With the goal of cutting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 50% by the year 2030, Mars Inc. has announced the launch of their ambitious sustainable dairy plan, Moo’ving Dairy Forward, that will be backed by a $47 million investment over three years.
Mars says that as part of the Moo’ving Dairy Forward Sustainable Dairy Plan, a new industry-leading collaboration with dairy cooperative FrieslandCampina, one of the world’s largest dairy producers, is set to result in the establishment of the Mars-FrieslandCampina Sustainable Dairy Development Program – an initiative that will dedicate a group of farms to Mars’ dairy supply. To deliver more sustainable dairy, the program will serve as a platform where new practices and innovative technologies can be refined and scaled-up in a focused and accelerated environment, with an ultimate goal of broader adoption across the entire co-op.
“Doing our part to keep our planet healthy is an absolute non-negotiable for us at Mars,” said Amanda Davies, chief R&D, procurement and sustainability officer, Mars Snacking. “But our vision for more sustainable dairy will only become a reality with the support and actions of farmers and our suppliers. Which is why, as part of our Moo’ving Dairy Forward Sustainable Dairy Plan, we’re putting millions of dollars directly back into the pockets of farmers through our contracts to help them make climate-smart changes to the way they farm. Together, I know that we can forge a path that helps address climate change head on and contributes to reshaping our wider industry for a more sustainable future.”
According to the company, Mars will work with a cohort of industry leaders to implement a host of meaningful on-farm interventions focused on critical areas such as enteric methane reduction, efficient manure management and sustainable feed production.
In conjunction with the company’s plan, Mars has launched three pilot “net zero” dairy farms with the DMK Group in Germany. The sites will study and aim to implement new science and technology with an ambition to create a scalable and economically viable pathway to net zero for dairy. According to the company, the five-year project is a first-of-its-kind for the prominent food and pet care and services conglomerate.
To help reduce methane production, Mars is also partnering with Fonterra and Sea Forest to explore sourcing from their SEAFEED™ seaweed food supplement trial. The trial seeks to demonstrate how SEAFEED™ helps reduce the quantity of methane cows generate in digesting their food.
Currently, more than 200,000 cows and 1,000 farms supply dairy for Mars’ iconic billion-dollar confectionery brands like M&M’S® and SNICKERS®.
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