Mars, ofi invest in regen ag for cocoa farming

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Mars, ofi invest in regen ag for cocoa farming

17 Apr 2026

Annie Hollon

Annie Hollon is a journalist, copywriter and social media strategist from the Dallas, Texas area. She found a love for magazine writing during her time at the University of Alabama where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, double majoring in public relations and English. Beyond writing, you can find her expanding her library, attempting to teach herself the guitar and trying new hobbies.

MCLEAN, VA and LONDON — Mars Inc. is furthering its partnership with ofi, a food and beverage ingredients and solutions producer, to close in on its net zero goals.

Mars and ofi have been partnering for more than 15 years on sustainable cocoa sourcing, 10 of which have been spent in Ecuador. Through this new five-year strategic collaboration, the organizations will work to advance climate-smart and regenerative agricultural practices in Ecuador’s cocoa production, impacting both companies’ supply chains.

“Building on our long-standing collaboration in cocoa sourcing, this effort demonstrates our belief that when companies share common goals, they can deepen cooperation and drive more meaningful impact at scale,” said Benjamin Guilbert, global VP, cocoa at Mars. “We value ofi’s ongoing commitment to helping Mars realize our vision of a more modern, inclusive and sustainable cocoa ecosystem that can support farmers and the environment.”

Through this newly announced collaboration, the organizations are combining their 2050 Net Zero goals, which are validated by Science Based Target initiatives (SBTi).

“Building on our long-standing collaboration in cocoa sourcing, this effort demonstrates our belief that when companies share common goals, they can deepen cooperation and drive more meaningful impact at scale.” — Benjamin Guilbert | global VP, cocoa | Mars

“Together with Mars, we’re scaling up regenerative practices like agroforestry and biochar in Ecuador aimed at cutting greenhouse‑gas emissions and helping to secure the future supply of cocoa,” said Andrew Brooks, head of cocoa sustainability at ofi. “By making these practices more accessible to farmers, we hope to reduce barriers for implementation and costly inputs, while opening new income opportunities that can make a real difference to building more resilient livelihoods.”

In the first stage of this partnership, nearly a thousand farmers across major cocoa-growing regions throughout Ecuador are tasked with implementing regenerative agriculture practices on more than 22,000 acres of farmland by transitioning to multi-strata agroforestry. This system, which mimics natural forest ecosystems, can help cocoa production.

These farmers will also be supplied with resources designed to lower the use of carbon fertilizers and improve crop residue management. Combined, these steps will fortify long-term resilience in cocoa farming by improving soil health, lowering greenhouse gas emissions, increasing CO2 removals and helping farmers with their crop yields.

“True progress on climate requires shared ambition and mutually beneficial value,” said Pedro Amaral, associate director and head of cocoa climate sustainability for Mars. “Having Net Zero ambitions validated by SBTi enables a bold framework for Mars and ofi to invest together in the long term in solutions that are good for cocoa farmers, good for the environment, and good for the future of our supply chain.”

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