Mars, Incorporated — Ethics Grade C

Mars, Incorporated receives an overall ethics grade of C (55/100) on CancelCo's corporate accountability database. Sector: Food & Beverage. Market cap: Large Cap.

Category scores

• labor: 30
• privacy: 85
• consumer: 60
• environment: 55
• humanRights: 40

Documented incidents (3)

• Child Labor in Turkey Hazelnut Harvest (high, 2023) — Investigations found that seasonal migrant workers, including children as young as 12, harvest hazelnuts in Turkey that end up in Mars products. These workers often face long hours and lack of legal protection or minimum wage.
• Deforestation in Cocoa Supply Chain (high, 2021) — Despite zero-deforestation pledges, Mighty Earth found that Mars' suppliers were still linked to the clearing of protected forests in West Africa. The logging destroys habitats for endangered species like chimpanzees and elephants.
• Skittles Titanium Dioxide Lawsuit (medium, 2022) — A class-action lawsuit alleged that Mars used titanium dioxide (a color additive) in Skittles, which the European Food Safety Authority deemed 'no longer safe' due to potential genotoxicity. The suit claimed the company failed to inform US consumers.

Documented good deeds

• Sustainable in a Generation Plan — Mars has successfully cut its total greenhouse gas emissions by 8% since 2015 while growing its business, investing billions into regenerative agriculture.

Ethical alternatives

• Tony's Chocolonely — Actively works to eliminate slavery in the chocolate industry through direct trade and higher premiums.