles its total GHG reduction to 16% throughout the value chain.