TORONTO, Canada — McDonald’s Canada today announced its partnership with the Rainforest Alliance to serve McCafé coffee made exclusively from 100 per cent Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee beans in all of its restaurants across Canada.
The Rainforest Alliance Certified Arabica beans sourced by McDonald’s for its McCafé coffee are grown and harvested according to strict standards to protect forests, conserve wildlife and support communities in coffee growing regions around the world. This commitment to ethical sourcing will be spotlighted on the McCafé hot beverage cups used in restaurants, which will sport the Rainforest Alliance Certified seal, so consumers can feel good about enjoying their McCafé latte, cappuccino or brewed coffee.
The Rainforest Alliance is an international non-profit organization working to ensure the long-term well-being of farm communities, forests and wildlife. To become Rainforest Alliance Certified, farms and farmers are audited annually against a rigorous standard with detailed environmental, social and economic criteria, designed to protect biodiversity, improve livelihoods, and foster a culture of respect for workers and local communities.
McDonald’s Canada has been on a journey toward making its business practices more sustainable as part of an overarching goal to reduce its environmental footprint. Recently, the company announced plans for a “Green Concept Restaurant,” with two restaurants acting as incubator locations to test new packaging options and recycling initiatives. Sourcing only 100 per cent Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee beans is one part of this journey, to help ensure the long-term well-being of farm communities, forests and wildlife.
“Canadians are looking for brands to take a leadership role in making positive changes in the industry, and we’re listening to that,” said Catherine Crozier, senior director, McCafé strategy, marketing and brand innovation. “Our decision to serve 100 per cent ethically-sourced coffee beans is another step forward in our coffee journey. Rainforest Alliance certification provides our guests with the knowledge that when they choose McCafé coffee, their choice makes a positive impact on our planet.”
“Having a partner like McDonald’s and the McCafé brand is a meaningful way to help educate Canadians about how their coffee is grown and how everyday choices can make a difference,” said Miguel Zamora, director of core markets, Rainforest Alliance. “The Rainforest Alliance Certified seal on McCafé cups lets Canadians know the coffee inside the cup is from beans sourced in a way that supports farmers and their communities, and helps protect our environment.”
The Rainforest Alliance addresses social impacts through many means, including:
- Training coffee farmers in methods that boost yields and safeguard the health of the land for future generations.
- Promoting decent living and working conditions for workers, gender equality and access to education for children in farm communities.
- Improving incomes by using sustainable methods to increase yields and achieve cost savings through more efficient farm management; leveraging certification to help farmers reach new markets, negotiate better prices, improve their access to credit and earn a premium on their beans.
- “Ethically Sourced” references goods that are produced and purchased in a way that is respectful of the people who produce them.
- “Sustainability” indicates the priority to meet society’s food needs in the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
- In 2018, McDonald’s Canada also became the first company in Canada to serve Canadian Angus beef certified sustainable by the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef
- The Green Concept Restaurants are located in London, ON and Vancouver, BC and will test new sustainable packaging that have the potential to be rolled out on a larger scale in the future, including innovations such as a fully re-pulpable cup for cold beverages, and 100 per cent fibre straw-less lids
- McDonald’s is a key partner with other leading brands, industry experts and innovators to bring fully recoverable hot and cold fibre cup systems to a global scale via the NextGen Cup Challenge.
- Globally, McDonald’s has committed that by 2025, 100 per cent of McDonald’s guest packaging will come from renewable, recycled, or certified sources.
- McDonald’s is also committed to ensuring that 100 per cent of fibre-based packaging is sourced from recycled or certified sources by 2020.
