Leading the way towards a sustainable pet food industry

There is no doubt that pets make the world a better place and in this world they are welcomed and cared for as they deserve. For those responsible for a dog or cat, as for most consumers in general, it will be convenient to choose sustainable and enriching options that take care of the environment and have a positive impact on the community. For example, at Mars, from its pet food division, it continues to promote different initiatives and strategic alliances that focus on a future in which the planet is healthy and people and their companion animals prosper. From the way you manage your raw materials such as meat ingredients, cereals and, the supply chain itself that participates in the production of your food for brands such as PEDIGREE®, ROYAL CANIN®, EUKANUBA®, SHEBA®, WHISKAS® AND CESAR ®, until the energy used in their factories, Mars is taking steps to fuel progress, while meeting the climate challenge scale and urgency.

Every decision maded by Mars is based on their Five Principles and one of them is Reciprocity, because is known that when the benefits are mutual, the motivations are also shared.

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However, it is evident that the serious circumstances that our environment is experiencing boost Mars to take action with greater emphasis, because for the company, 'in the world we want tomorrow, the planet is healthy'.

A Mars characteristic is to implement sustainability actions that based on three main axes: in which them has control (in its way of operating); related to their direct emissions and, finally, the impact of its value chain (both: prior to consumption and post-consumption). These lines respond to the global goals of the company.

Why is this important?

Climate change is already having an impact on our daily lives, from changing weather conditions, the food supply, the availability of ingredients, how ingredients are made, until these products our pets love so much.

Since 2017, the company defined its Global Sustainable plan in One Generation and assigned human and economic resources to achieve the goal of reducing the carbon footprint, contributing to the global corporate goal of 27% by 2025. Today all the manufacturing plants of in Mexico consume electricity that comes from wind farms. Likewise, they review the processes and materials used - always guaranteeing quality - to ensure that their packaging is 100% reusable, recyclable or compostable. They seek to contribute to a circular economy where packaging does not become waste. They also work for efficient water management, eliminating its excessive use, establishing water balance targets for 2025 for factories in Mexico.

They propose to improve the health of the soil with sustainable practices, which prevent occupying more land and allow the use of non-chemical fertilizers and crop rotation. Finally, they seek to improve the quality of life of farmers and encourage them with training. Adding the support of government agents, which will allow them to implement more environmentally friendly practices.

On the other hand, Mars takes into account the importance of stopping deforestation. For this reason, they work hard to fulfill their deforestation commitment by increasing the traceability of the materials used, since this step goes hand in hand with reducing emissions.

Their actions are largely inspired by the experience gained by other Mars sites globally. These projects, applied according to local circumstances, have been very successful. For example: in Mexico, the case of the work carried out jointly with Oceanus A.C. for the restoration of coral reefs in Quintana Roo and Veracruz. Initiative that has managed to grow coral coverage from less than 5% to 20% in 3 years, since it combines MARRS techniques (Mars Reef Restoration System - reef stars) and the application of Oceanus techniques. This 2023 the installation of 300 additional reef stars in Veracruz and 150 in Xcalak will be completed, to have more than 1.700. In addition, they will continue the transplant work with the goal of placing more than 30.000 coral colonies by 2025.

The company, focused on the world and the communities where it operates, continues on the path of sustainability, seeking different ways of doing things that help them achieve their goals. Its commitment to sustainability is at the heart of its purpose, because Mars knows that 'the world we want tomorrow begins with how we do business today'.

By: Mars

Source: All Pet Food