McDonald’s partners with prince’s fund to back beef farmers

McDonald’s has entered into a three-year partnership with the Prince’s Countryside Fund (PCF), supporting the charity’s work in improving the economic resilience of livestock farming families. 

The fast food restaurant chain says the partnership with the PCF cements its commitment to farmers’ futures, as well as the future of the farming industry.

Thanks to McDonald’s, the fund is launching the “Beef it Up” scheme in 2020, a series of group workshops aimed at livestock farms in the Farm Resilience Programme alumni network.

See also: Mull abattoir future secured thanks to Prince’s grant

The Beef it Up workshops will help farms to continuously improve their practices and sustainability performance, by introducing them to practical steps they can take to immediately make changes to their production systems.  

To further strengthen these farm businesses, the workshops will address topics including animal health and welfare, farm safety, economic resilience and environmental management.

Nina Prichard of McDonald’s UK said: “Our supply chain is absolutely critical to our success – we couldn’t serve the food that we’re famous for without the support and hard work of 23,000 British and Irish farmers.

“This partnership is an important move in supporting them and securing their future – farming is part of the fabric of our society, and we are delighted to be working with the Prince’s Countryside Fund on this resilience programme.”

PCF ‘thrilled’

Claire Saunders, the PCF director, said: “I am thrilled that the fund will be working again with McDonald’s, in order to help us improve the prospects of family farm businesses across the UK at such a critical time.”

The PCF, set up by the Prince of Wales in 2010, works with farming and rural communities throughout the UK, and to date has provided more than £10m in grant and initiative funding.