McDonald's Verified Sustainable Beef Pilot final report

...Another was its scale. The project numbers are significant. As one of Canada's largest beef purchasers, McDonald's Canada followed nearly 9,000 head of Canadian cattle, or, as the company news release puts it, 2.4 million patties. One hundred eighty two operations in total including 121 ranches, 34 backgrounding operations, 24 feedlots, two beef processors and one patty plant. A third was the success of the producers who put their name on the line to be guinea pigs in the test verification process. This is the first program to put the GRSB principles and criteria to work across the entire beef value chain. By all accounts producer assessments within that effort were very successful, a solid endorsement of the frequent industry claim that Canada's beef farmers and ranchers are already doing many of the things the modern consumer thinks they should. "As a progressive burger company, we are changing the way we source and serve food in our restaurants. We have an important role in helping build a more sustainable food system globally through initiatives such as the sustainable beef pilot in Canada and we're committed to continuing this important work around the world," says Steve Easterbrook, president and CEO, McDonald's Corporation. "The McDonald's Pilot has provided us with new insights that will support our thinking and direction as we advance existing and new sustainability efforts within the Canadian beef industry," adds Cherie Copithorne-Barnes, rancher and chair of the CRSB who in many ways has become the face of the industry efforts.The McDonald's Verified Sustainable Beef Pilot final report and other information about the pilot is available at www.mcdvsb.com.  LINK