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Packages of M&M’s milk chocolate candy are stacked at a Costco Wholesale store in San Diego, California, on July 12, 2025.
Kevin Carter | Getty Images News | Getty Images
Candy maker Mars said Wednesday it has partnered with biotech company Pairwise to speed up the development of more resilient cocoa using CRISPR-based gene editing technology.
The agreement gives the M&M’s maker access to Pairwise’s Fulcrum platform, which includes a library of plant traits, and gives Mars the ability to tailor its crops to be stronger and more sustainable.
CRISPR is a gene-editing tool that makes fast and precise changes to DNA. In farming, it’s used to improve crops by targeting different traits such as drought and disease resistance.
The goal is to create cacao plants — the source of cacao beans, which are then roasted and made into cocoa — that can better withstand disease, heat and other climate-related stresses that can put global chocolate supply at risk.
In October, Starbucks invested in two innovation farms in Central America to protect the chain’s coffee supply from global warming. The farms develop climate-resilient coffee and test technologies such as drones and mechanization.
Gene editing allows for faster and more precise trait development than traditional breeding, Pairwise said in a press release.
CRISPR has garnered attention in recent years for its applications in health care. In late 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first gene-editing treatment for sickle cell disease.
“At Mars, we believe CRISPR has the potential to improve crops in ways that support and strengthen global supply chains,” said Carl Jones, Plant Sciences Director at Mars, in the release.
Last month, the candy giant announced a $2 billion investment in U.S. manufacturing through 2026. This includes a new $240 million investment for a Nature’s Bakery facility in Utah.
