Task: Research Mars (https://www.mars.com/global/News+and+Media/Mars+News.htm). After reviewing of all the documents you can find on the web and in libraries, write a 3-page response to the following questions:
1. What is the most important problem facing Mars?
2. What recommendation(s) would you make to Mars, and in what order of priorities?
3. How do you balance between your commitment to shareholders and your commitment to the community?
I have done my research and started my paper, but I am notsure if I am in the ball park. I based my paper on sustainability and what information I found under the website provided. The last 2 questions especially number two has been thinking I am not near my mark. Here's what I started out with:
Cocoa is a commodity which has been used to fund wars between government and rebels in Africa. Forty percent of the cocoa come from Cote d'Ivoire; the country itself relies heavily on it making cocoa 40% of its gross domestic product. "The majority of cocoa farmers are typical smallholders who grow their crops on impoverished soils and use poor resource management practices, resulting in high incidence of pests and diseases." These factors indicate a possible world market shortage of the supply of cocoa.
Mars Inc. is the leader in the arena of sustainability which could be the most important problem it is facing. Founded in 1911 and presently ranked as the seventh largest private company in the United States making them a major user of cocoa. The whole basis of sustainability is to find resources and methods which will reduce and/or eliminate the foreseen depletion of cocoa. They have proactively taken the cocoa industry and brought them together as one to create and fund productive research programs. "These programs include education and training for farmers, development of pest/disease resistant cocoa crops, and other pioneer avenues for cocoa research."
To further champion sustainability they have enhanced it by adding a goal which would entail them having the ability to officially, "certify its entire cocoa supply as being produced in a sustainable manner, by 2020."