Mars Announces Partnerships Supporting Regenerative Agriculture Transition Across its European Pet Food Supply Chain

• Mars, Incorporated, is focused on scaling climate-smart agriculture in its value chain which will help to deliver more than one million acres of regenerative agriculture practices by 2030 across the globe. 
• Multiple partnerships across Europe will help transition 20,900 hectares (almost twice the size of Paris) of wheat and maize crops to regenerative agriculture practices by 2028. 
• In Europe, Mars Petcare is working with agribusiness companies and solutions providers, including Cargill, Agreena, ADM, Biospheres, Horta and Soil Capital.

LONDON, Dec. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Mars, Incorporated, a global leader in pet care products and services, confectionery, snacking and food and the maker of some of the world's most-loved brands, has announced major collaborations to scale regenerative agriculture practices across its pet nutrition business in Europe.

Multiyear collaborations have begun with suppliers including Cargill and ADM, and technical experts Biospheres, Horta, Agreena and Soil Capital in Europe. Through these partnerships, farmers in Poland, Hungary, and the UK will receive financial incentives and expert advisory services to support adoption of regenerative agriculture practices, including crop rotation, minimal tillage, and cover crops. The programmes will support farmers to invest in new methods, and offer training, to build knowledge and confidence while reducing barriers to adopting regenerative agriculture practices.

The implementation of regenerative practices aims to deliver benefits such as increased yields, lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through reduction and carbon sequestration, improved water quality, enhanced soil health and improved biodiversity. Adoption of regenerative agriculture across the Mars supply chain contributes to scope 3 carbon reductions as part of the Mars Net Zero Roadmap.

"At Mars, we know businesses like ours play a key role in securing a sustainable future for pet food. Healthy soil is the backbone of a resilient food system. Through these partnerships, we're extremely proud to be playing our part in driving regenerative agriculture practices across Europe, restoring soil health, cutting carbon and building a stronger and more sustainable supply chain for farmers and future generations of pets and pet parents" said Deri Watkins, Regional President, Mars Pet Nutrition Europe.

Mars will track the impact of the various projects through robust measurement, reporting, and verification systems to ensure transparency, focusing on enhancing soil health and reducing GHG emissions.  Through multi-year collaborations, Mars will work with partners to implement regenerative agriculture in the UK, Hungary, and Poland — promoting ecosystem resilience, supporting local economies, and securing a sustainable pet food supply for the future.

Our Partners:

•  Cargill: Through this partnership with Cargill RegenConnect®, farmers across Poland will receive payments for carbon sequestered after adopting regenerative practices, like cover cropping and reduced tillage. The program aims to improve soil health on more than 4,600 hectares in Poland from 2024 to 2026. Through the RegenConnect® program farmers can access on-the-spot agronomic support on crop rotation patterns, cover crop selection and usage of appropriate machinery.

•  Horta: This partnership with Horta aims to provide support to farmers by helping them make informed decisions about irrigation and the appropriate amount of fertilizer to use. Additionally, farmers are encouraged to implement cover crops and reduce or eliminate tilling as part of the program's incentives. This partnership will support regenerative agriculture practices across more than 3,600 hectares of wheat and maize crops in Hungary.

•  Soil Capital: This partnership with Soil Capital aims to support and finance the regenerative agriculture transition for wheat farmers across the UK. The programme aims to improve soil health, soil carbon sequestration, and reduced erosion across more than 3,200 hectares between 2024 and 2028.

•  Biospheres and Agreena: This 3-year partnership with Biospheres and Agreena is intended to support the expansion of regenerative agriculture in Hungary through a grower-centric programme. The partnership aims to deliver an improvement in soil health, soil carbon sequestration, and reduced erosion while also providing an economic incentive for farmers to adopt regenerative practices. The partnership will cover up to 5,500 hectares of wheat crops in Hungary between 2024 and 2026.

•  ADM: This partnership with ADM is a 5-year (2023-2028) regenerative agriculture program in Poland, focusing on soil health improvement, carbon sequestration, and erosion reduction. Through this partnership, farmers across Poland will receive financial incentives for implementing regenerative agriculture practices. It will support the transition of 4,000 hectares of wheat crops in Poland over 5 years to 2028.

We are excited to be on this long-term regenerative agriculture journey with our partners, working together to expand the hectares of farmland across Europe that embrace regenerative agriculture practices. This effort contributes to Mars' work to scale climate-smart agriculture in its value chain, which will help to deliver more than one million acres of regenerative agriculture practices across the globe by 2030. Recently, Mars, Incorporated released the  2023 Mars Sustainable in a Generation Report, announcing record 8% GHG emissions reduction, which doubled Mars' total GHG reduction across our full value chain and delivered our single largest GHG reduction against a 2015 baseline. With almost 60% of the company's value chain GHG footprint coming from agricultural ingredients, Mars is scaling up climate-smart agriculture initiatives to drive continued decarbonisation.

