McDonald’s has teamed up with Arla Foods, the UK’s largest dairy co-operative, to drive nature-led sustainability across UK dairy farms in a new important phase of the partnership.
The move comes as global food companies face increasing pressure to reduce emissions, protect biodiversity and strengthen environmental standards within their supply chains.
The fast food chain has joined Arla’s FarmAhead customer partnership program, which connects farmers and commercial partners to deliver measurable environmental improvements on farms.
The initiative builds on a relationship between the two companies dating back to 1987, when Arla began supplying organic milk to McDonald’s restaurants across the United States.
The latest collaboration focuses on ReNature, a biodiversity project carried out on around 60 dairy farms in the UK. The plan assesses the natural status of organic farms, improves soil health, and improves wildlife habitat. The findings will be shared across Arla’s wider milk pool and McDonald’s organic supply chain to demonstrate measurable biodiversity gains.
McDonald’s has already invested around £1 million into Arla’s organic dairy network, supporting regenerative farming trials and helping to spread best practice across the farming sector.
Ellie Wotherspoon, Agriculture and Sustainable Procurement Manager at McDonald’s UK and Ireland, said: “We’re proud to support British dairy farming. Without it, we wouldn’t be able to provide our customers with the delicious organic milk they enjoy in their tea, coffee and Happy Meal milk bottles.”
She added that by joining FarmAhead, McDonald’s will “build on our existing program with Arla and its farm owners, shine a spotlight on nature in the dairy industry, and build on the great work already being done on farms across the country.”
Paul Dover, UK agriculture director at Arla Foods, said the partnership reflected a joint commitment to reducing emissions and protecting biodiversity.
“Through our long-term relationship, both McDonald’s and Arla have a common goal of reducing emissions while championing nature and biodiversity,” he said.
“Partnering on the FarmAhead Customer Partnership is a testament to McDonald’s commitment to leveraging innovation and working with farmers to support resilient food systems.”
The partnership aims to provide Arla farm owners with practical support to measure and improve their environmental performance.
“As organic dairy farmers, we have seen firsthand how a focus on soil health and biodiversity strengthens our herds and operations,” said Will Tizard, a farmer who supplies both companies.
“It is heartening to see our customers investing in practical nature-led solutions on their farms. This is the support that will help us deliver high-quality milk today while building a more resilient and sustainable future.”
McDonald’s partnership with Arla is part of the company’s Plan for Change initiative, which includes its Farm Forward program, which supports more than 29,000 farmers across the UK and Ireland.
Meanwhile, Arla has set science-based targets to reduce carbon emissions on its farms and promote biodiversity across its supply chain.
