Mars Distributed Five Million Trees in West Africa
The company expanded its climate-smart agriculture initiatives across international cocoa-producing regions in 2025.
Updated on Sept. 25, 2026 in Environmental
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In 2025, Mars distributed five million trees across Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana to support sustainable cocoa cultivation. This effort is part of a broader strategy to enhance farm resilience against climate change.
Why it matters
These initiatives seek to mitigate environmental risks by improving soil health and increasing crop yields on cocoa farms. The programs support long-term land-use and emission reduction objectives as the company works toward its climate goals.
Mars reduced its total cocoa footprint by 1.5 million tonnes of CO2e since 2015. The tree distribution program promotes the integration of trees into cocoa cultivation to bolster environmental health.
The players
Mars
Mars is a multinational manufacturer of confectionery, pet food, and other food products with extensive global supply chains.
The details
The program provides farmers with methods for climate-smart agriculture, specifically focusing on soil management to protect crops. Mars also expanded these sustainable farming efforts into Ecuador, the Dominican Republic, and Peru to further address land-use impacts.
Timeline
2015 served as the baseline year for calculating the company's cocoa footprint reduction.
Mars distributed five million trees throughout West Africa in 2025.
The company aims to achieve its net-zero emissions ambition by 2050.
The Big Picture
These sustainability efforts represent a strategic push to align private sector supply chains with the Paris Agreement net-zero target. The shift highlights how major food manufacturers are transitioning from simple sourcing to active ecological management of their farming regions.
These initiatives could lead to more stable cocoa supplies, potentially tempering price volatility for cocoa-based products. Consumers may also see increased transparency regarding the environmental footprint of the goods they purchase.
The takeaway
Integration of native trees into existing agricultural plots remains a key strategy for stabilizing farm-level microclimates and improving soil retention. Long-term success for these programs depends on continued collaboration with local farmers to ensure sustained environmental benefits.
Further reading
Learn more about corporate climate efforts on the Environmental section.
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