Have you ever wondered just how much beef McDonald’s uses in a year?
The answer is staggering. The fast-food giant buys as much as 1.9 billion pounds of beef annually, which requires the slaughter of over 7 million cattle.
This has a significant impact on the environment, with McDonald’s producing more than 53 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions in 2019 alone.
While the company has made sustainability pledges, experts argue that it needs to take bolder steps to reduce its beef consumption and emissions.
In this article, we’ll explore the impact of McDonald’s beef consumption and what the company is doing to address it.
How Much Beef Does McDonald’s Use Per Year?
As mentioned earlier, McDonald’s buys as much as 1.9 billion pounds of beef each year. This staggering amount of meat is used to make popular menu items such as Big Macs, Quarter Pounders, and Triple Cheeseburgers.
However, the production of beef has a significant impact on the environment. Cows release high levels of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, in their burps and manure. Additionally, the amount of feed, water, and land required to produce a pound of beef is much higher than other animals, which inflates their carbon footprint.
The beef industry also contributes to deforestation and water pollution. This “multidimensional burden” on the Earth has led experts to call for a reduction in beef consumption to combat climate change.
The Environmental Impact Of McDonald’s Beef Consumption
McDonald’s is one of the largest buyers of beef in the world, using approximately 1.9 billion pounds of beef each year. This massive amount of meat requires the company and its suppliers to slaughter over 7 million cattle annually, contributing to a significant environmental impact.
Beef production emits more greenhouse gases than almost any other food we produce, with cows releasing high levels of methane in their burps and manure. The amount of feed, water, and land required to produce a pound of beef is much higher than other animals, inflating their carbon footprint.
Furthermore, the beef industry contributes to deforestation and water pollution, adding a “multidimensional burden” on the Earth. Climate experts have called for a reduction in beef consumption to combat climate change, with the industry comprising as much as 25% of greenhouse gas emissions from the world’s food system.
While McDonald’s has announced sustainability initiatives, it has yet to make significant menu changes to reduce beef production and emissions. Critics argue that the company needs to serve far less beef and shift towards low-carbon options immediately to mitigate climate change. McDonald’s has pledged to achieve “net zero” emissions by 2050 but has faced scrutiny over its lack of specifics and long timeline.
The Amount Of Cattle Slaughtered For McDonald’s Beef
To meet the demand for their beef products, McDonald’s reportedly slaughters around 10 million cows each year. This is a rough estimate based on the assumption that each cow can produce around 100 pounds of burger meat, and McDonald’s moves approximately one billion pounds of hamburger per annum.
It’s worth noting that not all meat from a cow goes towards making patties, as different cuts are used for different purposes. McDonald’s itself acknowledges that a single patty may contain meat from over 100 distinct animals. However, even with this factored in, it’s clear that the amount of cattle slaughtered for McDonald’s beef is significant.
This raises concerns about animal welfare, as well as the environmental impact of beef production. The resources required to produce beef, such as water and feed, are substantial, and the methane emissions from cows contribute to climate change.
As consumer awareness about these issues grows, McDonald’s has responded by launching plant-based options like the McVegan sandwich. Whether this will be enough to satisfy changing consumer preferences remains to be seen.
McDonald’s Sustainability Pledges And Actions
In response to the growing concerns over its environmental impact, McDonald’s has announced several sustainability initiatives. The company’s 2018 sustainability plan pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions related to its restaurants and offices by 36% by the end of 2030 from a 2015 base year, as well as a 31% reduction in emissions intensity across its supply chain. These science-based targets were approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) in 2018, and McDonald’s is working to reach them by collaborating with industries, governments, franchisees, suppliers, consumers, and local communities.
In 2021, McDonald’s joined the United Nations Race to Zero campaign, committing to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. Through the SBTi Business Ambition for 1.5°C campaign, the company has also committed to adapting its climate targets to do its part going forward to keep global temperature rises below 1.5°C.
Despite these pledges and initiatives, some climate experts have criticized McDonald’s for not taking bold steps to reduce beef production, which is responsible for about 80% of the company’s greenhouse gas emissions. The company purchases hamburger patties from about 20 suppliers around the world, who procure beef from thousands of slaughterhouses that obtain cattle from millions of different ranches and feed yards.
McDonald’s pledged to obtain an unknown quantity of sustainable beef for many of its largest markets five years ago and claims to have achieved this goal. However, some environmental groups have criticized the company for not making significant menu changes to reduce beef production and emissions.
Experts Call For Bolder Steps To Reduce Beef Consumption And Emissions
Despite McDonald’s recent sustainability initiatives, experts are calling for bolder steps to be taken to reduce beef consumption and emissions. The company’s 2018 sustainability plan pledged to reduce total emissions from its restaurants and offices by 36% and to reduce “emissions intensity” across its supply chain by 31% compared to 2015 levels. However, climate scientists have questioned the math behind these plans, and little headway has been made in reducing beef production and emissions.
According to environmental and urban studies research professor Gidon Eshel, the 1.6 billion pounds of beef used by McDonald’s in 2019 would produce around 22 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions. This is equivalent to the average emissions from 4.8 million cars in a given year or one-third of one percent of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.
Experts are calling for McDonald’s to take bold steps to reduce the amount of beef it serves, as the beef industry comprises as much as 25% of greenhouse gas emissions from the world’s food system. This includes reducing the amount of beef in popular menu items and shifting towards low-carbon options.
While McDonald’s has announced a commitment to “net zero” emissions by 2050, environmental groups have criticized the lack of specifics and long timeline in this plan. Jennifer Molidor, a senior food campaigner with the Center for Biological Diversity, stated that not moving boldly on their menus suggests motivations might not be to mitigate climate change but to manage investors.
Alternative Protein Options For McDonald’s
While beef is a staple ingredient in many of McDonald’s menu items, the fast-food chain has also started to explore alternative protein options. One of the most notable additions was the McPlant burger, which featured a plant-based patty developed in partnership with Beyond Meat. While the McPlant was only available for a limited time at select U.S. locations, it was well-received by customers and could potentially make a comeback in the future.
Other alternative protein options include chicken and fish. Grilled chicken sandwiches and salads are lower in calories and fat than their beef counterparts, while fish sandwiches provide a good source of omega-3 fatty acids. Additionally, McDonald’s offers vegetarian options such as the Veggie Burger and the McChicken sandwich made with a veggie patty.
For those looking for a high-protein option, chicken nuggets are a good choice with four nuggets containing just 193 calories. Pairing them with apple slices and a diet soda can make for a low-calorie meal on the go. The Sausage McMuffin with Egg also provides 21g of protein, although it is higher in calories.
While McDonald’s may be known for its beef burgers, there are plenty of alternative protein options available for those looking to switch things up or reduce their environmental impact.