Mars contains only sustainable cocoa starting 2012

Starting 2012, the most well-known chocolate bar in the Netherlands, MARS, will be produced in our country with certified sustainable cocoa only.

That makes the Netherlands the first country in Europe where the MARS bar is offered with certified sustainable cocoa. Sustainable cocoa means that it is produced with the right agricultural techniques, under safe labour conditions, respecting the environment and with a better price for the cocoa farmer for a better product. The MARS bar will get the UTZ CERTIFIED quality mark. In 2009, Mars Inc. committed to worldwide having all of its cocoa volume certified sustainable by 2020. This collaboration with UTZ CERTIFIED is an important milestone towards that goal. Consumers can continue to enjoy the trusted taste and moreover know_ that the cocoa will have been produced sustainably.

To indicate that all MARS-chocolate bars in the Netherlands will be produced with 100 per cent sustainable cocoa only in future, the packaging soon will bear the UTZ CERTIFIED logo. The first bars of fully certified sustainable cocoa are expected to be in the shops from February 2012 onwards.

Timo Hoogeboom, general manager Mars Nederland:

‘As one of the biggest cocoa consumers in the world, we see it as our responsibility to use certified sustainable cocoa. We are happy and proud to be able to offer every MARS bar in the Netherlands with sustainable cocoa in 2012 and see this as an important milestone in our ambition to make all our bars certified sustainable by 2020.’

Quality mark improves the position of the cocoa farmers

UTZ CERTIFIED is a global quality mark for sustainable coffee, tea and cocoa. The quality mark stands for an improved position of cocoa farmers, operating on the world market and meeting strict social and ecological criteria. The farmers are trained on fertilising, planting and pruning techniques and get help managing their businesses. Independent third parties audit the farmers to verify that they match the criteria for the UTZ CERTIFIED mark. This increases the quality of their product and they can produce more at lower costs.

Han de Groot, general manager UTZ CERTIFIED:

‘On behalf of UTZ CERTIFIED we applaud that the MARS bar in the Netherlands gets the UTZ CERTIFIED mark. As Mars, Inc. buys large volumes of cocoa, we can quickly improve the standard of living for as many farmers as possible. Because of this collaboration, more consumers will get to see what UTZ CERTIFIED stands for and we make them aware of the situation in which cocoa farmers have to live and work. Dutch consumers will be able to rely on the cocoa beans in their MARS having been cultivated and harvested in a socially and environmentally responsible way.’