Mars is bringing traceable natural menthol sourced through its Shubh Mint program into its European chewing gum supply chain, as the company begins integrating the sustainably sourced ingredient into its manufacturing operations in the U.K. and Poland.
Mint is a critical ingredient for many of Mars, Incorporated’s global brands, yet its supply chain presented significant business risk. Approximately 80% of the world’s natural menthol originates from a single region: Uttar Pradesh, India, creating a highly concentrated supply chain vulnerable to climate impacts, declining yields and rising production costs. While synthetic menthol is readily available and widely used in the industry, Mars chose to invest in the future of natural mint, recognizing that building a more resilient agricultural system could deliver long-term benefits for both the business and the thousands of farmers who depend on the crop.
Growing impact from pilot to partnership
In 2017, Mars launched the Shubh Mint program in partnership with implementation expert Tanager. Designed as a long-term initiative, the program aims to strengthen natural mint production by improving farming practices, increasing resilience to climate change and supporting more sustainable livelihoods across mint-growing communities.
The program began with a two-year research and pilot phase to better understand the root causes affecting productivity and farmer incomes. Climate-smart agricultural practices and improved planting materials were trialled on quarter-acre demonstration plots with volunteer farmers, enabling peer-to-peer learning, reducing the risks associated with adopting new techniques and building confidence before expanding the program at scale.
“Before the program started, many mint farming households were struggling to remain profitable. Through Mars’ investment, farmers now have access to the knowledge, practices and inputs that have significantly improved their profitability. You can really see the difference in how the programme has impacted these mint farming communities,” says Joseph Boulier, Managing Director, Food Systems, Tanager.
Creating shared value: People, planet, performance
The program was designed around the belief that long-term business growth is built by investing in resilient communities and healthy ecosystems. The success of these demonstration plots created a groundswell of interest. The program then scaled from a pilot to a full-scale community-wide ecosystem initiative – expanding farmer participation, building supply systems through Farmer Producer Companies, and unlocking opportunities for women via Self-Help Groups. That turned individual gains into community-wide resilience. The results of this integrated approach are clear:
- Improving livelihoods and empowering women: The program has engaged more than 24,000 farmers, who have seen their incomes more than double from mint. It has trained over 8,500 women in climate smart agricultural practices to support farming as family business. More than 1,000 of the women have established their own independent income generating businesses, ranging from small retail shops to tailoring and dairy farming. More than 4,500 women have also taken part in self-help groups that provide financial literacy and confidence support.
- A healthy planet and resilient farming: At the same time, climate smart agricultural practices including improved plant spacing, irrigation systems, intercropping and fertilizers management cut mint production costs by 20% while improving improved yield and production. These gains strengthened both household income and long-term supply reliability.
- A business fuelled by purpose: This investment in people and planet directly enabled the creation of a supply chain. Today, the supply chain is strong enough for Mars to integrate the Shubh Mint source into its commercial operations. Now, Mars is systematically embedding the Shubh mint across its iconic brand portfolio.
“The most meaningful impact of Shubh is seeing women who once identified themselves with a thumbprint now proudly signing their own names. That simple change reflects something far greater: confidence, agency and the belief that they can shape their own futures. When women thrive, the impact extends far beyond them, strengthening families, inspiring communities and creating opportunities for the next generation,” says Meenal Bahirwani, Sustainable Sourcing Lead, Mars Snacking.
