Mars looks to advance regenerative agriculture throughout Europe

LONDON — Mars, Incorporated announced several strategic collaborations to help scale regenerative agriculture practices throughout its European pet nutrition business. The company has committed to multi-year partnerships with ingredient suppliers and technical experts to provide farmers in Poland, Hungary and the United Kingdom with financial incentives to services to help them adopt regenerative agriculture practices.

This effort to ramp up regenerative agriculture throughout the European pet food supply chain builds upon Mars’ regenerative agriculture practices in North America. In October, the company’s Petcare US and Royal Canin USA divisions announced partnerships with ADM, The Andersons, Riceland Foods, and the Soil and Water Outcomes Fund to support US and Canadian farmers adopt regenerative farming practices. 

Now Mars has partnered with Cargill, ADM, as well as European businesses Biospheres, Horta, Agreena and Soil Capital. Through these partnerships, Mars will encourage several regenerative farming practices, including crop rotation, minimal tillage and cover crops. According to Mars, the programs will support farmers as they invest in new farming methods, as well as provide training, enhance knowledge and break down barriers to regenerative agriculture. 

Regenerative agriculture has become increasingly popular in the pet food space, sprouting from implementation in the human food industry. Regenerative farming practices offer a litany of benefits, including increasing crop yields, reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, improving water quality, enhancing soil health and biodiversity. It is also believed to lead to more nutrient-rich ingredients, supporting food manufacturing and supply chains. 

Mars will leverage Cargill RegenConnect® to provide Polish farmers with payments for carbon sequestered from regenerative farming. This program will help improve soil health within more than 4,600 hectares (11,366.9 acres) of land in Poland from 2024 to 2026. 

A five-year partnership with ADM will provide Polish Farmers with financial incentives for implementing regenerative agriculture practices, seeking to enhance soil health, reduce erosion and more. This program will support the transition of 4,000 hectares (9,884.2 acres) of wheat crops in Poland from 2023 to 2028. 

In partnership with Horta, Mars will offer support to farmers by helping them make more informed decisions about irrigation and fertilizer usage. This program will support regenerative farming practices across more than 3,600 hectares (8,895.8 acres) of wheat and maize crops in Hungary. 

With Biospheres and Agreena, Mars will help support the expansion of regenerative agriculture in Hungary through a grower program. This partnership will provide an economic incentive to farmers, encouraging them to adopt regenerative farming practices. This program will cover up to 5,500 hectares (13,590.8 acres) of wheat crops in Hungary from 2024 to 2026. 

In collaboration with Soil Capital, Mars will support and finance the transition to regenerative agriculture for wheat farmers in the United Kingdom. This program will cover more than 3,200 hectares (7,907.4 acres) of land between 2024 and 2026. 

“At Mars, we know businesses like ours play a key role in securing a sustainable future for pet food,” said Deri Watkins, regional president of Mars Pet Nutrition Europe. “Healthy soil is the backbone of a resilient food system. Through these partnerships, we’re extremely proud to be playing our part in driving regenerative agriculture practices across Europe, restoring soil health, cutting carbon and building a stronger and more sustainable supply chain for farmers and future generations of pets and pet parents.”

This latest environmental initiative is part of the Mars Net Zero Roadmap, through which the company aims to reduce its scope 3 emissions. 

Read more about the latest trends in regenerative agriculture within the pet food industry.