Posted on Leave a comment

American food spending shifts away from farmers

American food spending

A recent USDA study shows that for every dollar Americans spend on food, only 7.8 cents goes to farmers, their lowest share since 1993. Another important metric: For the first time, over half of all consumer food dollars are spent at restaurants.

“The on-the-go consumer leads to farmers getting a smaller share of the food total,” said John Newton, director of market intelligence at the American Farm Bureau Federation.

And there’s always a millennial niche: They go grocery shopping the least compared to other generations, and devote more of their at-home food spending to prepared foods.

Lauren Bankert, The Tallahassee 100

Posted on Leave a comment

McDonald’s invests in grazing research to understand ecological impacts

Building a better McDonald’s starts with our food. We’re committed to working with suppliers and industry organizations to create frameworks for continuous improvement across America’s diverse climates and production systems.

In partnership with FFAR, McDonald’s is supporting research to understand the ecological impacts of adaptive multi-paddock and continuous cattle grazing. The Arizona State University-led project evaluates how grazing influences soil microbiology and carbon, animal and farmer well-being and more.

The research will help inform how McDonald’s engages with our supply chain and how to best harness the regenerative potential of agriculture for people, animals and the planet.

Townsend Bailey, Sustainability Director, McDonald’s, who recently visited eight farms participating in the project