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There is 1 question about “Organic products” in the “What's on the menu?” topic.

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1. Do you have any plans to introduce more "fair trade" products to your menu? I think a 100% organic, fair trade burger could be very popular in the UK.
McDonald’s business is food and the company is aware that there are some calls from customers for organic and fair trade items to appear on the menu. McDonald's is very enthusiastic to the possibilities of organic foods and has made steps towards this with the recent introduction of organic milk in coffee and hot chocolate. In a broader capacity, McDonald's continues to look at all avenues. However, it is difficult to find good suppliers that have the experience and the resources to be able to supply the kind of volumes and standards that McDonald's demands. If such opportunities present themselves, then McDonald's will be very keen to consider more organic food items. Meanwhile Fair trade remains one of the best recognised endorsements used to indicate that suppliers and retailers are treating growers and local communities fairly. However, it is not the only one. McDonald’s, along with 19 other members, is part of the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative Platform, created by the food industry to improve conditions for local communities. This great new initiative led McDonald's to change its coffee to Full Bean Rainforest Alliance Certified Coffee and the tea used by McDonald’s which is PG tips also has a proportion of the tea is Rain Forest Alliance with a move toward full certification . The programme was chosen because it takes a holistic approach to supply chain sustainability. This means that farms are certified based on social and environmental standards that guide farmers towards long-term sustainable farm management, the quality of the coffee produced is generally higher. This means that McDonald’s customers get competitively priced high quality Arabica coffee that has been produced sustainably according to standards that benefit coffee farmers and the environment. McDonald's firmly believes that the Rainforest Alliance's focus on social and environmental standards and sustainable farm management complements its own supply chain principles. If you would like further information on the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative Platform, please visit the website at www.saiplatform.org, where you’ll find a section on coffee growing. You can also look out for more information in restaurants or at www.rainforest-alliance.org. (July 2009)

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