Fairtrade Mars Bars on sale

After making Maltesers Fairtrade in 2012, Mars Chocolate UK has extended its commitment to sustainable sourcing by commiting to Fairtrade’s new Cocoa Sourcing Program and introducing Fairtrade certified Mars Bars.

The Fairtrade Cocoa Program aims to deliver more opportunities for cocoa farmers to sell on Fairtrade terms and connect them with businesses that actively support efforts to improve farmer livelihoods.

As part of this initiative, Mars and Fairtrade are taking an innovative new approach to boost sustainable cocoa production and enhance the livelihoods of cocoa farmers, their families and cocoa growing communities. Alongside paying Fairtrade Premiums to farmers’ organisations, Mars is working in partnership with Fairtrade cocoa co-operatives on the ground in Ivory Coast who are building their own farmer-led projects to improve cocoa yields for the long-term, through measures such as training farmers  in the effective use of fertilisers and planting techniques and providing access to improved high yielding and disease resistant crops.

Blas Maquivar, president, Mars Chocolate UK, comments: “This is an important milestone in the Mars Bar’s 83 year history. We’re proud to make one of the nation’s favourite chocolate brands and we’re now even prouder that the Fairtrade certified cocoa we source for it is helping farmers to make their crops, and ultimately their livelihoods, even more sustainable.

“At Mars, ‘mutuality’ is one of our guiding principles and this is a true example of sharing mutual benefits with partners throughout our supply chain,” he adds.

“The winning ingredient in this partnership between Fairtrade and Mars is that it puts farmers’ own organisations in control of improving their own livelihoods and cocoa production, and ensures much-needed investment to achieve mutual goals. We’re delighted that Mars, one our most iconic chocolate bars, is the first to join Fairtrade’s Cocoa Program in the UK, and that this will benefit some of the most vulnerable small-scale farming communities in Ivory Coast.”