McDonald’s has teamed up with Arla Foods, the UK’s largest dairy co-operative, to drive nature-led sustainability across British dairy farms in a major new phase of their partnership.
The move comes as global food companies face growing pressure to cut emissions, protect biodiversity and strengthen environmental standards within their supply chains.
The fast-food chain has joined Arla’s FarmAhead Customer Partnership programme, which brings together farmers and commercial partners to deliver measurable environmental improvements on farms.
The initiative builds on a relationship between the two companies that dates back to 1987, when Arla began supplying organic milk to McDonald’s restaurants across the country.
The latest collaboration focuses on ReNature, a biodiversity project that will run on about 60 UK dairy farms. The scheme will assess the current state of nature on organic farms, improve soil health and boost habitats for wildlife. Findings will be shared across Arla’s wider milk pool and McDonald’s organic supply chain to show measurable biodiversity gains.
McDonald’s has already invested almost £1 million in Arla’s Organic Dairy Network, supported regenerative-agriculture trials and helped spread best practice across the farming sector.
Ellie Wotherspoon, agriculture and sustainable sourcing manager at McDonald’s UK & Ireland, said: “We are 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 our teas, coffees and Happy Meal milk bottles.”
She added that by joining FarmAhead, McDonald’s is “building on our existing programmes with Arla and their farmer owners, and shining a spotlight on nature within the dairy industry to develop the great work that is already being done on farms around the country.”
Paul Dover, UK agricultural director at Arla Foods, said the partnership reflects a joint commitment to cutting emissions and protecting biodiversity.
“Through our long-term relationship, McDonald’s and Arla both have a shared ambition to reduce emissions alongside championing nature and biodiversity,” he said.
“In partnering on the FarmAhead Customer Partnership, it’s testament to McDonald’s commitment to working alongside farmers to harness innovation and support a resilient food system.”
For Arla’s farmer owners, the partnership aims to provide practical support to measure and improve environmental performance.
“As organic dairy farmers, we’ve seen first-hand how focusing on soil health and biodiversity strengthens our herds and our businesses,” said farmer Will Tizzard, who supplies both companies.
“It’s encouraging to have a customer investing in practical, nature-led solutions on farm — support that helps us deliver high-quality milk today while building a more resilient, sustainable future.”
McDonald’s partnership with Arla forms part of its Plan for Change initiative, which includes the Farm Forward programme supporting more than 29,000 British and Irish farmers.
Arla, meanwhile, has set science-based targets to reduce on-farm carbon emissions and promote biodiversity across its supply chain.
