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Mars Pledges $27 Million to Reduce On-Farm Emissions

Alexandra Blake
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Alexandra Blake
12 minutes read
Blog
Prosinec 16, 2025

Mars Pledges $27 Million to Reduce On-Farm Emissions

Recommendation: establish a phased plan now, starting with 12 pilot farms in year 1 and expanding to 50–70 farms by year 3, with annual data share and public dashboards. These steps align with the Mars commitment and set a clear path through the next years of work to lower carbon intensity on farms.

Mars will allocate $27 million over five years to test and scale solutions that reduce on-farm emissions. The plan targets a 15–25% reduction in carbon intensity for participating operations, using metrics such as CO2e per liter of milk and per kilogram of beef feed. průměr farm emissions baselines will guide progress, with milestones in 2025, 2026, and 2027. Brands and research partners will coordinate to ensure results are practical and transferable.

Through partnerships, the funding covers equipment upgrades (electric or biofuel options to replace older mooving tractors), nutrition plans that reduce enteric methane, and digester projects for farm waste. The result is lower emissions and improved farm profitability. The approach emphasizes a working relationship with farmers and podpora from brands that commit to visible, real-time progress through shared dashboards. These gains rely on farmer adoption, and only through sustained effort will the improvements persist.

davies, the Mars sustainability lead, notes that progress relies on transparent measurement and farmer empowerment. The plan creates these tools to adjust feed, housing, and manure handling to reach the goals. The emphasis is on practical steps that farmers can implement without disrupting průměr operating results.

To engage communities, Mars links with football clubs and brands that commit to visible emission reporting. By volunteering support to farmers and suppliers, the initiative aims to empower producers and customers alike to choose products that reflect progress. выполните these actions to accelerate change and sustain momentum through the coming years.

Mars Pledges $27 Million to Cut On-Farm Emissions from Dairy: Plan Details and Practical Steps

Mars Pledges $27 Million to Cut On-Farm Emissions from Dairy: Plan Details and Practical Steps

Mars Pledges $27 Million to Cut On-Farm Emissions from Dairy: Plan Details and Practical Steps

Adopt Mars’ plan immediately by targeting the top-emitting dairy farms and setting a plan that reduces carbon by 20% annually over the next three years, with progress просмотреть on a shared dashboard and clear procurement milestones for farmers to follow.

The program, led by the sustainability officer davies, allocates the $27 million to pilots incorporated across dairy operations. It emphasizes technologies to reduce methane and nitrous oxide, focusing on manure-management improvements, precision feeding, energy efficiency, and barn upgrades. The aim is to cut several thousand tons of CO2e annually across the initial sites, with measurable gains against a baseline established in the first year.

Practical steps for farmers include: conduct a baseline assessment of emissions intensity per liter of milk, implement precision feeding and anaerobic digestion where feasible, upgrade to energy-efficient equipment, and adopt better manure management and waste-heat recovery. The plan provides support that empowers farmers to embrace these changes while keeping productivity stable. Working with procurement officers, farms will access vetted suppliers and китайский components where cost-effective, ensuring timely equipment deployment and training. просмотреть progress dashboards monthly and adjust the rollout to reflect local conditions and farm size, from average individual operations to clustered herds.

As one of the fourth-largest brands in snacks, Mars links this initiative to consumer expectations and procurement standards. The effort aligns with the Snickers portfolio and other brands by reducing on-farm emissions tied to dairy supplies. The plan emphasizes that farmers who participate will receive hands-on help, from initial assessment to full-scale implementation, reinforcing that change can be practical, scalable, and economically sustainable over the long term.

Mars Pledges $27 Million to Cut On-Farm Emissions from Dairy: Plan Details and Practical Steps

Begin with a farm-level emissions audit and a phased plan to hit clear goals over the coming years. This is the only path that aligns farming profitability with climate outcomes, guiding people on farms toward measurable reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from dairy operations.

Mars launched this initiative with a $27 million commitment aimed at reducing on-farm emissions in the dairy sector. The program will span multiple years and centers on practical steps that can be adopted by farming communities, large and small, across farmland pockets. The pledge will be complemented by transparent reporting that translates reductions into equivalent CO2e and tracks progress annually.

Plan details prioritize these core actions: procure equipment and technologies through targeted procurement channels, optimize feed and manure management, and deploy energy efficiency measures. These steps will lower methane and nitrous oxide emissions while supporting farmers to maintain productivity and farm revenue streams.

