McDonald’s has announced it will support British and Irish farmers to further the industry development and make it attractive for young people to work in. The initiative called Farm Forward is also aimed to improve environmental and animal welfare standards. 

Photo: Brian Mullens

Brian Mullens, Senior Vice President, Supply Chain, McDonald’s UK said: «We know the farming industry faces some challenging issues, and as a big customer of British and Irish farming, we want to do more to support the industry. Farm Forward is our commitment to help ensure the sustainable future of British and Irish farming».

The program includes several stages. During the first stage, McDonald’s will offer in a 12-month training placement program for agricultural students spanning the supply chain from farm to restaurant.

Additionally, more than 200 farmers will be able to try out a free simple carbon calculator, developed to help livestock farmers measure their farms’ carbon emissions. Using the calculator, farmers will be able to reduce the environmental impact of their business. Next year the calculator will also be available to beef farmers across the UK and Ireland next year. To improve the animal welfare, the company will invest into new research and innovation in this branch.

The fast food chain will invest £1 million into the initiatives. McDonald’s now spends £320 million a year buying ingredients from more than 17,500 British and Irish farmers. 55% of the food served in British and Irish restaurants sourced from the local farmers.

The Farm Forward initiative includes a series of projects aimed to: to support domestic produce, improve animal welfare, support young farmers, help the environment and help keep farmers to correspond to their customers needs.

Now, McDonald’s is promoting its new improved Happy Meal.