Sustainability as Legacy: What the Meat Industry Is Getting Right
How animal welfare, regenerative systems, and data-driven supply chains are redefining sustainability from the ground up.
In an era where the word sustainability is applied to everything—from packaging to marketing campaigns—it’s worth pausing to return to a simpler, more grounded definition.
In a recent conversation on the Meats Pad podcast, Dr. Janet Helms, Senior Manager of Global Sustainable Food Strategy, Animal Health & Welfare at McDonald’s, offered a perspective that cuts through the noise:
“Sustainability is making sure you have a sustainable business that supports the environment you’re in, taking care of the land so you can pass it on to the next generation.”
That final phrase changes the conversation: pass it on to the next generation.
Sustainability, at its core, is about legacy.
Before Sustainability Was a Buzzword
Long before sustainability became a corporate priority, it was simply called good farming.
As a practicing dairy veterinarian for over a decade, Dr. Helms had to ensure:
Cows were healthy.
Reproduction was optimized.
Nutrition was sound.
Producers were profitable.
The land could continue producing.
When a farmer once asked her, “What is sustainability?” her response was straightforward:
“Do you want to be able to leave your farm to your kids? That’s sustainability.”
Without profitability, there is no continuity.
Without animal health, there is no productivity.
Without soil stewardship, there is no future.
The Three Pillars That Must Work Together
True sustainability rests on three interconnected pillars:
Environmental – protecting soil, water, and ecosystems.
Social – maintaining public trust and producer well-being.
Economic – ensuring long-term profitability.
As renowned meat scientist Gary Smith once put it:
“Agriculture without profit is merely gardening.”
It’s a blunt reminder that financial viability is not optional—it is foundational.
What the Industry Is Doing Right
Despite public narratives that often focus on shortcomings, significant progress is happening across the meat value chain.
1. Data-Driven Animal Welfare
Within McDonald’s global chicken supply chain, broiler welfare commitments included:
Environmental enrichments such as perches and platforms.
Opportunities for natural behaviors like dust bathing.
Measured welfare indicators, including footpad dermatitis.
Large-scale benchmarking across suppliers.
This is not symbolic change—it is measurable, data-driven improvement.
Key welfare indicators allow benchmarking not to shame, but to elevate standards across the industry. Welfare becomes quantifiable rather than abstract.
2. Regenerative Practices Without Romanticism
Much of what is now called “regenerative agriculture” has long existed in cattle production:
Pasture-based grazing.
Natural manure incorporation.
Soil structure improvement.
Water infiltration enhancement.
Crop rotations and cover crops.
Beef cows spend the vast majority of their lives on pasture. The interaction between ruminants and soil:
Improves organic matter.
Stimulates microbial activity.
Reduces erosion.
Enhances long-term soil resilience.
This is not ideology. It is biological systems functioning as designed.
3. The One Health Framework
The veterinarian’s oath emphasizes interconnected health: animal, human, and environmental.
You cannot isolate:
Responsible antibiotic use.
Manure management.
Soil health.
Food safety.
Climate commitments.
These are integrated systems. Sustainable strategy must be holistic.
Defining Animal Welfare Clearly
Dr. Helms defines animal welfare as:
“The physical and mental state of the animal as it relates to how well it is coping with its living conditions.”
An animal with good welfare:
Is physically healthy.
Receives proper nutrition.
Can express natural behaviors.
Is free from unnecessary pain and distress.
An important truth often overlooked:
Animals with better welfare perform better.
Dairy cows with reduced lameness produce more efficiently.
Chickens with proper enrichment show improved health indicators.
Pigs managed with lower stress exhibit stronger growth performance.
Welfare is not in conflict with productivity. It reinforces it.
Sustainability Also Includes the Consumer
One of the most overlooked dimensions of sustainability lies outside the farm.
Consumers influence outcomes through:
Reducing food waste.
Composting when feasible.
Choosing recyclable or lower-waste packaging.
Understanding regional limitations in recycling infrastructure.
Sustainability is systemic. It cannot rest solely on producers.
The Leverage of Supply Chain
Supply chain roles create scale.
Dr. Helms notes that more than 2.5 billion chickens are now reported annually in key welfare indicator databases. That represents structural transformation, not pilot projects.
When global buyers adjust policy:
Suppliers adapt standards.
Producers implement new practices.
Entire systems evolve.
Change at scale is where measurable impact occurs.
The Core Idea: Leave It Better
Ultimately, sustainability returns to legacy.
If:
The soil is healthier,
Animals are treated with measurable care,
Producers remain economically viable,
Consumers receive safe, accessible food,
Then the system is sustainable.
Not perfect.
But sustainable.
In a sector as complex as meat production, that is significant progress.
Final Reflection
Sustainability is not a marketing slogan.
It is the alignment of:
Animal welfare + soil health + profitability + data transparency + open collaboration.
The question may not be whether meat production can be sustainable.
The more relevant question might be:
Are we willing to recognize and build upon the measurable progress already underway?