McCain Foods has released its global 2024 Sustainability Report, highlighting significant advancement toward its goal of providing more sustainably sourced products while supporting local communities.
The company reported substantial progress in its commitment to implement regenerative agriculture practices across all potato acreage used for McCain products by 2030. During fiscal year 2024, 71% of McCain’s approximately 3,900 global farming partners were onboarded to the McCain Regenerative Agriculture Framework, with 24% actively engaged in practices designed to improve farm resilience.
“Agriculture is at the heart of our business, and our commitment to regenerative agriculture is at the core of our sustainability journey,” said Max Koeune, President and CEO of McCain Foods. “In the face of challenges like extreme weather, geopolitical unrest, and inflation, McCain remains dedicated to working with partners and communities to drive meaningful progress toward its targets to achieve a resilient supply chain and a more sustainable future.”
The report outlined achievements across McCain’s four sustainability pillars. The company increased its renewable electricity usage to nearly 25% of total electrical energy consumption in 2024, achieved a 12% absolute reduction in greenhouse gas emissions (Scope 1 and 2) since 2017, and improved water use efficiency at priority plants by 20% since 2017.
In agricultural operations, McCain expanded financial support partnerships, with nearly half of its farming partners now eligible for regenerative agriculture loans or incentives. The company delivered over 25,600 hours of training to help farming partners transition to regenerative methods, while 22% of its portfolio utilized water-stress tolerant potato varieties.
McCain also made progress in sustainable packaging, with approximately 99% of paper packaging and 92% of plastic packaging now designed for recyclability. The company reduced food waste intensity across operations by approximately 9% since 2020.
Community engagement remained a priority, with McCain donating more than 18 million meals to food banks and NGOs in 2024 and contributing over 24,000 employee volunteer hours. Through various initiatives, including Project Utthan, which helped vulnerable farmers increase their income by 25%, McCain supported 13,971 vulnerable farmers and families since 2018, achieving its 2025 target a year ahead of schedule.
“It is through collaboration across the value chain that we are able to drive progress,” Koeune emphasized. “Our ambition to lead in regenerative agriculture has the potential to drive meaningful progress for farmers, communities, and consumers. As we look to the future, we recognize there is more to do and strive to amplify these efforts, creating a lasting impact on the global food system.”
Find out more at: https://www.mccain.com/