McDonald's promises to tackle burping cows

McDonald's has stepped up efforts to bolster its environmental credentials with the announcement of a major new research project designed to curb greenhouse gas emissions from UK cattle.

The fast food chain is one of the largest purchasers of British beef, using meat from 350,000 cattle each year for its burgers, and as a result a sizable chunk of its greenhouse gas emissions are a consequence of methane emissions from cows.

According to government figures, livestock emissions account for four per cent of the UK's carbon footprint, while one US study calculated that burping cows mean that each single McDonald's cheeseburger results in greenhouse emissions equivalent to 3.1kg of carbon dioxide.

However, now the company is seeking to tackle the problem through a three-year research project that will trial new feeding and farming techniques at 350 beef farms across the UK and Ireland.

McDonald's has teamed up with rural environmental consultancy Eco2 Project, which will visit all 250 farms by the end of April and offer advice on how to curb cattle emissions.

"We think we can bring about significant reductions by harnessing the efficiencies of dairy beef, by improving existing suckler cow farming techniques and practices, and by generating further supply chain efficiencies," said director Peter Darlington. "Our advice will help farmers do this by improving their existing farming methods. Relatively small changes can result in carbon savings on beef farms."

Steve Easterbrook, chief executive of McDonald's UK, said the project, which will be rolled out across Europe if it proves successful, would not only curb McDonald's greenhouse gas emissions but would also "deliver real financial benefits to the farmer".

Given that McDonald's only uses a couple of cuts of meat for its burgers, the project will have a knock-on impact on the carbon footprint of other retailers who use different cuts from the same animal.

The project is likely to be welcomed by the government, which only last week called on farmers to increase investment in developing sustainable low carbon farming techniques.