ATLANTA — Frank Mars, vice president of Mars Sustainable Solutions and member of the board of directors of Mars, Incorporated, met with members of the National Peanut Board executive committee and staff in Atlanta recently. Mr. Mars shared with the growers the company’s “Sustainable in a Generation” plan, which focuses on climate, water use efficiency, sustainable packaging and land use. Mars, Inc.’s stated goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 27 percent by 2025 and 67 percent by 2050.
Mars, Inc.’s portfolio of products not only includes its iconic candy brands like M&Ms and Snickers, but also major food brands like Uncle Ben’s Rice and a long list of pet food brands. Mars, Inc. also has a large presence in veterinary clinics, such as Banfield Pet Hospital.
One of Mr. Mars’s personal initiatives, given the requirements for tuna in pet foods, is restoration of coral reefs around the world. He also is heavily involved in helping small-lot cocoa producers in Indonesia and other poor countries become more diversified and sustainable financially and environmentally. Long before the peanut genome was mapped, Mars, Inc. was instrumental in mapping the cocoa genome, which has led to the requirement of half the trees to produce the same amount of cocoa beans.
The National Peanut Board representatives talked about how U.S. peanut farmers can become more sustainable through efficient water use, less tillage to allow carbon sequestration and less greenhouse gas emissions, and fewer trips through the field. Equally as important, U.S. peanut farmers must be financially sustainable. Mr. Mars was genuinely interested in hearing from growers about the financial struggles that farmers are facing due to low commodity prices like cotton and corn, which put downward price pressure on peanuts.
“Not often do peanut growers have the opportunity to spend hours talking to titans of the industry, which Mr. Mars truly is,” said Bob Parker, president and CEO of the National Peanut Board. “The meeting was a good opportunity to share ideas both ways and foster a true partnership between peanut growers and Mars, Incorporated.”
–National Peanut Board