Mars has announced a three-year investment designed to improve access to healthcare for cocoa-farming households in Côte d’Ivoire, as part of a wider package of grants from the Mars Impact Fund.
Announced on 1 September 2026, the initiative will see the Fund provide US$2.07 million to healthcare organisation Elucid, alongside approximately US$2 million in matching funding from Gavi. The programme is intended to reach up to 12,750 cocoa-farming households and strengthen health provision in communities connected with cocoa production.
The investment forms part of more than US$13 million in new Mars Impact Fund grants covering six partnerships in Côte d’Ivoire, India, the US and Thailand. For the confectionery sector, however, the Côte d’Ivoire project is particularly relevant because of the country’s role within global cocoa supply chains and Mars’ long-established use of cocoa across its chocolate portfolio.
Healthcare support for farming households
Under the partnership, eligible cocoa-farming households will be supported in accessing Côte d’Ivoire’s national health insurance scheme, together with complementary cover for services and costs that are not fully met by the public system.
Mars said the programme will also invest in rural healthcare capacity, including clinic quality, mobile clinics and maternal and child health services. Gavi’s matching contribution is expected to support vaccination and disease-prevention programmes reaching at least 200,000 people in cocoa-growing communities.
The initiative represents a broader interpretation of investment in cocoa supply chains. Rather than concentrating solely on agricultural inputs, yields or farm productivity, the programme addresses healthcare access as one of the factors that can influence the resilience of farming households.
Mars already operates its Cocoa for Generations strategy, through which it has committed US$1 billion over the period from 2018 to 2028 to programmes supporting cocoa-growing communities and environmental initiatives. The company says its approach covers modernising production, improving economic inclusion and supporting more sustainable cocoa cultivation.
Supply-chain resilience beyond the farm
For confectionery manufacturers and cocoa buyers, programmes of this type highlight the increasing attention being given to the social conditions surrounding agricultural supply chains.
Cocoa production depends heavily on farming communities in West Africa, while manufacturers face continuing pressure from customers, regulators and procurement teams to demonstrate greater visibility and responsibility across ingredient sourcing. Improving access to healthcare does not directly increase cocoa production, but stronger household and community infrastructure can form part of longer-term efforts to make sourcing regions more resilient.
Mars’ latest investment therefore illustrates how confectionery businesses are extending responsible-sourcing activity beyond certification and agricultural support into wider community services. For buyers and supply-chain teams, such programmes also provide another area to assess when examining manufacturers’ environmental, social and governance commitments and their approach to securing important raw-material supply chains.
