Chipotle is betting on farmers to supply high-welfare meat
Just as a number of restaurant brands, universities, and events make announcements about removing or reducing meat on their menus, Chipotle is taking a different approach to addressing its environmental footprint, by recognizing the importance of ethically and regeneratively raised meats and providing financial support to young farmers who are at the root of this labor-of-love intensive process.
As a number of restaurant brands, universities, and events make announcements about removing or reducing meat on their menus, one fast casual chain is taking a different approach to addressing its environmental footprint.
“Chipotle’s mission as a company is to cultivate a better world. Embedding responsibly raised meat in our sourcing practices has been a huge part of the company’s DNA for over 20 years,” Yael Cypers, animal welfare manager at Chipotle, told Sacred Cow. “We are very proud of our animal welfare practices and part of our identity as a company is a commitment to uphold that and to keeping those items on the menu.”
National restaurant brands face challenges when it comes to sourcing consistent ingredients at prices that don’t consume their already razor-thin margins. Committing to sourcing ingredients raised with specific practices can make this task even more daunting.
“In terms of scaling responsible food systems, it’s very challenging. I can confirm that. We have put a stake in the ground and having high animal welfare standards is not something Chipotle will compromise on. We have had to work closely with a lot of suppliers to build our own supply chain,” Cypers adds.
In her role, Cypers has the opportunity to visit supplier farms providing her with a unique perspective about the current state of the farming industry. Even with the premiums that Chipotle provides its suppliers, challenges abound. This includes the increasing average age of the farming populating, access to capital for beginning farmers entering the industry, and access to farmland.
“Regenerative agriculture is not just about environmental outcomes, but about ensuring that people in the communities growing food for Chipotle are set up to thrive financially,” she explains. “We recognized how challenging it is to be a farmer today and we want to help the farmers at the root of our supply chain thrive financially.”
To address this financial pressure, Chipotle is now offering three-year contracts to buy products from farmers under the age of 40 who meet the brand’s Food with Integrity standards. The contracts are initially available to beef, pork, and dairy producers. Chipotle will support young farmers through various approved livestock and dairy networks, including Niman Ranch, and its own Local Growers Initiative, which aims to increase the chances of profitability despite market fluctuations.
Although many farmers are eager to adopt different practices like rotational grazing, pasture-based animal production, or grass-finishing, the expenses involved in converting to a new system or the education required to transition successfully can be cost prohibitive. Producers often have little incentive to incur these costs internally when the prices that large food companies are willing to pay fail to include premiums for the cost of different production systems.
“The three-year contracts are intended to give young farmers confidence and security to get started. Knowing there is a firm buyer gives them collateral to secure a loan for equipment, startup costs, and to overcome land access challenges,” Cypers explains.
Through the new program, over 500,000 pounds of pork for the brand’s slow-braised carnitas will be sourced from new farmers during the next four years. Farmers interested in participating in the offering can reach out to one of Chipotle’s approved network suppliers to learn about its Food with Integrity standards. Links for interested pork, beef, and dairy producers can be found at the bottom of this website.
The commitment to supporting young farmers practicing high welfare doesn’t end there. Chipotle also committed to increasing its local sourcing throughout the US during 2020 to provide more local ingredients. Some 29 million pounds of the produce that it purchased last year was locally grown.
In partnership with the National Young Farmers Coalition and the Chipotle Cultivate Foundation, Chipotle is raising money through consumer actions to fund seed grants to further support young farmers. It started with Farmer Friday on December 6, 2019, where $1 from every entree purchased online or through the app helped fuel the seed grant fund up to $250,000. It also donated $1 for every tweet during the Rose Parade that used #farmer.
It also increased its commitment to the Niman Ranch Next Generation Foundation that awards scholarships to the children of Niman ranch farmers and ranchers to offset the burdens of student loan debts. It’s already donated $250,000 to the foundation and plans to increase that number five-fold.
As for the continued attack on meat consumption, Cypers wants consumers to understand that not all companies approach their protein sourcing practices in the same way.
“There are many people like me at Chipotle who put a lot of care into the food that we source. There’s so much that goes into it in terms of making absolutely sure that absolutely everything reaches our standards. We are really conscientious about the meat that we put on our menu and we take a lot of pride in the meat that we serve and making sure it is raised responsibly.”
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Lauren Manning, Esq., LL.M., is a cattle farmer, agricultural law professor at the University of Arkansas School of Law, food journalist, and contributor to the forthcoming documentary and book project Sacred Cow: The environmental, nutritional, and ethical case for better meat.
