McDonald’s UK to provide grant to dairy farmers

Fast-food giant McDonald’s has created a new £500,000 capital grant scheme to assist Arla Foods dairy farmers in delivering animal welfare initiatives.

The grant is available to all UK dairy farmers cooperating with Arla, with successful applicants eligible to receive a grant of up to £10,000 each, to be used to fund animal welfare projects.

Research conducted by the National Farm Research Unit (NFRU) found that 40% of pastoral farmers have developed a strategy to increase the well-being of animals on their farms. The study, commissioned by McDonald’s UK, observed animal welfare as the largest focus of investment, ahead of infrastructure (37%) and working capital (30%).

The NFRU also found that an overwhelming majority of farmers (88%) are accredited with a farm assurance scheme. Of the remainder, 20% are currently seeking accreditation.

“UK farmers have always been front-footed when it comes to animal welfare… they continue to invest and innovate,” said McDonald’s UK supply chain director Connor McVeigh.

“That’s why, as part of our Farm Forward programme, we are investing half a million pounds this year to support farmers who are driving innovation in animal welfare on their farms.”

Out of the respondents to the study, 59% said that an increased demand for organic and animal-friendly products has led to the increased investment in welfare.

Around two-thirds (64%) of farmers in the survey believed that they were personally responsible for promoting animal welfare, while the figure was much lower when they were asked if responsibility lay with the government (44%), retailers (39%), or consumers (34%).The study also raised obstacles to animal welfare in the farming industry such as high costs of production and a lack of funding.

Additional research from Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) found that animals kept in better conditions could benefit farmers. In a study on pigs, the SRUC found litters of pigs that were allowed to play the most grew the fastest.