To start, Mars will support farmers to test feeding strategies and advanced additives, improve manure handling with covered storage and digesters, and install energy-efficient pumps and lighting. These measures can shift emissions from on-farm operations into managed systems, delivering tens to hundreds of tons of CO2e reductions annually as projects scale.

The program emphasizes collaboration with agriculture groups and supply partners. Procurement will prioritize technologies with proven performance, scalable financing, and local maintenance networks, ensuring farmers can embrace new practices without disrupting cash flow. The effort also explores how dairy byproducts might be redirected into confectionery ingredients, creating new revenue streams and more sustainable waste handling, while strengthening the overall value chain.

In practice, participating farms will receive hands-on training, data-collection tools, and a roadmap that breaks large goals into concrete milestones. These milestones will be reviewed every planting season, with adjustments made based on results and farm context. Over the next years, farmers can expect a clear path from baseline measurements to measurable reductions that are tied to annual targets and long-term sustainability goals.

The initiative also acknowledges the global nature of supply chains. Mars will engage international suppliers, including partnerships with китайский manufacturers where appropriate, to provide reliable equipment and services at scale. вход processes will be streamlined to help farmers access finance and incentives, ensuring that funding reaches those who need it most and that they can deploy solutions quickly on their farms.

Ultimately, Mars aims to empower them–people in farming communities–to take control of emissions and adapt to a changing market. By embracing these technologies and partnerships, the program seeks to create a resilient model for agriculture that reduces greenhouse gas intensity, preserves farmland viability, and balances production with environmental stewardship, all while maintaining the supply that consumers expect from dairy and related products.

Funding Allocation: How the $27M Will Be Distributed Across Dairy Projects

Allocate 40% of the funding to methane reduction and feed efficiency pilots across fields to achieve measurable carbon reductions and boost profitability. This approach will empower dairy farming operations of all sizes, including conglomerates and independent dairy farms, with clear goals and transparent reporting to come. These actions empower them to adopt cost-saving practices while lifting overall sustainability across the sector.

Allocated amounts and focus areas are: $10.8 million (40%) to methane reduction and feed efficiency via precision feeding, feed additives, and on‑farm data platforms; $6.75 million (25%) to manure management and on‑farm energy, including anaerobic digestion and solar microgrids; $5.4 million (20%) to data analytics, monitoring, and farmer training; $2.7 million (10%) to field pilots across multiple dairy farming regions; and $1.35 million (5%) reserved for consumer engagement and education programs with partners such as snickers to reinforce sustainability messaging in food channels. These investments aim to cut emissions by half on select sites and yield reductions of roughly 4,000–6,000 tons CO2e annually, with progress reported into a shared dashboard. These investments create a forward path for these projects to scale across fields and dairy networks that will come with measurable results.

Led by davies, the program launched a cross-field coordination effort that includes fields, dairy farms, and conglomerates. A secured вход portal collects real-time metrics from farms of every size to ensure trust and transparency, which will be accessible to farmers, sponsors, and regulators. The plan targets an average efficiency improvement of 10–15% per site, with data driving smarter feeding, breeding, and energy use.

The rollout uses a football-style cadence, with weekly sprints and quarterly milestones, enabling teams across fields and conglomerates to share lessons and lock in gains. This structure ensures that progress on farm-level goals translates into broader industry impact while maintaining a clear path to profitability and sustainability.

Dairy Emission Reduction Techniques: Manure Management, Feed Efficiency, and Enteric Methane Control

Front-load your dairy emission plan with a manure-management upgrade that includes covered storage or anaerobic digestion, solid-liquid separation, and low-emission handling. This approach can deliver average emission reductions of 15-25% in the first year and provides a scalable, climate-smart framework for farming operations.

Manure management should be the first pillar on farmland. Implement slurry storage with covers, anaerobic digestion, and regular maintenance to minimize stored methane. A study by davies showed that combining manure handling with climate-smart feed changes yields larger reductions; for example, average farm-level methane reductions move from about 20% to 30% when digestion is paired with improved storage. Use the programme to fund equipment upgrades across half of the fields in year one and extend to the rest over the next year, and просмотреть progress at quarterly intervals.

