Sustainable Beef Production

Thinking about how we bring you your favourite burgers is important to us. From careful stewardship of both the land and animals, to promoting leading ranching practices intended to minimize environmental impact, we’re proud to support Canadian ranchers and farmers who are committed to operating with these principles in mind through their partnership with the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB).

Thinking about how we bring you your favourite burgers is important to us. From careful stewardship of both the land and animals, to promoting leading ranching practices intended to minimize environmental impact, we’re proud to support Canadian ranchers and farmers who are committed to operating with these principles in mind through their partnership with the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB).

Serving up the burgers you love. It’s how we started, and it will always be a huge part of our purpose. So, we want to be part of helping make progress in how our beef is brought to you.

As a founding member of the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB), we are proud to continue to support the CRSB and their work with Canadian ranchers. Through the CRSB’s Certified Sustainable Beef Framework, known as “CRSB Certified”, the CRSB works to recognize and advance sustainable production practices*, including the health and welfare of the animals, and the livelihoods of Canadian farmers and ranchers. Learn more about the CRSB and its Certification Framework at crsb.ca.

It’s all about trying to make a positive difference to the people, animals and land involved, and to you, the customer, who cares about where your favourite burger comes from.

We’re proud to say that our support of sustainable beef production* here in Canada has led us to sourcing at least 30% of the beef for McDonald’s Quarter Pounder burgers from Canadian farms and ranches that meet Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB) standards. crsbcertified.ca.

*As defined by the standards set out in the CRSB’s Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB) Certified Sustainable Beef Framework. Learn more at crsbcertified.ca

Serving up the burgers you love. It’s how we started, and it will always be a huge part of our purpose. So, we want to be part of helping make progress in how our beef is brought to you.

As a founding member of the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB), we are proud to continue to support the CRSB and their work with Canadian ranchers. Through the CRSB’s Certified Sustainable Beef Framework, known as “CRSB Certified”, the CRSB works to recognize and advance sustainable production practices*, including the health and welfare of the animals, and the livelihoods of Canadian farmers and ranchers. Learn more about the CRSB and its Certification Framework at crsb.ca.

It’s all about trying to make a positive difference to the people, animals and land involved, and to you, the customer, who cares about where your favourite burger comes from.

We’re proud to say that our support of sustainable beef production* here in Canada has led us to sourcing at least 30% of the beef for McDonald’s Quarter Pounder burgers from Canadian farms and ranches that meet Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB) standards. crsbcertified.ca.

*As defined by the standards set out in the CRSB’s Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB) Certified Sustainable Beef Framework. Learn more at crsbcertified.ca

Responsibly Grown Coffee

McDonald’s is making meaningful impacts in our coffee supply chain. We’ve partnered with other industry leaders in a shared effort to make coffee the world’s first sustainable agricultural product by joining Conservation International’s Sustainable Coffee Challenge. In addition, 100% of the espresso beans used in the McCafé beverages we serve in our restaurants are sustainably sourced from Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farms. we’ve launched the McCafé® Sustainability Improvement Platform (SIP), which will help us engage our entire coffee value chain in sustainable sourcing.

Sustainable Fisheries

We serve wild-caught Alaskan Pollock which has been sourced from a fishery and certified sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council. In 2009 McDonald’s was recognized as a seafood champion by Seafood Choices Alliance, for our dedication and leadership within the global sustainable seafood movement, and our work in advancing the marketplace for sustainable seafood.

Reducing Our Impact

McDonald’s aspiration is to source all of our food and packaging sustainably.

Environmental Impact

The majority of environmental impacts to air, land and water occur in the McDonald’s supply chain. That’s why we work directly with our suppliers who are committed to doing business responsibly in their own supply chains and making sure that they meet our requirements for ethics, environmental responsibility and economic viability – what we call the Three Es.

Deforestation-Free Packaging

Wood fibre is used in the creation of our consumer packaging, from sandwich wraps and fry boxes to takeout bags and tray liners. One of our 2020 sustainable sourcing goals is to source 100% of our fibre-based packaging from recycled or certified responsibly managed forests where no deforestation occurs. 

McDonald’s uses an internal global scorecard tool called the Eco- Filter to help inform our packaging decisions. McDonald’s works with suppliers to ensure that wood fibre used in our supply chain originates from legal and acceptable sources. We will not knowingly purchase from suppliers that source otherwise.

Less Plastic for McCafé® Cups

McDonald’s worked with packaging supplier HAVI Global Solutions to transition to Clarified Polypropylene (CPP) for McCafé® beverage cups, delivering environmental benefits while maintaining performance. The CPP package uses 20% less material compared to polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

Reducing Pesticide Use by Potato Growers

Working with the Integrated Pest Management Institute, the National Potato Council, and growers in the U.S. and Canada, McDonald’s helped develop a comprehensive audit process that analyzes the use of pesticides, as well as fertilizer and water, on crops.