A recent evaluation of the top 25 food and beverage chains in the US highlights their inadequate progress towards adopting plant-based menus, revealing a significant shortfall in their environmental commitments.
Last month, McDonald’s made headlines when its US president declared the McPlant a failure after trials in two American cities, with no plans for a return. This setback underscores McDonald’s poor climate performance, largely due to its substantial beef consumption. However, McDonald’s is not alone in its lack of plant-based options.
World Animal Protection’s latest report shows that most leading US chains are not making significant strides towards reducing their carbon-heavy menus or adopting a ‘plant-based by default’ approach, where vegan dishes are the primary options, with animal-based products as alternatives.
Dismal Rankings in Plant-Based Progress
The 2024 “Moving the Menu” scorecard evaluated the five most popular chains in categories such as burgers, chicken, sandwiches, coffee and beverages, and Latin- or Mexican-inspired cuisine. Chains like McDonald’s, KFC, Wendy’s, Chick-fil-A, Subway, and Taco Bell all received failing grades. Only nine companies (36%) scored above an F, with five of these barely passing with a D.
Chipotle emerged as the highest-scoring chain, followed by Peet’s Coffee and Starbucks.
“Chain restaurants play a pivotal role in the daily food decisions of many American families,” said Annette Manusevich, farming campaign manager at World Animal Protection. “Despite the urgent need to shift to more plant-based diets and the growing consumer demand for ethical and environmentally friendly food choices, most leading chains like Taco Bell and McDonald’s are failing to make the grade.”
Sector-Specific Performance
In detailed rankings, seven chains scored zero out of a possible 220, including McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and Sonic Drive-In in the burger category. Burger King was the only burger chain to avoid an F, earning a C for its continued promotion of the Impossible Whopper. Carl’s Jr/Hardee’s scored 20 but still received an F.
The chicken category fared worse, with Popeyes, KFC, Chick-fil-A, Wingstop, and Raising Cane’s all receiving F grades, three of them scoring zero.
In the sandwich sector, Subway was the only chain not to get an F, earning a D for its limited plant-based options. Arby’s scored zero, while Jimmy John’s, Jerry Mike’s, and Panera scored five each.
Latin American cuisine chains performed relatively better. Chipotle received a B for its extensive vegan options and transparent supply chain reporting. Qdoba, Moe’s, and Taco Bell earned D grades, reflecting some plant-based menu items or modifiable options.
The coffee sector was the best performer. Peet’s Coffee scored 120 (B) for its default vegan options and supportive plant-based policies. Starbucks scored 90 (C) for its plant-based beverages but needs to improve its food offerings. Tim Horton’s received a D, while Dunkin’ and Dutch Bros scored in the lowest tier.
Consumer Preferences and Environmental Impact
Consumer trials indicate that with a default plant-based model, 81.5% of consumers would choose meat- and dairy-free options, potentially reducing emissions by 24%.
Animal agriculture contributes up to 20% of global emissions, with meat production emitting twice as many greenhouse gases as plant-based foods. Despite occupying 80% of the world’s agricultural land, livestock farming provides only 17% of global calories and 38% of protein.
Call to Action
“Establishing and promoting innovative plant-based by default menus is critical for shifting our food system away from the destruction and suffering inherent in factory farming, and [to] move us towards a more sustainable future,” said Manusevich.
World Animal Protection urges food chains to integrate plant proteins into their climate goals and to invest in permanent plant-based menu options. They recommend public commitments to reduce animal product purchases by 25% by 2030 (from a 2020 baseline) and to explore more alternative proteins in supply chains, such as fermentation-derived and cultivated proteins. Additionally, they advise adopting benchmarks to measure and report annual progress on sustainability commitments.
“The plant-based sector offers an opportunity for restaurants to create innovative menus that resonate with their customers while promoting sustainability and reducing cruelty,” the report concludes. “Despite some chains testing new plant-based items, few are fully investing in plant-heavy menus. It is time for restaurants to step up and lead the way towards a more compassionate and sustainable future in the food industry.”
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