Mars, Incorporated, a global producer of 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.
- 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 program 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 program. 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.
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