Not only are we committed to protecting soil and water, but McDonald’s and its partners empower local farmers with training in sustainable agriculture techniques. Already 100% of the espresso beans used in the McCafé beverages restaurants are sustainably sourced and Rainforest Alliance Certified™.
We didn’t stop there. In December 2018, McDonald’s announced a policy to reduce the overall use of antibiotics important to human health, in our beef supply chain. Our policy covers for our top 10 beef sourcing markets around the world, including the U.S., representing more than 85% of our global beef supply.
In 2017, 54% of our coffee globally was sourced sustainably through Rainforest Alliance, UTZ, Fair Trade International and Fair TradeUSA certifications, as well as programs approved by the McCafé Sustainability Improvement Platform, a framework to guide our entire coffee supply chain.
Burgers are an integral part of our menu, but that’s just one of the reasons we’re on a journey to advance more sustainable beef production. We’re striving to improve environmental practices in how beef is produced, make a positive difference in the lives of farmers, and to drive improvements in animal health and welfare.
That means we use 100% real beef patties seasoned with just a pinch of salt and pepper. It means our Egg McMuffin® is made with a freshly cracked egg. And, our Filet-O-Fish® sandwich is made with 100% whitefish sourced from sustainably managed fisheries.
Today, McDonald’s USA is 33% of the way to our goal and in 2019 we will source more than 726 Million cage-free eggs for our U.S. restaurants, some of which are used in our Egg McMuffin®.