candies on the market, Peanut M&M's and Snickers.
Who knew Snickers was peanut-centric?
Posted on 08/05/2025 2:54:25 PM PDT by nickcarraway
The candy company is working to protect Peanut M&M's, and so much more.
Key Points:
-Mars announced its "Mars Protect the Peanut Plan," a program backed by a $5 million investment that will focus on protecting peanut crops from climate change.
-Research for the program will center on developing peanut varieties that are resistant to issues like pests, weather, and disease.
-This follows a previous $10 million investment from Mars that led to the mapping of the peanut genome.
From increasing arsenic levels in rice to raising the price of coffee, it has become clear that climate change poses a threat to many parts of our food supply. That pressure extends to sweet treats too, with chocolate companies like Hershey raising prices as cocoa crops struggle. However, its competitor Mars is hoping to protect at least one crucial component of candy production with a massive investment in engineering a peanut variety that will last long into the future.
On Thursday, Mars announced the "Mars Protect the Peanut Plan," its first organized program aimed at "safeguarding the peanut against increasing pressures that threaten the reliability of global supply." Mars currently owns two of the biggest peanut-centric candies on the market, Peanut M&M's and Snickers.
Its mission, the brand explains, is to help reduce crop losses across the peanut supply chain from the farm to the candy factory, which it notes cost farmers "millions" in revenue. And it's not just about ensuring peanuts are ready for candy. The company also details that it wants to protect a "key source of protein for millions of families worldwide."
"We have long believed that Mars can play a unique role as an engine of innovation, which is why we're thinking in generations and betting big on science to protect the peanut," Amanda Davies, the chief research and development, procurement, and sustainability officer for Mars Snacking, shares in the announcement.
According to Davies, "We know that the perfect peanut won't be discovered by accident. It will take long-term investment, scientific ingenuity, and the dedication of our incredible partners to keep turning potential into progress, from the greenhouse to the farmer's field. After all, innovation without implementation is just imagination."
The program is backed by a five-year, $5 million investment, which will go toward funding research to advance the genomic science of peanuts and develop hardier peanut varieties that can withstand environmental challenges like "pests, disease, and unpredictable weather."
Here’s Why You Should Consider Buying Frozen Produce Over Fresh Right Now This announcement follows another decade-long, $10 million investment from Mars into a "suite of state-of-the-art scientific efforts," including mapping the peanut genome. That investment has led to the mapping of more than 2.5 billion base pairs of DNA, according to Mars, which it adds is "roughly equivalent to the human genome." The consumer-packaged-goods company has made the data from its research open source to ensure all scientists have access to the information.
This research has already assisted the University of Georgia's Wild Peanut Lab in developing more resilient peanut varieties, which it says can boost crop yields by up to 30%. As The New York Times notes, the team at the University of Georgia has already developed a peanut plant that can grow in Georgia fields infested with nematodes, ensuring higher crop yields in spite of the pests.
"The cultivated peanut was a once-in-a-millennium accident of nature, but we can't afford to wait for chance to strike twice. Creating more resilient peanuts requires transformative science, discipline, and partnership," Dr. Soraya Bertioli, senior research scientist in the Department of Plant Pathology at the University of Georgia, shares. Bertioli also points out that "our breakthroughs would not be possible without the long-term support of Mars."
The only ones I like are the almond M&Ms.
The Milky Way definitely has more potential. Scientists estimate it may have 400 billion stars. But it’s the old thing of “everybody’s job is nobody’s job.”
Who knew Snickers was peanut-centric?
Well, I guess they will do whatever they have to in order to keep the prices jacked up....even if it means manipulating the “climate change”. Of course, it may eventually result in decreased sales. When that happens, they may have to advertise “new-sized” product or run a few “sales” to get the prices down to normal again.
Grow them indoors.
Why are there so many people with peanut allergies where there were little to none before?
The best roasted peanuts that I ever had were from a small shop in northern Georgia. After that, mass produced peanuts from a grocer’s are animal feed. Mass produced stuff has taste LAST behind yield, disease resistance, etc.
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