Mars, Incorporated has announced partnerships with several agribusinesses to promote regenerative agriculture practices in its European petfood supply chain. The company aims to transition nearly 21,000 hectares of wheat and maize crops in Poland, Hungary, and the UK to regenerative practices by 2028. This is part of Mars’ broader commitment to adopt regenerative agriculture on one million acres globally by 2030.
The partnerships include collaborations with Cargill, ADM, Biospheres, Horta, Agreena, and Soil Capital, which will provide farmers with financial incentives and guidance on practices like crop rotation, minimal tillage, and cover cropping. The goal is to improve soil health, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and increase biodiversity, while helping farmers implement more sustainable methods.
With Cargill, they plan to support farmers in Poland through the RegenConnect® program, offering payments for carbon sequestration and agronomic guidance on crop rotation, cover crops, and machinery use, covering 4,600 hectares from 2024 to 2026. In Hungary, the collaboration with Horta aims to help farmers optimize irrigation, fertilizer use, and reduce tilling, impacting 3,600 hectares of wheat and maize. The partnership with Soil Capital in the UK focuses on improving soil health, carbon sequestration, and erosion control for wheat farmers across 3,200 hectares from 2024 to 2028. Biospheres and Agreena are working with Mars in Hungary on a three-year program to enhance soil health and provide economic incentives for adopting regenerative practices on 5,500 hectares of wheat. Mars team up with ADM in Poland on a five-year initiative is to improve soil health and reduce erosion across 4,000 hectares of wheat crops.
Mars is tracking the impact of the program through measurement systems focused on soil health and carbon sequestration. The initiative is also part of Mars’ efforts to reduce its carbon footprint, which is largely driven by agricultural ingredients in its supply chain. The company recently reported an 8% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions as part of its sustainability goals.