McDonald’s USA Invests $200 Million in Regenerative Agriculture
September 19, 2025
McDonald’s USA unveiled its largest investment in regenerative agriculture to date with the launch of the Grassland Resilience and Conservation Initiative, along with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and key McDonald’s U.S. suppliers.
This initiative will invest more than $200 million over the next seven years to help promote and accelerate regenerative grazing practices, habitat restoration, water and wildlife conservation on cattle ranches spanning 4 million acres across up to 38 states.
Through the Grassland Resilience and Conservation Initiative, participating ranchers will have the opportunity to leverage tools and resources to help them improve wildlife habitats, conserve water and enhance soil health. McDonald’s says this initiative will help boost its U.S. supply chain resilience, including by providing participating ranchers economic returns such as incentive payments.
Certain McDonald’s USA suppliers, including Cargill, Golden State Foods, Lopez Foods, OSI and The Coca-Cola Company have elected to provide funds to NFWF alongside McDonald’s USA. NFWF will independently award competitive grants to organizations that will assist participating ranchers in adopting practices that advance wildlife conservation and regenerative agriculture.
“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,” says Cesar Piña, McDonald’s senior vice president and chief supply chain officer, North America. “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.”
Promoting and accelerating these practices benefits both the environment and ranchers and shows how large brands can help drive meaningful change in the food system. Through the Grassland Resilience and Conservation Initiative, ranchers will gain additional access to tools and resources that help:
-Improve grazing land management
-Protect and restore grasslands and other natural ecosystems
-Help safeguard water
-Upgrade ranch infrastructure
Participating ranchers will also receive economic returns, such as incentive payments.
“The benefits of grassland conservation are far-reaching,” says Jeff Trandahl, NFWF executive director and chief executive officer. “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.”
As part of this initiative, NFWF will manage and invest conservation funding to advance ranchers in their voluntary conservation efforts. NFWF is collaborating with its conservation partners across America’s grasslands to identify impactful landscape-scale projects that will generate the greatest possible benefits to both wildlife populations and the productivity of vital U.S. ranch lands. The first round of competitive grant-making will culminate in the announcement of awards, which is expected in January 2026.
Kateri and Carbon Yield will provide independent monitoring and quantification of any improvements to soil health.
For additional information about the Grassland Resilience and Conservation Initiative, visit NFWF.org.
Source: Drovers
