Fairtrade and Mars – Livelihoods Ecosystem Advancement Program (LEAP)
Fairtrade and Mars have partnered on the LEAP program to support cocoa farmers in boosting income, strengthening communities and protecting the environment. This pioneering initiative combines Fairtrade’s deep expertise with Mars’ global reach to build a more sustainable and equitable cocoa supply chain.
Background
- Mars and Fairtrade have worked together for over 10 years, switching products to Fairtrade and to deliver against Mars’ sustainability strategy Cocoa for Generations.
- Maltesers was the first brand within the Mars family to switch to Fairtrade in 2011, later followed by Mars bar; collaborations which have led to millions of dollars of Fairtrade Premium reaching cocoa farmers.
- Beyond sourcing Fairtrade cocoa, Mars, Fairtrade, and ECOOKIM (a collection of cocoa co-operatives from Côte d’Ivoire) are working together to enable all farmers who they source from on Fairtrade terms to improve their livelihoods.
LEAP overview
Farmers at the centre of our approach