If a tree falls for your French fries, do fast food companies give a shit? As of last week, McDonald’s has signalled it does.
The Big Mac maker is the first global fast food chain vowing to eliminate products that contribute to deforestation from its global supply chain, starting with beef, coffee, chicken, tree-based packaging and palm oil.
McDonald’s had already pledged to use only sustainable palm by 2020, signing onto the non-binding UN Declaration on Forests last September.
But the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) said the chain was still sourcing questionable palm oil. (McDs had been using greenwashy Green Palm certificates).
Besides the chain’s commitment to stay away from land with high carbon and conservation value, McD’s is also pledging to seek free, prior and informed consent from affected communities.
The UCS has been targetting the largest fast food chains – Burger King, Wendy’s, Subway, Starbucks, Dairy Queen, Domino’s, as well as McDonald’s – calling upon them to make firm commitments not to destroy tropical forests and carbon-storing peatlands often cleared to make way for palm oil plantations. Earlier this month, KFC and Taco Bell’s parent Yum! Brands agreed, but only for its cooking oil.
No doubt UCS will be watching closely to make sure McD’s latest sustainability pledge is worth the press release it’s written on, and not just PR.
ecoholic@nowtoronto.com | @ecoholicnation
