When you hear fast food chains talking about trying to reduce their environmental impact, it's usually about one of two things: reducing plastic waste (like McDonald's is currently doing by cutting plastic straws in the U.K. and Austria) or offering more plant-based options.
Both are great, but they ignore the notoriously detrimental effects of raising beef cattle en masse, which generates a substantial amount of greenhouse gases and requires a reported 1,800 gallons of water per pound of meat produced.
So it was surprising to learn today that Burger King is tackling the issue of emissions from cattle somewhat head-on with its new initiative, which proposes a change to cow diets that could reduce their emissions (aka methane from their farts) by 33%.
The project was initiated by agency We Believers two years ago, when the team learned about researchers in Mexico who were studying how different diets could reduce cattle emissions.
While the scope of the project is quite small for now—Whoppers made from the emissions-reduction process are being sold at single locations in five markets—the chain plans to scale it widely and even make the details of the diet open source so that it can be used by competitors.
“This process is about collaboration and sharing, and it’s not a stunt. It’s a real, long-term commitment,” said global CMO Fernando Machado. “We’re crazy enough to believe we can inspire the whole industry to adopt this change. That would trigger a concrete, significant impact.”
Read more: And be sure to watch the colorful and catchy ad Oscar winner Michel Gondry directed to promote the initiative.
David Griner
Creative and Innovation Editor, Adweek
David.Griner@Adweek.com
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