Running through to 13 April, Mars is a proud sponsor of the ‘In Focus’ Zones at the Somerset House exhibition: “SOIL: The World at Our Feet”. The exhibition explores the connection between soil, human life and our planet’s future. 

As part of the ‘In Focus’ Zones, Mars is putting a spotlight on its critical work with farmers to foster climate-smart and regenerative agriculture practices around the world. For the Food & Nutrition segment at Mars, the focus is on making rice farming more sustainable. 

Why?  

Rice plays an important role in the world’s diet and economic prosperity. It is a daily staple for 3.5 billion people around the world and provides income to around 19% of the world’s population. However, traditional rice production uses approximately 40% of the world’s irrigation water and accounts for up to 10% of global methane emissions.

As the owners of one of the world’s largest rice brands – Ben’s Original™ – rice is a critical raw material for the Food & Nutrition segment at Mars, so there’s a responsibility to source rice more sustainably.  

Our work in Thailand

Climate change is placing increasing pressure on food crops. In Thailand, rice is the most important food crop, accounting for roughly half of Thai agricultural land, but farmers in Thailand are extremely vulnerable to climate change because yields are heavily dependent on weather conditions.  

In the drought of 2019, yields in the second growing season declined by 54%, leading to a fall in exports by almost one-third. A projected temperature increase of up to 2°C by 2059 will reduce rice yields in Thailand by 17 – 20% if there are no changes to current farming practices.  

The Food & Nutrition segment is focused on making rice farming more sustainable by reducing the amount of irrigation water used, minimizing greenhouse gas emissions, and helping farmers maintain and even increase yields.  

The Sustainable Aromatic Rice Initiative (SARI)  

In 2018, Mars and the German agency for international cooperation GIZ, alongside like-minded partners, joined forces to develop a collective approach to sustainable climate-smart rice production in Thailand, launching the Sustainable Aromatic Rice Initiative.  

The program focused on training farmers on the Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP) standard for sustainable rice cultivation including the use of digital farming solutions, record keeping, water management practices such as alternate wetting and drying, and efficient use of farming inputs.  

Through this six-year program, 1,450 farmers across two provinces – Roi Et and Central Plain – in Thailand, 70 percent of whom were women, have been taught sustainable rice production techniques aligned to the SRP standard.    

For rice farmer Jularak, the program has resulted in increased yields and income for her family. Jularak said: 

“My dream is to inspire more women to follow in my footsteps and contribute to the agriculture sector. With the income from increasing yields, I can support my children with better health and education. I encourage them to also embrace rice farming and secure a prosperous future for themselves.”

Jularak is not alone. The program which concluded in June 2024 has delivered impactful results for the 1,450 participating farmers who have seen:

• Increased Rice Production: 43% in Roi Et & 10% in Central Plain  
• Water Reduction: 56% in Roi Et & 41% in Central Plain  

The program is now being scaled across the rice sector in Thailand.

Published Date: February 21, 2025