I promise, I am not developing a fixation on McDonald's, despite this being my second post about them in as many weeks.
As I wrote previously, The Land Group could not be more philosophically distant from McDonald’s. We produce naturally and ethically raised, grass-fed beef for discerning consumers who value nutrient density and taste. But it is encouraging to see large-scale players like McDonald’s taking regenerative agriculture seriously. If their shift in focus proves lasting, it could help accelerate the systemic change we have been pushing for.
The latest example comes from a McDonald’s-sponsored project at FAI Farms, where the results from a four-year regenerative grazing trial have been impressive.
The project, managed by FAI Farms on a 486-hectare organic farm in Oxfordshire, achieved a net-negative carbon balance. By transitioning from a simple rotational grazing system to an Adaptive Multi-Paddock (AMP) grazing system, the farm managed to sequester more carbon than it emitted, a net reduction of nearly 50 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent. The numbers, independently verified by soil carbon specialists at Agricarbon represent one of the most comprehensive datasets yet for regenerative livestock systems.
This study highlights the substantial potential of AMP grazing to reduce the carbon footprint of beef production. AMP systems, which we consistently apply across our Uruguayan and Paraguayan farms, involve grazing cattle intensively on small, tall pasture sections for short periods, allowing the grass to fully recover before the next cycle. This approach captures more carbon, improves soil structure, boosts biodiversity, and reduces feed costs by allowing year-round grazing.
From a soil health perspective, the findings are impressive. Soil organic matter at the trial farm increased from 7.6% to 9.2% in the top 10cm and from 2.7% to 4.4% at 30-50cm depth. Active carbon levels, a crucial indicator of microbial activity, jumped by 81% at the 30-50cm depth, which is a significant leap over just four years. This shows that deep-rooted, diverse swards can substantially increase carbon storage beyond the topsoil, a critical factor often overlooked in carbon accounting.
So, is beef finally net zero? In a word, yes, though this is not exactly a new revelation. White Oak Pastures in Georgia, USA, has demonstrated similar outcomes for years, as have projects led by Peter Byck at Arizona State University, among others.
But if McDonald’s now says so, perhaps the world will finally take notice.
By Francisco Roque de Pinho, co-founder of The Land Group
