How Mars is Supporting Mint Farmers Around the World

Farmers in India produce 80% of the world’s supply of mint and rely on these crops to provide for their households according to Tanager.

Mars has launched a global initiative called Shubh Mint to improve plant science and invest in mint farmers and communities.

In the US, Canada and India, mint is a specialty crop that provides livelihoods to more than a million farmers.

Alastair Child, Chief Sustainability Officer at Mars Incorporated, said on Linkedin: “Mars launched the project in 2017 to improve the livelihoods of mint farming families in our supply chain (a critical ingredient in Mars brands like Extra, Orbit and Airwaves). 

“In partnership with Tanager, Callisons India, Norex Flavours Private Limited, Dalberg, Institute for Development Impact and GIZ India, the programme has helped train more than 24,000 farmers on how to produce higher yields, enabling them to more than double their income from mint.”

How will the project support sustainability?

Mars says it works with farms in every region to help under specific issues in each area. 

AdvanceMint is an initiative launched in 2017 that aims to provide a better understanding of agricultural footprints and different social, economic and environmental challenges.

By 2025, the project aims to advance mint science, reduce water consumption by 30% in water stressed areas and improve smallholder farmer incomes by partnering with industry experts and suppliers. 

Mars says that changing weather, soil health and disease is impacting mint plants.

For these reasons, the company is funding research aiming to advance plants so they can resist disease, increase yields, adapt to climate change and use water efficiently. 

Mars has trained more than 20,000 smallholder farmers on planting, irrigation, soil health and intercropping techniques to promote resilience of crops. 

In the US and Canada, the high cost of entry can sometimes make implementing agriculture difficult.

Mars offers annual funding to state mint associations allowing farmers to implement the best practices for water usage, improving soil health and increasing energy efficiency. 

How does the project support women?

As part of the project, Mars is tackling gender inequality and educational disparity.

Partnering with Tanager, Mars organised more than 200 self help groups for women in India to connect, access information and learn farming along with other livelihood skills. 

Mars reports that it has engaged more than 8,000 women, with 4,800 being trained on:

• Rights and entitlements 
• Financial literacy
• Nutrition 
• Health
• Sanitation

Alongside the training, Mars also has given more than 10,000 loans through SHGs, provided more than 750 women with the tools to grow their own vegetables and given more than 500 women the means to get basic reading, writing and arithmetic skills.

Alistair continued “Earlier this year, I got to witness the incredible work of Meenal Bahirwani Arora, Sustainable Sourcing Manager for Mars, to create opportunities for mint farmers and ensure that women are not left behind in their communities in northern India.

"For more than eight years, Meenal has dedicated her time to implementing our Shubh Mint programme.

“The programme also aims to reduce the structural barriers women face in relation to education, finance and household decision-making agencies. 

“Meenal, along with other Mars Associates, has helped to create self-help groups for women that offer a variety of training, including financial management, savings and credit linkages, access to information about rights and entitlements and an opportunity to connect with other women to encourage and support each other. 

“I got to meet with one of these groups during my visit, and hearing about how the program has transformed their lives, and those of their children, reminded me once again of what makes Mars a special place.” 

About Tanager

Tanager is an international nonprofit organisation that brings people together to co-create economic and social opportunities with the aim to change lives. 

Since 1993 it has been affiliated with other organisations, offering a team of locally based experts and international advisors all working towards the goal of bettering the lives of people in agriculture. 

The organisation has increased the income for mint farms by 156%, impacting 25,000 farmers. 

Through partnerships with large companies like Mars, the organisation aims to help millions of people globally.