McDonald's Commits to 100% Certified Palm Oil By 2015
03/11/2011
SustainableBusiness.com News
McDonald's Corporation (NYSE: MCD) has committed to source only palm oil certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) by 2015.
The commitment is part of a larger Sustainable Land Management Commitment (SLMC) announced in conjunction with the release of McDonald's 2010 Worldwide Corporate Responsibility (CR) Report.
The SLMC requires that, over time, McDonald's suppliers will only use agricultural raw materials for the company's food and packaging that originate from sustainably-managed land. McDonalds' gave no further timeline for the commitment, but stated that it will be supported by a third-party annual evaluation process.
McDonald's actions initially will be focused on five raw material priorities - Beef, Poultry, Coffee, Palm Oil and Packaging. Based on an analysis conducted in collaboration with World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the five raw materials which are the initial focus of the SLMC were identified as having the most potential sustainability impacts.
McDonald's said it is working with a multi-stakeholder group, the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, and select Regional Roundtables, to improve the sustainability of beef production. The company also has sponsored and is piloting a three-year beef farm study to investigate the carbon emissions on 350 beef farms across the UK and Ireland.
McDonald's also joined the Sustainability Consortium--an independent organization dedicated to implementing measurable progress based on life-cycle science.
McDonald's has detailed its SLMC progress in a special report available at the link below.
Website: www.aboutmcdonalds.com/mcd/csr/about/sustainable_supply/sustainable_land_management_commitment.html