Dear John,
I’m currently reading The Food Revolution, and I’m curious to know if American fast food corporations, such as McDonalds, that operate in other countries must buy their products from national suppliers? For example, you cite in your book The Food Revolution that countries such as Sweden have adopted legislation that has abolished the most inhumane farming practices. Does this mean that a McDonalds in Sweden supplies consumers with a more compassionately produced product?
Kyle
Dear Kyle,
Yes. And not only do the McDonald’s restaurants in Sweden serve meat from animals that have been far more humanely treated than U.S. livestock, but the Swedish arm of the company has also taken major steps toward becoming more Earth-friendly. McDonald’s totally dominates the fast food hamburger market in Sweden, selling 75 percent of the nation’s burgers. And it does this while serving organic vegetables, milk and beef. It also recycles 97 percent of all restaurant waste. Fast food chains in the United States often say that such changes would render them unprofitable. But in Sweden, McDonald’s has prospered while cutting fuel costs and pollution by over 30 percent through reducing distribution distances, and while eliminating thousands of tons of packaging material by changing to more environmental packaging. More than half of the 160 Swedish McDonald’s restaurants and its national headquarters now run on renewable energy.
It makes me wonder why they don’t do it here.
Yours for a positive future,
John
