Responsible Sourcing

Responsible sourcing

We aim to source quality ingredients produced by progressive farmers to leading animal welfare and environmental standards.

We use organic milk except in our milkshakes, frappes, Iced Latte, McFlurry® desserts and hot chocolates, and in Northern Ireland, Happy Meal® milk bottles.

Responsible sourcing begins with resilient agricultural supply chains. How we source our food can make a meaningful and lasting difference, helping to drive change across the farming industry.

Our commitment to sustainable sourcing includes using our scale and influence to help positively impact our planet, animals and the people in our supply chain.

We’ve made several big moves over the last 20 years, including the creation of our flagship Farm Forward programme, and conducting independent research as a founding partner of FAI Farms to develop and create sustainable farming practices for the food industry.

Our commitment and goals

In 2021, as part of our Plan for Change, we committed to further strengthen our sustainable sourcing criteria, while supporting British and Irish farmers to help scale more sustainable farming practices.

Achieved: By 2023 develop a Plan for Change Scorecard in collaboration with independent experts, to expand and embed ethical and sustainability criteria in our sourcing decisions

Achieved: By 2025 support resilient livelihoods and sustainable outcomes through McDonald’s Farm Forward, benefitting over 29,000 British and Irish Farmers

Ongoing: By 2025 engage 10 million families, and connect them to farming, nature and the future of sustainable food

By 2030 have kick-started over 100 careers in food and farming for young people from diverse backgrounds through our McDonald’s Young Talent programme

Strengthening our sourcing criteria

In 2022 we reviewed our existing ethical and sustainability sourcing criteria in the UK and Ireland, in partnership with independent experts, to ensure they supported our responsible sourcing ambitions. We focused on key areas such as emissions reductions, regenerative practices, deforestation and circularity, and set out our guiding principles for our engagement with suppliers. This criteria has now been embedded in our core sourcing practices, rather than as a standalone Plan for Change Scorecard, as this was identified as the most effective solution for continuous improvement and ongoing collaboration with our suppliers.

Two farmers and a dog sitting on a tractor.

Supporting British and Irish farmers

We’re working closely with our suppliers to support farmers to be more resilient and make environmental improvements through our Farm Forward programme.

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Encouraging new and diverse talent

We’re also growing the next generation of farmers, who bring their fresh thinking and energy to the industry. Our Progressive Young Farmer programme supports new talent in the industry, providing access to career opportunities in food and farming. More recently, we have partnered with the Oxford Farming Conference on the Breaking Barriers Scholarship and LEAF Education on the National Schools Competition to encourage people from more diverse backgrounds into the sector.

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Engaging with customers

We want to help our customers understand and appreciate where their food comes from, as well as enjoy what they’re eating. In addition to informing customers about the provenance and quality of our ingredients in our advertising, we have been working with a number of partners to open up access to the food and farming system. We are sponsors of LEAF’s Open Farm Sunday, farming’s annual open day, to support British farmers to open their gates and showcase to visitors the work they are doing to produce food in harmony with nature.

As we continue to build our plans to engage families on farming, nature and the future of sustainable food, we will share progress on new initiatives as they are launched.

What makes our food?

Read about how we source our key ingredients.

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Meet the farmers

Meet the farmers whose quality produce makes your McDonald’s favourites.

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We have over 20 years of sourcing milestones

Free range eggs

We’ve been serving free range eggs since 1998. All farms that supply our eggs are RSPCA Assured.

Sustainably sourced fish

Our hot McCafé coffees have been made with freshly ground beans from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms since 2011.

Rainforest Alliance Certified™ hot coffee

Our hot McCafé® coffees have been made with freshly ground beans from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms since 2011.

RSPCA Assured pork

All the pork, from the bacon in our burgers to the sausages in our McMuffin® has been sourced from RSPCA Assured farms since 2013.

Improved welfare outcomes for chickens

Since 2017 we’ve had a commitment to source chickens raised with improved welfare outcomes.

British and Irish beef

We source 100% British and Irish beef for all the burgers on our menu.

Human rights in the supply chain

The success of the McDonald’s System lies in our trusted relationships with suppliers. We expect all suppliers to meet the fundamental rights of all people as established by the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights.

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Responsible antibiotic use

Our efforts to tackle antimicrobial resistance within our supply chain dates back to 2003, when we first established a position on responsible antibiotic use. In 2015, we developed the Vision for Antibiotic Stewardship (VAS). This outlines our approach to antibiotic use within the McDonald’s supply chain and sets the path for the development of species-specific policies.

McDonald’s UK&I is a member of RUMA (Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture Alliance) through the British Retail Consortium (BRC) which brings together stakeholders in the food supply chain. RUMA was established in November 1997 to promote responsible use of antibiotics, food safety, animal health and animal welfare in the British livestock industry.

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Industry awards

We’re proud of the awards and industry recognition we’ve received

2015 - Compassion in World Farming Good Egg Award.

2016 - Compassion in World Farming Best Marketing Award.

2017 - Compassion in World Farming Good Dairy Commendation.

2017 - RSPCA Assured Award for Commitment to Farm Animal Welfare.

2020 - Cream Awards Judges Special Award for Sustainable Dairy Investment Fund.

2021 - Compassion in World Farming Sustainable Food and Farming Award.

2023 - Sustainable Use of Natural Resource for the AMP Grazing Transition project with FAI Farms.

Delivering more choice

Great food doesn’t stop with our sourcing practices. Our Plan for Change also includes goals to deliver more balanced choices to our customers.

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Our long-term goals in full

See the details behind our Plan.

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