Galaxy EW Hero
Sustainability

OUR PURPOSE

Our mission

Making chocolate better, one piece at a time.

This is about a lot more than creating delicious Dove chocolate. It’s about our commitment to help create opportunities for positive change for cocoa-growing communities.

These are the communities we depend on to make our irresistible Dove chocolate.

Working on the ground with like-minded partners, through our Cocoa for Generations(open in new tab) strategy, we have committed $1 billion USD over a period of 10 years (2018-2028) to help support programs that make a difference for cocoa-growing communities and the environment.

We understand the challenges the cocoa industry faces are complex.  We want to be a positive force in the cocoa ecosystem, but we can't make progress alone. We’ve worked with others in cocoa for decades and believe continued collaboration is key to supporting the global cocoa ecosystem.  

Learn more about Mars vision and efforts toward a more modern, inclusive, and sustainable cocoa ecosystem where everyone is empowered to thrive on Mars.com(open in new tab).

Starting in 2016, Mars and CARE(open in new tab) have been working together in rolling out the Village Savings and Loans model through the Women for Change program to help support women’s empowerment in our cocoa supply chain. Through the end of 2024, we’ve supported at least 100,000 Women for Change Village Savings and Loans Association (VSLA) members to help break down financial barriers. Learn more about our latest progress on Mars.com(open in new tab). 

On International Women’s Day in 2019, the first stone was laid on a new marketplace for women-led businesses in the village of Gueyo, a centrally located commerce area nestled among the cocoa fields of Côte d’Ivoire in West Africa.

396000232_Galaxy_PLP_GueyoMarket_3000x1688px
396000232_Galaxy_PLP_EhoumanYvette_3000x1688px
396000232_Galaxy_PLP_DjakaDjane_3000x1688px_0

GUEYO MARKET We partnered with CARE to help the village of Gueyo build a much-needed new marketplace. This houses 150 businesses primarily run by women.

EHOUMAN “I have been a food crops trader since 1984. When the market was not built, I had a simple shed and the sun accelerated the deterioration of my food. Mars and CARE have allowed us to have a modern market that makes my heart happy.”

DJANE “I am a clothes vendor. I started this business in the old market. The conditions were difficult. When it was raining, I had to put away my items. This new market, with its modern conveniences, allows me to have peace of mind.”

Our partners

Jacobs_Foundation_1x1_v2

Jacobs
Foundation (opens in new window)

Promoting child and youth development. Funds research projects, intervention programs and scientific institutions.
Rainforest_Alliance_1x1_v2

Rainforest
Alliance (opens in new window)

An international non-profit organization working at the intersection of business, agriculture and forests. They aim to create a better future for people and nature by making responsible business the new normal.
Care_1x1_v3

CARE
(opens in new window)

A leading humanitarian agency delivering emergency relief and long-term international development projects.
Rainforest_Alliance_1x1_v2

Our Partners

Rainforest Alliance  

The Rainforest Alliance(open in new tab) collaborates and supports its licensees, suppliers, farmers and other stakeholders in their journey towards sustainability. 

 

We require our cocoa ingredient suppliers to purchase a volume of Rainforest Alliance certified cocoa equivalent to the volume of cocoa in ingredients used in our Dove Dark products (Dove Dark Chocolate, Dove Dark Almond Promises, Dove Dark Peanut Butter Promises).  Many suppliers in the cocoa industry use a common method called "mass balance" in purchasing, processing, shipping, and storing cocoa. Under the "mass balance" method, cocoa produced, delivered and sold in compliance with the Rainforest Alliance cocoa certification standards may be mixed at one or more steps in the cocoa supply chain with cocoa that is not produced, delivered or sold in compliance with the Rainforest Alliance cocoa certification standards. Because Mars suppliers use the "mass balance" method in purchasing, processing, shipping and storing cocoa used in the ingredients of Dove Dark products, Dove Dark product may not be made from Rainforest Alliance certified cocoa.  Find out more about mass balance sourcing at ra.org/mb.

At Mars, we recognize that the global cocoa supply chain faces many complex and interconnected risks and challenges, especially in regions of West Africa. Although Mars does not own or operate any cocoa farms in West Africa, it does purchase cocoa sourced from all over the world, including West Africa. Mars is making investments in various programs with the goal of helping to combat the risks of human rights abuses, climate change and threats to forests, among other things. Ultimately, no one actor can combat these risks alone—lasting progress will depend on collective action from governments, corporations, NGOs, and all stakeholders in the cocoa industry.