McDonald’s USA, Lopez Foods, and Syngenta North America have announced a collaboration aimed at improving the sustainability of beef production. This partnership focuses on enhancing feed efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions per pound of meat produced.
Syngenta’s exclusive Enogen® corn, an innovative in-seed product, has been shown to improve feed efficiency in cattle and lower emissions intensity when compared to traditional corn. The corn contains a special alpha amylase enzyme that breaks down starch into sugars more efficiently, providing cattle with more usable energy and making it easier for them to digest. This increased digestibility leads to improved feed efficiency, which is a key factor in reducing emissions in livestock farming systems.
“At Syngenta, we believe innovation and collaboration are the keys to accelerating sustainability in the global food system,” said Justin Wolfe, President of Syngenta Seeds. “We’re excited about the potential impact of our Enogen® corn in helping McDonald’s and its beef supply chain achieve sustainability goals.”
This collaboration aligns with McDonald’s ambitious climate targets. “Beef is a priority ingredient for McDonald’s, and we see this partnership with Syngenta as an opportunity to help us make significant progress toward our science-based climate objectives,” said Kendra Levine, Director of US Sustainability for McDonald’s.
Enogen® corn has demonstrated a 5% improvement in feed efficiency in cattle, as confirmed by university research. Life-cycle assessments show that this boost in efficiency could result in notable environmental benefits, including reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, land use, water consumption, and energy usage. Specifically, the collaboration could save:
- 196 tons (178 metric tons) of CO2e in greenhouse gas emissions
- 69 acres (28 hectares) of land for feed production
- 6 million gallons (22 million liters) of water
- 231 thousand kilowatt-hours of energy
McDonald’s aims to scale this initiative to reduce over 164,000 metric tons of CO2e annually.
For Syngenta, sustainability is a core aspect of its global business strategy, with a focus on improving yields with lower environmental impact, regenerating soil, and enhancing rural prosperity. By leveraging technology like Enogen® corn, Syngenta is contributing to the transformation of agriculture and driving positive change at scale.
