Mars Chocolate to purchase 90,000 tons of certified cocoa in 2012

Mars Chocolate Sustainable Cocoa Initiative aims to use certification to support cocoa farmers globally. The initiative is one of the largest efforts within the cocoa industry to boost productivity, strengthen communities, and improve farmer incomes, the company claimed.

Mars Chocolate focuses on three critical elements with its Sustainable Cocoa Initiative that include cocoa science research, transfer of technology and agricultural methods to encourage productivity among cocoa farmers, and third-party certification.

Mars Chocolate global cocoa vice president Andy Harner said, "Certification has great potential to benefit hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of cocoa farmers."

Currently, six Mars products worldwide are labeled through the Rainforest Alliance and UTZ Certified. Mars Chocolate is one of the few chocolate manufacturers to associate with the three certification organizations, the Rainforest Alliance, Fairtrade International, and UTZ Certified.