Mars Distributed Five Million Trees in West Africa in 2025
The initiative aims to improve cocoa farm climate resilience while advancing the company's long-term emissions reduction goals.
Updated on Sept. 25, 2026 in Environmental
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In 2025, Mars distributed more than five million trees across Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana to promote agroforestry. This effort is part of a broader strategy that also includes launching climate-smart agriculture programs in Ecuador, the Dominican Republic, and Peru.
Why it matters
These initiatives were implemented to improve cocoa farm resilience against shifting climatic conditions and to support corporate land-use objectives. The efforts are designed to scale soil health and crop yield improvements as part of a push toward net-zero emissions by 2050.
Mars has achieved a reduction of 1.5 million tonnes of CO2e in its cocoa footprint compared to 2015. The firm reported the distribution of five million trees, though the specific impact on yield metrics versus standard cultivation remains under evaluation.
The players
Mars
A global food manufacturer with a extensive supply chain in cocoa and agricultural commodities.
The details
The program encourages agroforestry, which is the integration of trees alongside cocoa cultivation to create shade and stabilize soil. Climate-smart agriculture methods were also introduced in Latin American regions to optimize soil health and increase crop resilience. These technical interventions target land-use efficiency to lower the total emissions associated with cocoa production.
Timeline
2015: Baseline year established for cocoa footprint reduction.
2025: Year of distribution for five million trees in West Africa.
2050: Target date for achieving net-zero ambition.
The Tech Race
Mars's efforts follow the verification standards established by the Science Based Targets initiative to align corporate operations with climate goals. The company competes with other global food firms to secure supply chains while meeting industry-wide net-zero milestones.
These programs focus on industrial-scale agricultural workflows and do not directly change retail consumer experience or pricing. The long-term efficacy of these methods will determine the stability of the global cocoa supply chain in the coming decades.
The takeaway
These agricultural initiatives demonstrate an attempt to decouple cocoa yield from land-use emissions. Observers should track Mars's progress against its 2050 net-zero ambition, specifically looking for updated CO2e reduction figures in subsequent corporate sustainability filings.
Further reading
For broader context on corporate sustainability efforts, visit our Environmental section.
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