WASHINGTON, DC, Nov. 04, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AgMission™, a global collaboration to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in agriculture, announced today that McDonald’s USA has partnered to develop and implement climate-smart farming solutions with a $5M commitment over the next five years.
The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR), the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers in Action (USFRA), and the World Farmers’ Organisation (WFO) established AgMission to unlock agriculture’s potential to reduce GHG emissions. This initiative ultimately aims to make the agriculture sector net-negative for GHG emissions. To achieve this audacious goal, AgMission brings farmers, ranchers and scientists together to co-create science-based solutions that can be rapidly deployed, increasing on-farm resiliency while mitigating the impacts of climate change.
Agricultural research and data are fundamental to this initiative. While this research is expanding, the existing work requires broader coordination and collaboration. Integrated, interoperable data is critical to coordinating this research and accelerating adaptation and adoption of climate-smart solutions that reduce GHG emissions. The resulting climate-smart practices will be both economically and environmentally sustainable, while reducing emissions.
“Climate change threatens our environment, food security as well as farmer and ranchers’ livelihoods. We are elated that McDonald’s sees the value of AgMission’s approach and is partnering with us on this unprecedented initiative,” said FFAR’s Executive Director Dr. Sally Rockey. “AgMission’s expansive, coordinated effort builds on existing research to coordinate agriculture’s climate-change response, connecting data from one part of the world that could benefit another.”
McDonald’s commitment to AgMission exemplifies the progressive actions the business is taking to help deliver net zero emissions across its global operations by 2050. The restaurant chain joins Pepsico as a Founding Partner of AgMission.
“We’re striving to feed more people in increasingly sustainable ways by creating a food system in which communities, animals and the planet thrive,” said Marion Gross, Senior Vice President and Chief Supply Chain Officer, North America, at McDonald’s. “It’s been proven time and again that real action comes through convening of partners around steady science-based strategies. We’re proud to contribute to the critically important work of AgMission and its partners to help measurably reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve supply chain resilience and enable regenerative agriculture.”
While the agriculture industry accounts for 9.9 percent of GHG emissions in the United States and roughly 24 percent globally, it is the only sector with the natural potential to be net negative for GHG emissions.
“Soil and farmlands already sequester one hundred more times carbon than is emitted in a year,” said Erin Fitzgerald, CEO, USFRA. “But farmers and ranchers cannot do it alone. This effort requires a response that rivals the magnitude of the challenge we are overcoming.”
FFAR, USFRA and WFO each have a proven history of activating communities to drive meaningful change. AgMission leverages FFAR’s public-private partnerships and extensive scientific reach to fund research alongside USFRA’s ability to mobilize farmers, ranchers and other key decision makers across the U.S. food and agriculture sector and WFO’s ability to help expand these efforts globally.
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Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research
The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) builds public-private partnerships to fund bold research addressing big food and agriculture challenges. FFAR was established in the 2014 Farm Bill to increase public agriculture research investments, fill knowledge gaps and complement USDA’s research agenda. FFAR’s model matches federal funding from Congress with private funding, delivering a powerful return on taxpayer investment. Through collaboration and partnerships, FFAR advances actionable science benefiting farmers, consumers and the environment.
Connect: @FoundationFAR | @RockTalking
McDonald’s USA
McDonald’s USA, LLC, serves a variety of menu options made with quality ingredients to nearly 25 million customers every day. Ninety-five percent of McDonald’s nearly 14,000 U.S. restaurants are independently owned and operated by local business owners.
The World Farmers’ Organisation
The World Farmers’ Organisation (WFO) is an International member-based Organisation, whose members are national farmers' organisations and agricultural cooperatives from all over the world, representing and advocating on behalf of the global farmer community with the objective of developing policies and actions that favour and support farmers' causes in developed and developing countries around the world.
Connect: @worldfarmersorg
U.S. Farmers & Ranchers in Action
U.S. Farmers & Ranchers in Action (USFRA) represents farmer- and rancher-led organizations as well as other leaders throughout the food and agriculture sector with a shared vision of co-creating sustainable food systems and a belief that bold action is needed. It connects farmers and ranchers with the best minds in food, agriculture, science and technology to support the food and agriculture sector in reducing its greenhouse gas emissions, and in the process, contributing to increased social and economic stability. USFRA is the secretariat for the Decade of Ag, the first sector-wide movement to align around a shared vision and outcomes for the sustainable food and ag systems of the future.
Connect: @USFRA
