Mars Pledges $27 Million to Help Dairy Farmers Reduce On-Farm Emissions

CHICAGO — Mars, Incorporated announced a new program through its partnership with dairy supplier Fonterra. Backed by a $27 million five-year investment, the Farmer Forward Program aims to empower dairy farmers to embrace climate-smart agriculture practices as Mars strives to slash greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 50% by 2030 against a 2015 baseline.

Approximately half of the investment will be allocated to providing funding for on-farm tools and technology to around 2,000 Fonterra dairy farmers. The remaining funds will go into the pockets of about 165 farmers each year who make the most progress against sustainability goals in amounts of up to $15,000, on average, per farmer annually, said Mars.

The Farmer Forward Program stretches across 26,000 hectares of farmland — equivalent to approximately 50,000 NFL football fields. To put that into perspective, the dairy production involved in this new program could theoretically produce enough milk to make a whopping 20 billion Snickers bars every year, said Mars. Through the program with Fonterra, Mars aims to cut a projected 150,000 metric tons of its scope 3 emissions from dairy by 2030 against a 2015 baseline.

This program is a cornerstone of the Moo'ving Dairy Forward initiative, a multimillion-dollar platform launched last year to drive investment in new technologies and partnerships to slash GHG emissions across the Mars global dairy supply chain. Dairy is the company's fourth-largest carbon footprint contributor — that means Mars can only achieve its sustainability goals with the help and partnership of dairy farmers, the company said.

"Dairy farmers are on the front line of advancing climate-smart agriculture, which is why we're putting them first through the launch of our Farmer Forward program," said Amanda Davies, chief R&D, procurement and sustainability officer, Mars Snacking. "Through this initiative, we're investing roughly $27 million in Fonterra farming families over the next five years to deliver critical financial support and significant emissions reductions. It's a true win-win, because we know making dairy more sustainable takes real effort and real investment." 

Funding from Mars will incentivize farmers to not only accelerate emissions reductions but also empower them to build resilient businesses for the future, said the company.

"Fonterra and Mars have been working together for decades, with sustainability really taking a front seat in recent years,” said Charlotte Rutherford, director of sustainability, Fonterra. “Fonterra has clear ambitions when it comes to climate, and it's through partnerships like this with Mars that we can support our farmer owners with achieving our targets. We are grateful for Mars and its shared commitment to protecting the environment. It's a true testament to the power of partnership and innovation." 

More than 200,000 cows supply dairy for Mars' confectionery brands. Yet, raw ingredients account for 65% of the total GHG emissions from Mars' snacking portfolio. Reducing these dairy-related emissions plays a significant part in meeting the greater sustainability ambitions outlined in the Mars Net Zero Roadmap to achieve net zero GHG emissions across the company's full value chain by 2050, said the company. Since 2015, Mars has decreased its GHG emission by 16% worldwide while increasing its global annual sales by 60% over the same timeframe. Learn more about the company's approach to sustainable dairy farming.