Cargill joined the “McDonald's China Regenerative Agriculture Plan" to support the green development of China's agriculture

Cargill offers restaurant chains like McDonald's with tens of thousands of protein products. We also join hands with industry partners to provide end consumers with safe and nutritious food, also paying attention to the sustainable development of agriculture and contributing to China's rural revitalization strategy.

Therefore, Cargill proactively joined the first agricultural green development exploration campaign - "McDonald's China Regenerative Agriculture Plan" - which is jointly promoted by the catering industry chain.

About McDonald's China Regenerative Agriculture Plan

Initiated by McDonald's China, the program works with nine McDonald's suppliers, including Cargill, to focus on five key areas: nature, soil, water, livestock, and farmers. The plan will also provide consumers with fresh, safe and natural ingredients, helping to accelerate the development of green and low-carbon agriculture. In the next five years, the plan will focus on four major actions to achieve the systematic, large-scale promotion and implementation of regenerative agriculture concepts and practices, promoting eco-friendly and sustainable planting and breeding.

Jackson Chan, Managing Director of Cargill Protein China, joined the project kick-off event in Shanghai. He said, “It’s a great pleasure to work with McDonald’s, Cargill’s Global Partner Group customer, on this regenerative agriculture initiative. We are committed to providing more sustainable protein products to McDonald’s and securing a greener future for our next generations.”

Agriculture is not only a source of high-quality ingredients, but also an important field in which the issues of climate change and biodiversity are addressed

As a diversified transnational enterprise integrating food, agriculture, and other services, Cargill not only opens the passage from farm to fork, but also actively practices regenerative agriculture plans to address climate change, contributing to realizing China’s strategy of increasing farmers' income and rendering rural development more sustainable.

Cargill Protein Regenerative Agriculture Practices

We launch Regenerative Agriculture Practices by exploring new ways to incorporate new science and technology to make the soil healthier, more fertile, and more productive. We also conserve water and protect water quality with upgraded technology and facilities.

Action 1: Chicken coop heat recovery

Cargill uses a chicken coop heat recovery system in four chicken coops. During the winter-feeding season, coops using the heat recovery system save more than 60% of their natural gas consumption than their counterparts without heat recovery.

Action 2: Sewage recycling

Cargill has built a wastewater treatment plant and tank system in our chicken farm that utilizes the SBR (Sequencing Batch Reactor) process, which is capable of treating 30 tons of wastewater per day. After such treatment, the chemical oxygen demand (COD) discharge of sewage will be reduced by about 80% each year, the total nitrogen emission will be reduced by about 70%, and the "farmland irrigation water quality standard for dry farming" will be achieved. As a result, Cargill Protein China Farm recycles 160 tons of treated water annually from the reclaimed water storage tank to flush the chicken coop, further reducing sewage generation.

Action 3: Antibiotic use reduction

To provide consumers with safe and nutritious food, Cargill combines food safety with sustainable development and implements scientific breeding management on upstream farms. In the past 5 years, the use of antibiotics on Cargill Protein China farms has been reduced by more than 70%.

Action 4: Livestock manure reuse

Cargill actively develops new sustainable agricultural technologies, using biological fermentation technology to treat chicken manure in Cargill Protein China farms, turning the latter into organic fertilizer and returning it to the field to improve soil fertility.

  

Actively support sustainable rural development

Cargill serves communities by sharing breeding knowledge, technology, and experience with local farmers, contributing to environment protection and rural revitalization.

Action 1: Improving local environment

During Arbor Day and Earth Day every year, Cargill Protein China organizes tree donation and planting campaigns in local communities. Cargill has donated saplings worth 3.39 million CNY to local communities, planting more than 125,000 trees in the afforestation area of 387 acres.

Action 2: "Juanliu Project"

Cargill and the China Environmental Protection Foundation jointly launched the Juanliu project, investing 2.2 million yuan to improve the quality of water resources around Chuzhou farms and promote sustainable development through rational and circular use of water resources.

Action 3: Benefiting local communities

Cargill has supported the precision poverty alleviation project in Gaoshan Village for three consecutive years, donating pig seedlings, fodder, and drought-resistant wells to farmers to improve the living conditions of local community residents. Besides, Cargill invests more than 2.6 million yuan every year to repair and improve roads and ditches around the community for residents to return home safely.

As Zhang Yichen, Chairman of the Board of Directors of McDonald's China, said, "We have been driving the 'green growth engine'. And while our business is developing rapidly, we are constantly exploring how to make nature and people live in harmony and move forward in a more sustainable way.”

Let's promote the concept and practice of regenerative agriculture together
Let nature come alive
Let’s create a greener future for next generations!