McDonald’s invests $200m in sustainable beef supply

McDonald’s has announced the launch of the Grassland Resilience and Conservation Initiative, a significant programme aimed at accelerating the adoption of regenerative agricultural practices among U.S.-based beef cattle producers within its supply chain. This initiative, introduced in collaboration with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and several key McDonald’s U.S. suppliers, will allocate more than $200 million over the next seven years. The goal is to promote regenerative grazing practices, habitat restoration, and water and wildlife conservation on cattle ranches covering 4 million acres across up to 38 states.

Regenerative agriculture practices address the environmental impact of the sector by improving and restoring ecosystems, building soil health and fertility, reducing emissions, enhancing watershed management, increasing biodiversity, and improving farmers’ livelihoods. Through this new initiative, ranchers will have access to tools and resources to improve wildlife habitats, conserve water, and enhance soil health. Key strategies include grazing management, grassland restoration, and the protection and restoration of water resources and wildlife habitats.

Cesar Piña, Senior Vice President and Chief Supply Chain Officer, North America, stated: “As a brand that serves more than 90% of Americans every year, we recognise the responsibility we have to help safeguard our food systems for long-term vitality. Through our support of this initiative, McDonald’s USA is demonstrating the power of partnership between the public and private sectors and that feeding the population and stewarding our natural resources can coexist.”

Under the initiative, NFWF will manage and invest conservation funding to advance ranchers in their voluntary conservation efforts. Among McDonald’s suppliers providing funding to NFWF for the initiative are Cargill, Golden State Foods, Lopez Foods, OSI, and The Coca-Cola Company. The first round of competitive grant-making will culminate in the announcement of awards, expected in January 2026.

Jeff Trandahl, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer at NFWF, commented: “The benefits of grassland conservation are far-reaching. When cattle are managed to optimise multiple ecological and economic values, the land holds more water, grows better grass, and supports more wildlife. Conservation practices voluntarily adopted by ranchers can improve the productivity of grasslands, increase ranching profitability, and strengthen the vitality of rural communities across the United States.”