On February 11th, Chicago Fair Trade held its 2013 members kickoff meeting and fostered meaningful dialogue surrounding the progress being made with sustainability initiatives in the United States and abroad. Chicago Fair Trade supports events throughout the year to bring individuals together to learn about where products come from and how they can support the development of a more sustainable economy, especially
Cocoa producing regions throughout Côte d’Ivoire are battling declining yields and increased tree mortality, but affordable fertilizer production and distribution is one of the most effective tools to help reverse this trend. And we’re excited to announce that the first shipment of a new fertilizer blend recently arrived in the famous cocoa belt of Soubre, a region where local farmers have been struggling to
As part of a series highlighting popular post-MBA jobs, I had the privilege to share some of the great work Mars Chocolate is doing with a piece focusing on a day in my life as Cocoa Sustainability Manager. The article in Bloomberg Businessweek is a great way for people to get a closer look at what goes into producing and nurturing sustainable cocoa practices.
This week Mars Chocolate is finding yet another reason to celebrate during its 75th anniversary. Mars has officially introduced its MALTESERS® made with Fairtrade certified cocoa to the UK market, as part of its ongoing pledge to achieve 100% cocoa sustainability by 2020. MALTESERS® are the first Mars products with Fairtrade certification to hit the shelves.
Mars is proud of the partnership it has
Côte d’Ivoire’s Minister of Agriculture, M. Mamadou Sangafowa, along with a delegation of nearly 200 government officials traveled to a Mars-sponsored Cocoa Development Center in Soubré last month for a four-day field visit. While he was there, Minister Sangafowa commended V4C’s efforts to help cocoa farmers create sustainable businesses.
Earning Minister Sangafowa’s support represents a tremendous achievement for V4C. It clears the way for
We’re happy to announce that Mars Chocolate and The Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH) recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding, marking a strategic collaboration between two major frontrunners in the push for meaningful transformation of the cocoa sector.
Mars, along with industry leaders such as Kraft, Nestle, ADM and other partners in the IDH cocoa program are important players and have set ambitious goals for
Cocoa Swollen Shoot Virus (CSSV) has wreaked havoc on cocoa crops throughout much of West Africa and continues to inflict serious economic and human hardship in cocoa-growing countries. As part of our research and collaborative efforts to better manage and combat this disease, Mars Chocolate and ICRAF recently held a regional workshop on CSSV in Accra, Ghana.
The weeklong workshop brought together more than
Ecuador has a unique, rich 400-year history of cocoa farming, and great strides are currently underway to enhance production and combat diseases in this country that together with Peru, features the most diverse cocoa genetic diversity in the world.
Mars Chocolate, in partnership with the INIAP – the national research institute of Ecuador – is investing in an innovative cocoa breeding program that will
It is a thick, hot winter in Côte d’Ivoire, and the gritty Harmattan winds have settled a Saharan haze over Abidjan. The exceptionally dry weather has started to harm the cocoa trees, and many are already predicting a smaller harvest later this year.
We have come from a week in Soubré, 5 hours drive or so (depending on the number of potholes you hit)
On Sunday, February 26th, I participated in a panel on sustainable sourcing at Harvard Business School’s (HBS) Social Enterprise 2012 conference. Moderated by HBS professor Christopher Marquis, other participants in the discussion included Justin Bakule of Foundation Strategy Group, Pacita Juan of EchoStore, and Chuck Rubin of CommonSoles.
This was a chance to talk about both the business
