Mars Cocoa Supply Chain

Purpose

Since 2019, we have been partnering with Mars, Incorporated, a large food and pet-care multinational company, on the sourcing of its cocoa from complex origins.
We have been identifying the root causes of well-known sustainability challenges in cocoa farming communities and generating a holistic view of supply chain challenges.
This has enabled us to address these challenges with innovative Economics of Mutuality business model solutions.
The purpose of the project has been to improve the livelihoods of cocoa farming families, with a particular focus on income and women’s empowerment, while securing a sustainable supply of cocoa.

Identifying stakeholders and mapping the ecosystem around meaningful challenges:

Leveraging insights from an in-depth ecosystem map of cocoa farming families in Cote d’Ivoire covering ~25 stakeholder groups based on 100+ interviews and 2 weeks of ethnographic research.
Undertaking a quantitative study using survey data of key drivers of farm productivity (e.g., membership of a co-op) to improve performance of existing sustainability initiatives.
Surfacing key pain points relating to the reliability/quality of cocoa supply and the livelihoods of farming communities.
Deploying an extensive baseline survey with ~2,500 respondents to determine the impact of the company’s Village Savings and Loans Programs (VSLA) on improving trust between farmers and the empowerment of women – both key drivers of productivity.

Designing strategic interventions to address key pain points:

The new insights led the company to focus resources on extending the VSLA and to launch a new initiative called the Livelihoods and Ecosystem Accelerator Program (LEAP), which addresses breakdowns between exporters, co-ops, and farmers.

Non-financial impact:

Currently 12,000 VSLA members, scaling to 50,000 by 2025.
Improved income and wellbeing for ~40,000 people in Cote d’Ivoire cocoa farming communities.
Improved trust between members and partners in 4 co-ops.

Financial impact:

Multi-year contracts set up with co-ops to deliver certified sustainable cocoa, which reduces costly uncertainty in supply and protects the company’s license to operate.