Mondelēz focuses investment on backing environmental sustainability ventures

Global confectionery group Mondelēz International, has confirmed a wave of impact-first investments from its Sustainable Futures Impact Investment platform, aiming to further advance scalable solutions addressing major issues of climate change, community impact and wider recycling policies, writes Neill Barston.

As the company noted, its latest focus reflects the priorities for its Snacking Made Right initiatives, and Vision 2030 strategy that has placed environmental responsibilities high on its agenda.

The company enjoyed a strong performance at this year’s Sweets & Snacks Expo in Indianapolis, US this month, where a wide range of its latest developments were on show, including releases for its core portfolio such as Oreo, Swedish Fish and Sour Patch Kids product ranges, among many others. See our exclusive video review of the event, featuring an interview with Mondelez below).

According to the business, it has continued with a three-pronged investment approach: direct investments, fund investments, and technical assistance, all designed to help scale promising solutions that we believe can generate measurable impact.

Additions to its Sustainable Futures portfolio include: eAgronom, an ag-tech company supporting the transition to regenerative agriculture by helping farmers improve soil health, reduce carbon emissions and enhance financial resilience through sustainable practices. With over 1 million hectares already under more sustainable farming practice through its support, eAgronom’s platform provides a broad set of capabilities covering on-the-ground assistance, technology and financial access, while helping to strengthen farmers’ ability to adapt to climate-related challenges.

Another enterprise it has backed is ZIRO, a fintech startup aiming to provide small merchants with affordable inventory financing, helping them to increase sales, better maintain consistent stock levels, and build financial stability. With a projected reach of approximately 100,000 small merchants over the next three years, Ziro is working to help level the playing field by helping small businesses have the financial tools they require to grow more sustainably.

In addition, Pack2Earth, an advanced materials company supporting the company in its ambition to replace approximately 60,000 metric tons of plastic packaging with its home compostable material by 2028. Pack2Earth’s bio-based materials aim to offer more sustainable alternatives to single-used plastics, including flexible plastics.

Company investment 
Notably, the company is part of an established coalition of global corporations and development finance institutions that supported the launch of Circulate Capital’s Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) Ocean Fund in May 2023, underscoring a shared goal to back local innovators tackling plastic waste across Latin America through scalable, impactful solutions.

In 2024, Mondelēz International’s investment in Circulate Capital Ocean Fund helped contribute to circulating or avoiding over 7,600 tonnes of plastic, reducing more than 10,700 tonnes of GHG emissions, and creating over 34,900 tonnes in recycling infrastructure capacity across South East Asia and India.
Technical Assistance

MDLZ also provides capacity-building support to early-stage ventures with Sustainable Futures investments aiming to validate their novel technologies through larger-scale pilots and rigorous scientific approaches. With SAM-DIMENSION GmbH the company built out a multi-year pilot that demonstrated the value of the innovative technology in a real large-scale situation and follows clear protocols and methods that help to quantify the positive impact.

“Sustainability is embedded as the fourth strategic pillar of Mondelēz International’s growth strategy,” said Christine Montenegro McGrath, Chief Impact & Sustainability Officer. “These Sustainable Futures investments are part of our company’s investments in new, scalable solutions that we believe can help address key challenges and in turn help create long-term business resilience while contributing to a thriving future for people and planet.”