Improve feed efficiency to cut methane intensity by adopting climate-smart rations, high-quality forage, and precision feeding. Collaborate with a manufacturer to pilot a low-emission blend, and use on-farm sensors to track intake, digestion, and milk yield, enabling targeted adjustments. On average, studies show methane reductions of 10-20% when regimens are optimized; share results with farmers through the programme to reach field-level goals and spread adoption across farmland.

Enteric methane control relies on diet optimization, targeted additives, and genetic progress. Implement evidence-backed additives and forage strategies that reduce methane per liter of milk without sacrificing production. Use monitoring to verify results, keep the team aligned with defined milestones, and adjust plans as data come in.

Develop a sustainable, scalable plan through partnerships that unite farmers, researchers, a manufacturer, funders, and conglomerates. Translate pilot results into field-wide practice by embedding the programme into a formal plan, then extend to more farmland over the next 12 to 24 months. Use funds to subsidize equipment, training, and data collection, ensuring that issues are addressed and goals stay in focus. Only with a clear, coordinated approach can these changes move from pilots to widespread action, where results were achieved across multiple sites.

Taken together, these techniques move reductions from concept to concrete action at the front of farming, turning the Mars pledge into measurable progress across farmland and demonstrating how partnerships and funds translate into sustainable results.

Timeline and Milestones: From Pilot Trials to Scaled Deployment

Launch a formal procurement plan that converts pilot results into scaled deployment across partner farming networks within 12-24 months.

  1. Pilot Trials (Months 0-6)

    Set up 40 pilot plots on diverse farms to measure greenhouse gas reductions, with data collection that yields an average emission reduction of over 8% per hectare. Use calibrated sensors to track methane, nitrous oxide, and carbon dioxide intensity. Incorporate results into the procurement blueprint, and ensure farmers see tangible benefits to motivate adoption. In the field report, davies notes that equipment reliability and labor needs remain core issues to address before expansion.

  2. Validation and Adaptation (Months 6-12)

    Scale to 80 farms while validating data integrity through independent audits. Refine equipment configurations and training modules so they work across different soils and climates. Establish partnerships with conglomerates and local cooperatives to streamline implementation and payment flows, ensuring that the plan remains aligned with farmer livelihoods. The adjustments should be documented as part of the programme and linked to 27 million in earmarked funding for procurement and service delivery.

  3. Scaled Deployment (Months 12-24)

    Expand coverage to 200 farms, maintaining consistent data capture and quality controls. Deploy modular kits through a centralized procurement hub that will accelerate delivery across regions, and empower people on the ground to operate with minimal downtime. The programme aims to be the fourth-largest in the sector, with equivalent metrics used to compare regional performance and drive continuous improvement. For the next steps, выполните the action items in the roadmap.

  4. Governance, Risk, and Continuous Improvement

    Install an oversight board, quarterly reviews, and a shared dashboard to track issues, responses, and lessons learned. Use cross-functional teams to ensure that improvements in farming practices are practical and scalable, with periodic updates to supplier engagement and risk management. Data governance, supplier performance, and farmer feedback feed into the ongoing plan through annual budget cycles and procurement adjustments.

Governance and Partnerships: Oversight, Stakeholders, and Collaboration

Establish a cross-sector governance charter within 30 days and appoint an Oversight Council with a clear mandate: approve procurement plans tied to emissions reductions, allocate resources, and publish quarterly dashboards. The council should include three farmer representatives from farmland and fields, three brands or procurement leaders, two independent auditors, two researchers, and two community representatives to balance practical insight with accountability.

Stakeholders include people across the value chain: farm operators, field workers, brand teams, retailers, NGOs, regulators, financiers, and local communities. Engagement through formal channels and informal networks ensures needs move from the fields into policy. Think of coordination like a football game: every position matters on the field to reach shared goals.

Collaboration mechanisms center on joint trials on farmland, coordinated data sharing, and a common metric set to track emissions intensity per unit of food. Through these means, brands can monitor progress, farmers can benchmark performance, and researchers can validate methods. Equity-focused incentives empower farmers to adopt practices that reduce greenhouse gases while maintaining yields, and equivalent targets across brands support consistent progress across years.

Governance incorporates risk management, independent monitoring, and transparent reporting. Incorporated policies cover conflicts of interest, data governance, and whistleblower channels. выполните эти шаги, чтобы обеспечить прозрачность и ответственность, then use the learnings to refine procurement strategies and sustainability investments. These practices keep stakeholders aligned, so the impact on farmland and fields translates into sustained food system sustainability for people and communities over the coming years.