Fast food chain McDonald’s announced that it will invest hundreds of millions of dollars into regenerative practices on cattle ranches. The effort supports the MAHA movement, as the company’s initiative “helps demonstrate its continued commitment to responsible beef sourcing and stewardship of natural resources,” McDonald’s said.
The initiative, called the Grassland Resilience and Conservation Initiative, is in partnership with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and U.S. suppliers. McDonald’s will invest more than $200 million over the next seven years to “promote and accelerate regenerative grazing practices, habitat restoration, water and wildlife conservation on cattle ranches spanning 4 million acres across up to 38 states,” the company explained.
“As a brand that serves more than 90% of Americans every year, we recognize the responsibility we have to help safeguard our food systems for long-term vitality,” said Cesar Piña, Senior Vice President and Chief Supply Chain Officer, North America. “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.”
Jeff Trandahl, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer at NFWF, explained, “When cattle are managed to optimize 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.”
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. thanked McDonald’s for its effort. “Thank you, [McDonald’s], for committing a record $200 million investment into regenerative agriculture,” he wrote on social media. “This is a big win for regenerative grazing practices, habitat restoration, water and wildlife conservation.”