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About Mars, Incorporated

Mars, Incorporated is driven by the belief that the world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today. As a $50bn+ family-owned business, our diverse and expanding portfolio of leading pet care products and veterinary services support pets all around the world and our quality snacking and food products delight millions of people every day. We produce some of the world's best-loved brands including ROYAL CANIN®, PEDIGREE®, WHISKAS®, CESAR®, DOVE®, EXTRA®, M&M's®, SNICKERS® and BEN'S ORIGINAL™. Our international networks of pet hospitals, including BANFIELD™, BLUEPEARL™, VCA™ and ANICURA™ span preventive, general, specialty, and emergency veterinary care, and our global veterinary diagnostics business ANTECH® offers breakthrough capabilities in pet diagnostics. The Mars Five Principles — Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and Freedom — inspire our 150,000 Associates to act every day to help create a better world for people, pets and the planet. 

For more information about Mars, please visit www.mars.com. Join us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube. 

About ADM

ADM unlocks the power of nature to enrich the quality of life. We're an essential global agricultural supply chain manager and processor, providing food security by connecting local needs with global capabilities. We're a premier human and animal nutrition provider, offering one of the industry's broadest portfolios of ingredients and solutions from nature. We're a trailblazer in health and well-being, with an industry-leading range of products for consumers looking for new ways to live healthier lives. We're a cutting-edge innovator, guiding the way to a future of new consumer and industrial solutions. And we're a leader in sustainability, scaling across entire value chains to help decarbonize the multiple industries we serve. Around the globe, our innovation and expertise are meeting critical needs while nourishing quality of life and supporting a healthier planet. Learn more at www.adm.com.

About Biospheres Group

Biospheres is a French company and an international leader in the development and large-scale deployment of ecosystem regeneration practices. It uses a method that simplifies and secures the agro-ecological transition, with both strategic support for its key account partners (territories, agri-food, cosmetics, consumer goods) and operational work on the ground with farmers in various sectors (fruit and vegetables, grapes, cereals, arboriculture, etc.). Since 2013, Biospheres has developed projects in 18 countries and has teams on the ground in France, Spain and Eastern Europe. Biospheresgroup.com

About Horta

At Horta, we assist farmers and companies in rejuvenating soil health and achieving sustainable agricultural production. Specializing in regenerative agriculture, digital farming, and emission reduction, we support the agri-food supply chain in transforming these goals into measurable outcomes. Our projects focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and optimizing production processes. With our expertise and advanced Decision Support Systems (DSS), businesses can implement regenerative practices, reduce their carbon footprint, and enhance production quality and efficiency. Managing over 130,000 plots across Italy and internationally, Horta is a trusted partner for adopting sustainable and efficient practices aligned with global development goals.

About Soil Capital

Soil Capital is a certified B Corp with a mission to support farmers in their transition to regenerative and sustainable agriculture. Operating in France, Belgium, and the UK, the business has developed an innovative programme that connects companies seeking to enhance the resilience of their supply chains with farmers who are compensated for their vital contributions to soil health, climate change mitigation, and food security preservation.

About Cargill

Cargill is committed to providing food, ingredients, agricultural solutions, and industrial products to nourish the world in a safe, responsible, and sustainable way. Sitting at the heart of the supply chain, we partner with farmers and customers to source, make and deliver products that are vital for living. Our 160,000 team members innovate with purpose, providing customers with life's essentials so businesses can grow, communities prosper, and consumers live well. With 159 years of experience as a family company, we look ahead while remaining true to our values. We put people first. We reach higher. We do the right thing—today and for generations to come. For more information, visit Cargill.com and our News Center.

About Agreena

Agreena is a Danish climate solutions pioneer, supporting farmers' transition to regenerative agriculture. Bridging the worlds of finance, technology, and agriculture, Agreena is developing a range of financial solutions for those delivering a more sustainable food and farming system. Agreena is working with thousands of farmers across 4.5 million hectares of arable farmland in 20 European markets – giving them access to carbon finance to accelerate the global shift to regenerative agriculture. AgreenaCarbon is Europe's leading soil carbon programme. Through a network of farmers, businesses and experts, Agreena shares knowledge and resources to secure the future of agriculture. Its advanced digital Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (dMRV) capabilities measure tangible impact from the ground up, supporting farmers, companies, and governments on the road to net zero. Visit: www.agreena.com