Cargill, McDonald’s Canada: Helping foster innovation and leadership
Read Time: 5 minutes
January 29, 2025
Over the past 20 years, McDonald’s Canada and Cargill have forged a partnership rooted in a shared commitment to innovation and supporting local supply chains. Canadian beef producers play an important role in the national beef supply. Together, McDonald’s Canada and Cargill are helping shape the current and future beef supply chain, so Canadians can enjoy the burgers they love while helping support the livelihoods of local ranchers. Partnerships like this are how McDonald’s Canada serves more than one million Canadian guests every day in both franchised and corporate-owned restaurants.
Celebrating shared milestones with the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef
This year marks two significant anniversaries: two decades of partnership between McDonald’s Canada and Cargill, and the 10th anniversary of the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB).
Both companies were founding members of the CRSB, a collaborative organization that works to advance, measure and communicate continuous improvement in sustainability of the Canadian beef value chain.
“As a rancher I joined the CRSB because I wanted to be part of moving our industry forward. We have made an immense amount of progress on that journey,” says Kristine Tapley, a CRSB-certified rancher and Cargill’s Customer Engagement Manager for Sustainability. “It’s a testament to the power of collaboration.”
Investing in future leaders
The Canadian Cattle Young Leaders program has helped mentor more than 200 graduates and equipped them with skills to address evolving challenges. (Photo courtesy of Mike Deal.)
Recognizing that the strength of the beef industry lies in its people, McDonald's Canada and Cargill are deeply invested in the next generation. As the two top-level, platinum partners of the Canadian Cattle Young Leaders (CYL) program, the companies recently celebrated over 200 graduates. The program serves to mentor young farmers, ranchers and industry professionals. It also equips them with skills to address evolving challenges, from adopting regenerative grazing practices to engaging with consumers about innovative farming practices.
“Through CYL, I gained valuable mentorship and connections that helped me transition from ranching to my current role as a sustainability leader at Cargill,” Kristine says.
Ryan Beierbach, chair of the CRSB and a longtime Saskatchewan rancher, echoes that sentiment, noting CYL’s mentorship was instrumental in shaping his path as an industry leader.
“It let me meet other industry leaders and really set me up well to understand how to work with policy organizations,” Ryan adds. “There was a ton of personal benefit for my career taking part (in CYL).”
Science, stewardship and grassroots innovation
Cargill and McDonald's Canada have collaborated to support several programs and initiatives promoting Canadian farmers and ranchers.
Beyond mentorship, McDonald's Canada and Cargill have invested over $100,000 between the two companies in groundbreaking research through the Beef Cattle Research Council. This collaboration supports studies on soil health, grazing management and carbon sequestration, reinforcing ways the Canadian beef industry can remain a global leader in future-focused farming practices.
“At the root of McDonald's Canada’s purpose is our ambition to continue serving guests the burgers they know and love, while supporting Canadian farmers and ranchers,” says Sam Hamam, head of supply chain management at McDonald’s Canada. “Our investment in this research program is one of the ways we’re contributing to the future of farming by helping to equip tomorrow’s generation of cattle ranchers and farmers with new practices through these research initiatives.”
On the ground, programs like the CRSB’s Certified Sustainable Beef Framework provide third-party audited certification for sustainable beef practices across the nation. According to CRSB, these standards provide credible assurances for the production, processing and sourcing of beef through certified supply chains in Canada. Through Cargill’s use of this framework, retailers and foodservice customers can proudly display the CRSB-certified logo, signaling their support for ranchers committed to continuous improvement in beef sustainability.
Financial incentives further reinforce this commitment. Through Cargill’s Qualifying Cattle Credit Payments and Certification Recognition Credits, ranchers are rewarded for their efforts to certify their operations.
McDonald’s Canada and Cargill have also teamed up with Ducks Unlimited Canada to support rancher-led work through a $5 million Forage Program, which is on track to return 125,000 acres of cropland to grass and pasture by the end of 2025. Farmers and ranchers agree to maintain the forage for 10 years, and receive incentives, discounted seed and technical support.
Looking ahead
Cargill employees celebrate 20 years of work helping advance the Canadian beef supply chain.
The collaboration between McDonald’s Canada and Cargill embodies a shared vision: a commitment to helping advance agricultural practices and supporting the next generation of farmers across Canada. For Kristine, Ryan and countless others in the beef community, 20 years is more than just an anniversary — it’s a benchmark of progress. As they look to the next 20 years, their focus remains unwavering: feeding Canadians 100% Canadian beef while leaving a real impact on the land and communities they serve.
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