McDonald’s to invest $200 million in regenerative ranching
McDonald’s USA is going all in on the regenerative agriculture movement with a $200 million investment to launch the Grassland Resilience and Conservation Initiative.
This program was developed alongside the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the United States Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service and several McDonald’s suppliers. Those suppliers include Cargill, Golden State Foods, Lopez Foods, OSI, and The Coca-Cola Company.
“As a brand that serves more than 90% of Americans every year, we recognize the responsibility we have to help safeguard our food systems for long-term vitality,” said Cesar Piña, senior vice president and chief supply chain officer, North America, McDonald’s USA. “Through our support of this initiative, McDonald’s USA is demonstrating the power of partnership between the public and private sectors and that feeding the population and stewarding our natural resources can coexist.”
The investment is McDonald’s largest endowment in sustainable farming and ranching to date and is focused on encouraging regenerative grazing, water conservation, restoring grasslands, wildlife habitat restoration, and enhancing soil health. Some of the goals are to reduce the need for synthetic chemicals and fertilizer and continue the fast-food giant’s commitment to responsible beef sourcing and stewardship of land and livestock. NFWF will award competitive grants to organizations that will assist participating ranchers in adopting these practices.
“The benefits of grassland conservation are far-reaching,” said Jeff Trandahl, executive director and chief executive officer at NFWF. “When cattle are managed to optimize multiple ecological and economic values, the land holds more water, grows better grass and supports more wildlife. Conservation practices voluntarily adopted by ranchers can improve the productivity of grasslands, increase ranching profitability and strengthen the vitality of rural communities across the United States.”
According to a McDonald’s press release, the $200 million will be distributed over the next seven years to cattle ranches spanning 4 million acres across up to 38 states. Through this initiative, selected ranchers will be provided with means to improve sustainability of their soil and preserve natural resources.
Cattle producers involved with the initiative will receive incentive payments for their sustainability efforts. According to NFWF, significant investments are expected in the Great Plains, Rocky Mountain West, Midwest, West Coast, and Southeast.
“It is great to see such a large and influential company like McDonald’s invest $200 million in regenerative farming,” said U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, M.D., R-Kansas. “I have continued to emphasize that the bridge between Make America Healthy Again and agriculture is soil health. Producing nutrient-dense foods begins with healthy soil, and I am thrilled to see this effort happening here on American soil.”
The first round of grant announcements is expected in January 2026. For additional information about the Grassland Resilience and Conservation Initiative, visit www.nfwf.org.
Lacey Vilhauer can be reached at 620-227-1871 or [email protected].
PHOTO: (Journal photo by Lacey Vilhauer.)
