"When making food choices, traditionally most consumers have focused on the basics - how does it taste and what does it cost?  A growing minority is now prioritizing the environmental footprint of their food choices, and McDonald's and other companies have made strides to meet these concerns with greater environmental sustainability in their supply chain.  Given McDonald's exceptional influence among consumers and food producers, the company's sustainability initiatives have the potential to move the needle on public perception on the relationship between food and the environment.  How does McDonald's think about increasing awareness and interest among your customer base in sustainable food choices, both in your restaurants and in general?"

Liz Maw
Executive Director
Net Impact*

From my viewpoint, the more we can share and provide transparency about how we source our food, the high standards we have from farm to fork, and the systems we have in place to advance sustainability in the supply chain, the better. Let me use a nutrition and well-being example to paint a picture of what is possible related to food and the environment.

We provide a lot of information about the nutritional profile of our menu options at McDonald's.  Check out our product packaging the next time you visit one of our restaurants.  On many items, you will see user friendly nutrition information in the form of a bar chart that outlines percentage of daily intake for key elements such as fat, sodium, protein, carbohydrates and calories.

You can also find nutrition information on our company websites in most countries where we do business. I love the Bag-a-Meal site in the U.S. that allows you to make adjustments to the meal to generate different nutritional profiles. For example, I often order the Grilled Chicken Classic sandwich without the sauce which reduces the profile by 50 calories and 5 grams of fat.

I envision a day when a similar degree of transparency will exist for information about our sourcing policies, programs and progress - where the food comes from, how we get it to the front counter and more.

I doubt that it will be on our packaging (so little space!), but I do think technology advances will put information like this at people's fingertips in the not too distant future.   For example, we have had a Supplier Environmental Scorecard since 2005 for many of our core products, such as our famous McDonald's French fries. The day will probably come when you click an application on your phone and you will find how much water, energy and waste is generated for a pound of potatoes.  There are groups and organizations providing platforms to provide this type of information already, so consumers can factor it into their purchasing decisions. 

So, yes, I am supportive of communicating with consumers about all things CSR, including sustainable sourcing. And I think technological advances over the next few years are going to take transparency to the next level.

I am excited about the potential of these developments.  I visit our food suppliers and facilities quite often and wish others could see what I see.   This will come—at least virtually- soon!

-Bob

*(NOTE: Bob Langert previously served as a member of the Net Impact Board of Directors)