McDonald’s and Arla Foods Expand Partnership for Sustainable Dairy Farming

McDonald’s has broadened its collaboration with Arla Foods by launching a new sustainability initiative across British dairy farms. This effort involves approximately 60 organic dairy farms that supply milk to Arla. The initiative is part of Arla’s FarmAhead Customer Partnership programme and focuses on the ReNature project.

The ReNature project is designed to improve soil health, wildlife habitats, and biodiversity on these farms. Insights gained from this project will be used to establish measurable benchmarks for sustainable farming, applicable across Arla’s milk supply pool.

Ellie Wotherspoon, the Agriculture and Sustainable Sourcing Manager at McDonald’s UK and Ireland, emphasized the importance of supporting British dairy farming, highlighting the role of their FarmAhead Customer Partnership in promoting nature-positive measures in the dairy industry.

Paul Dover, UK Agricultural Director at Arla Foods UK, noted that the expanded collaboration aims to reduce emissions and enhance biodiversity. He acknowledged the shared ambition of both companies to create more sustainable farming practices through innovative solutions.

Farmer Will Tizzard, who supplies milk to both Arla and McDonald’s, expressed support for the partnership, recognizing the benefits of focusing on soil health and biodiversity for strengthening farms and businesses.

This initiative also forms part of the broader Dairy Roadmap, an industry-wide effort to accelerate sustainability in the UK dairy sector. McDonald’s engagement in this roadmap, alongside its Plan for Change and Farm Forward programme, underscores its commitment to setting a new standard in nature-positive dairy farming.