Within the framework of the program, five Russian farms, which are partners of Belaya Dacha Group of Companies, will receive targeted grants for passing international certification and will be able to become suppliers of McDonald's
McDonald's announces the launch of the first phase of a targeted grants program aimed at supporting Russian farmers. More than 20 farms from 16 regions of Russia, cooperating with the Belaya Dacha Group of Companies, took part in it.
Currently McDonald's receives products from 160 Russian suppliers. They, in turn, use raw materials from more than 400 farms operating in such agricultural sectors as cattle breeding, growing lettuce, cucumbers, potatoes, and dairy farms to supply products to the network's enterprises. The launch of a program to support lettuce growers is the first step of a large-scale McDonald's initiative aimed at developing farms in Russia and, accordingly, increasing the amount of quality raw materials on the market. For the farmers themselves, this means the opportunity to cooperate with other large companies, further growth and the opportunity to develop business in different parts of Russia. In the future, McDonald's plans to expand the program to cover a variety of agricultural sectors.
In connection with the active development of the network of McDonald's enterprises in Russia, the company is interested in expanding the geography of supplies and decided, first of all, to support those agricultural producers who are taking the first steps in growing lettuce. To participate in the program, 5 farms were selected from Astrakhan to Novosibirsk, which passed a rigorous selection according to the following criteria: manufacturability and automation of processes, food safety and product quality, resource-saving technologies and, most importantly, willingness to develop and introduce new technologies. According to the results of the first stage of the program, grants were received by: Vitaly Iotov (Moscow region), Vladimir Kim (Tula region), Vladislav Lupin (Krasnodar region), as well as Sergey Bystrykh and Razil Sungatov from Novosibirsk and Astrakhan regions, respectively. Obtaining Global GAP certification will allow their farms not only to gain recognition for the high quality and safety of their products, but also to open up new markets for themselves.
McDonald's makes one of the most stringent requirements on the Russian market for suppliers of products, in particular, it is mandatory to have international quality and safety certification according to the Global GAP standard. and become McDonald's suppliers.
The company is very responsible in choosing suppliers - they go through several stages of checks for compliance with international production standards. “We are proud that our suppliers are leaders in the Russian agro-industrial complex. Today, 99% of McDonald's products are manufactured in Russia, in full compliance with the strictest Russian and international standards, ”said Irina Korshunova, Senior Director for Quality Assurance and Quality Assurance and Sustainable Development at McDonald's in Russia. “The launch of the program of targeted grants for local farmers is a logical step in our work to support the agro-industrial complex and the Russian economy as a whole. The program is beneficial for both farmers and McDonald's: it is very important for us to receive quality products on an ongoing basis, and this directly depends on the availability of quality raw materials. For farmers, participation in the program is an opportunity to get a guaranteed sales market ”.
“Belaya Dacha is a pioneer and leader of the salad market in Russia. We were the first to start supplying sliced iceberg to McDonald's in 1994, when they didn't know anything about growing iceberg lettuce. Today, thanks to the accumulated experience, Belaya Dacha is actively developing both its own cultivation in the fields and contractual cooperation with farmers from different regions of Russia, helping to introduce the best practices for growing salad crops. The company's own agronomic service advises, monitors and helps to ensure compliance with international standards, says Vadim Matusevich, General Director of Agroholding Belaya Dacha. "The joint program with McDonald's is making a significant contribution to realizing the value of meeting international quality standards for growers in the field."