They are one of the world most well-known food brands, but at the centre of the McDonalds enterprise is farming and a drive to attract new talent to its supply chains. Emily Ashworth reports.
There are few more recognisable roadside signs than that of the golden arches. With more than 36,000 restaurants around the world, McDonalds has evolved over the years into its own phenomenon and even though it is a global enterprise, at the core of the business model is provenance.
In the UK, McDonalds prides itself on sourcing quality British produce, working with farmers up and down the country. But behind the scenes, they have, for 10 years, been encouraging young people to immerse themselves in the agricultural industry through their highly successful Progressive Young Farmer programme (PYF).
And this year, they have taken it one step further by launching a new campaign to increase diversity in the food and farming industry to coincide with the schemes 10th anniversary.
Over the last decade, the PYF programme has helped more women enter the industry and it aims to kick-start more than 100 careers in food and farming for young people from diverse backgrounds by 2030, through the McDonalds new Young Talent Programme.
Presenter and Strictly Come Dancing star AJ Odudu and farming favourite Hannah Jackson will be working together to meet Progressive Young Farmers throughout the McDonalds supply chain and the hopes are that by sharing what it is like to be a farmer in 2022, some of the misconceptions young people have about farming will be broken.
Beth Hart, vice-president of supply chain and brand trust a the business, is keen to recruit fresh faces and prove to those from non-farming backgrounds that such careers are available.
She says: PYF launched 10 years ago and it is a programme that has grown over time. That is what makes it exciting.
A real concern in agriculture is that not enough talented young people are coming into the industry to make sure we are building a future-fit industry and nurturing and developing talent to close that skills gap.
From a McDonalds perspective, we need good, talented people in our agricultural supply chain.
We spend more than 1 billion on British produce each year and that is growing. So, to see people coming up through our supply chains is important to us as a business.
The scheme allows young people to see what happens from farm to restaurant and allows all-around access to each aspect of the McDonalds business from animal welfare and marketing to spending time serving in the restaurants.
They start in one area and end in another and many change direction, says Beth.
They also spend time in the restaurants and see the whole story from the beginning to the end. We have a 100 per cent employment success rate most have stayed in food and agriculture but they are all key influencers in the industry.
Adaobi Azie, Supply Chain internship at McDonalds
Adaobi Azie, Supply Chain internship at McDonalds
Adaobi Azie grew up in north London and although she has no farming experience, she has an interest in food and provenance.
Having worked in McDonalds as a teenager, she is now on a supply chain internship with the company.
She says: I am not from a farming background although my mum did work on a farm in Jamaica when she was younger.
I have been working as a crew member at McDonalds since I was 16. I started as soon as I finished my GCSEs, continued to work while I did my A-levels and then carried on when I went to university.
I am studying Pharmaceutical Chemistry at Reading University, but when it was time to start looking for a role for my year in industry [placement], I asked my manager what was available at McDonalds head office and this opportunity with the supply chain team came up.
Getting the behind-the-scenes insight has been one of Adaobis highlights, seeing the knowledge and effort that goes into food production.
She says: I have learned so much, experiencing beef and dairy to poultry and vegetable farms, so I got to see how the whole supply chain worked.
But Adaobi has also been instrumental in establishing the Restaurant to Corporate Bridge programme.
It is what I am most proud of, she says.
It is designed to help people like me, who work in restaurants, gain experience in a role in head office - it opens up opportunities for more people to try something new, whatever their background.
If you grow up in a city like me and do not see farms around you, then it just is not something you think about.
We really need people to work in the food and farming industry and to consider it as a career to ensure we can all continue to enjoy all the quality food and ingredients we love. It is such a fundamental industry and so its really interesting too, but just doesnt get enough of the awareness and appreciation it deserves. One thing that surprised me is just how much science and technology is involved.
I used to think farming was just someone working in a field, but it is so much more than that.
There are many complex operations happening as well, to ensure food can get from farm to front counter and, of late, more thinking around how we do this efficiently and sustainably.
Carys
Carys Martin, Progressive Young Farmer 2021/22
Hailing from a sheep farm in Northern Ireland, Carys Martin, 21, applied to the McDonalds Progressive Young Farmer programme after hearing about it at university.
And her journey, like many others who have been involved in the scheme, has taken a few unexpected turns.
Having chosen to study agri-food marketing and business at Harper Adams, a nine-to-five desk job was the initial route Carys had envisioned.
But after gaining a place on the PYF scheme, she was placed in the poultry sector and has enjoyed a more hands-on experience.
I knew nothing about poultry, but started with Moy Park, says Carys.
I worked on a family farm at home, so it has been good to experience bigger farms run by managers. I have been working on vaccine and medicine delivery, pre-factory audits and general farm work, but they have kept me on business are short-staffed everywhere, which is reflective of the industry.
And for Carys, the knowledge gained has been invaluable.
She says: I have come away and have a very good knowledge of the industry.
Others have been thrown into different commodities and they have said the exact same thing. I would like to explore beef and sheep and get some experience there, but I would be open to coming back to poultry.
But the one thing those on the scheme are encouraged to do is be a voice for farming whether that be to educate about industry standards or encourage others to think about it for a career. This year, the young farmers even got the chance to speak at Parliament.
I have always been an advocate [of the industry] but this experience and being able to see other supply chains has solidified that, especially animal welfare, which is important to the industry and to consumers, says Carys.
People think you will be in a field with sheep or in a parlour milking. It is very important to know that there are many routes even if you are in IT or media, you can find something, and farming interlinks with so many other industries.
