Leadership in Sustainable Agriculture and the Environment
McCain Foods is making significant strides toward sustainable potato production and products. The company continued to actively embrace regenerative farming practices in 2024, as highlighted in its new global sustainability report.
Over the past financial year, 71% of McCain farmers were engaged in the McCain Regenerative Agriculture Framework, and 24% are already implementing practices to improve agricultural sustainability. This is important progress in the company’s strategy to implement regenerative practices on 100% of McCain potato acreage by 2030.
McCain Foods President and CEO Max Keown emphasized the importance of these initiatives:
“Agriculture is the core of our business, and our commitment to regenerative practices is key to a sustainable future. Despite challenges such as extreme weather, geopolitical instability, and inflation, McCain continues to work with partners and communities to ensure supply chain resilience and support for the environment.”
McCain Foods Key Achievements in 2024
- Smart and Sustainable Agriculture
- 71% of farmers operate in accordance with the McCain Regenerative Agriculture Framework, with 24% using regenerative practices.
- Nearly half of partners have access to financial tools to support sustainable farming.
- More than 25,600 hours of training have been provided to farmers to help them transition to new practices.
- 22% of the company’s entire portfolio consists of drought-tolerant potato varieties.
- Resource Efficiency
- 23% of all electricity consumed comes from renewable sources.
- 12% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions (Scope 1 and 2) since 2017.
- Improved water efficiency at key manufacturing sites by 20%.
- Reduced food loss by 9% since 2020.
- 99% of the company’s paper and 92% of its plastic packaging is recyclable.
- Product Quality and Safety
- Acquired the plant-based Strong Roots brand.
- 98% of McCain’s manufacturing facilities and key ingredient suppliers are GFSI certified.
- McCain has reduced the sodium content of its products by 6.5% since 2018.
- Community Support
- 18 million meals donated to food banks and NGOs.
- 24,000 hours of McCain employee volunteer work.
- Supporting 13,971 farmers and families since 2018, ahead of our 2025 target.
- Launch of the Eastfield Community Shop in the UK, benefiting 1,262 people.
- Project Utthan has seen farmers increase their income by 25% by switching to higher-yielding crops.
The Future of Regenerative Agriculture
In his closing remarks, Max Keown highlighted McCain Foods’ commitment to sustainability:
“We see huge potential in regenerative agriculture, which can benefit not only farmers but also the wider community. Our initiatives are designed to create a long-term positive impact on the global food system.”
How do you see the future of regenerative agriculture? Are farmers in your area ready to embrace it? Let us know in the comments!
