Reading Time: 5 minutes Updated Mar. 16, 2015 for clarification: This story states below (paragraph six) that the indicators for the verified sustainable initiative are scored from 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent). In fact, McDonald’s Canada is still developing the terms that go with the scoring system. In its presentation at the Alberta Beef Industry Conference, an example was given […] Read more
McDonald’s sustainable beef pilot moves into high gear
Fast-food giant has a long list of ‘indicators’ and is seeking producers ready to prove they’re good stewards
McDonald’s says rough ride to continue into 2015
Reuters — McDonald’s Corp. warned Friday that business will be weak in the first half of 2015 and it is cutting its annual construction budget to the lowest in more than five years as it opens fewer restaurants in struggling markets. The world’s largest fast-food chain, with more than 36,000 restaurants around the globe, just […] Read more
Canada picked for ‘sustainable beef pilot’
Five to Remember: The country’s largest beef buyer wants to establish its sustainability credentials, and that means big things for the cattle sector
Reading Time: 2 minutes It was anything but a conspiracy of silence. After all, McDonald’s announced to the world a year ago that it would start sourcing “verified sustainable beef” from some country on the planet beginning in 2016. But there was no big announcement when it decided Canada would be that country — although the fast-food giant told […] Read more
McDonald’s to pare U.S. menus, ingredient lists
Reuters — McDonald’s said Wednesday it plans to cut the number of items on its U.S. menus and use fewer ingredients in food as it moves to speed up service, bolster sales and offer consumers personalized options to compete better with Subway and Chipotle Mexican Grill. Mike Andres, the company’s U.S. president, said starting in […] Read more
EXCLUSIVE: Loblaws jumps on board the sustainable beef initiative
Canada’s largest food retailer has joined McDonald’s, the largest beef buyer, in an undertaking that could reshape the cattle sector
Reading Time: 5 minutes Canada’s largest food retailer has pledged to start selling sustainable beef, joining forces with the country’s largest beef buyer in an initiative that could reshape the industry, Alberta Farmer has learned. Loblaws, which has more than 1,000 stores serving 14 million Canadians weekly, already has a sustainable seafood program and is keen to do the […] Read more
A new era of watchful food consumers
Consumers don’t just want to know more about how their food is produced — some want a very detailed report card
Reading Time: 3 minutes Last month, McDonald’s USA announced a “multi-faceted effort called ‘Our Food. Your Questions’” in which it invites people to submit their food questions via social media. “We’re proud of the food we serve our 27 million U.S. customers every day, yet we know people have unanswered questions,” said Kevin Newell, executive vice-president, chief brand and […] Read more
Cattle leader says it’s time to rebuild the herd
ABP chair Greg Bowie says there is plenty of opportunity in the beef business, and wants to see the next generation seize it
Reading Time: 3 minutes Good times have finally returned to the beef sector, and now is the time to focus on bringing in the next generation, says the chair of Alberta Beef Producers. The entire industry has gotten greyer during the difficult decade following the discovery of BSE, said Greg Bowie. “Not only is the average producer in the […] Read more
BIXS open for business, but only a fraction of producers have signed up
Fewer than 1,000 producers have signed up for the cattle-tracking database, but officials say the revamped system is greatly improved
Reading Time: 4 minutes Fewer than 1,000 producers have signed up for the second go-round of a beleaguered cattle-tracking system — even though it’s free and designed to boost their bottom line. The Beef InfoXchange System (BIXS) is also intended to be the foundation for the “verified sustainable beef” initiative that McDonald’s is piloting in Canada. At the recent […] Read more
‘Sustainable’ beef a golden opportunity
Roundtable president says sustainability initiative can counter
Reading Time: 4 minutes They’re still trying to nail down what it means, but Canada is at the forefront when it comes to the global effort to create “sustainable” beef, according to the head of the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef. “You guys are rocking when it comes to sustainability,” said Cameron Bruett. “You’re doing a fantastic job.” Bruett […] Read more
McDonald’s pilot could be game-changer
Straw Men say pilot’s detailed information-sharing system could revolutionize beef production
Reading Time: 3 minutes McDonald’s decision to pilot its “sustainable beef” project in Canada, could lead to a sea change in the country’s beef industry, according to two members of the Straw Man task force. The task force was struck after a think-tank slammed the beef industry for being fractured, unable to develop a true Canada brand, and choosing […] Read more
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