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Texas Agriculture Archive

May 3, 2002

Hey McDonald's,
American beef is best!

By Donald Patman

TFB President

When one of the world's largest purchasers of beef—an American company—decides to import substantial quantities
of their product, it is disturbing. McDonald's is no ordinary company or restaurant. It is an American icon, and through superb marketing the company has positioned itself as a part of the world of virtually every American child.

McDonald's efforts to buy American beef has, in the past, been a pillar of the American beef market, and the recent decision to import significant amounts of lean beef in a "pilot program" has caused alarm among Texas and American beef producers.

McDonald's, like every business, should be accorded ample room to make business decisions, and there is some validity to the claim that less of the lean beef the company desires has been available from American sources.

Still, I hope the executives at McDonald's realize that American beef is part of the company's success story. Consumers respond to the American product. They have confidence in it. There can never be the same level of consumer comfort with any food product produced beyond our own shores, because it is not subjected to the rigorous safety standards that we have in the U.S. We do not dispute that those other countries have worthwhile standards, but here, we know our food is the safest in the world. American beef producers support the efforts to make sure of that.

I wrote a letter recently to Mr. Jack Greenberg, Chief Executive Officer of McDonalds. The text of that letter is below. I asked him to consider all these facts. I encouraged him to state publicly that McDonald's prefers American beef, and that it be purchased first as a matter of policy. My hope is once this pilot effort is concluded, the decision makers will have evidence that American beef is best for the world's largest seller of beef. McDonald's and U.S. beef producers have always been partners in quality and food safety.

We, as beef producers, now face a new challenge. We must respond to market opportunity. We must use our unmatched system of research, marketing and production to ensure that McDonald's and other buyers get what they need, in ample amounts. It is not overstating the case to say that McDonald's hamburgers are a critical part of the U.S. beef market. It is a market share for which we should now feel compelled to fight.

If we respond, as we should, this pilot effort will end with the conclusion that American beef is best for McDonald's, best for consumers and best for America.

McDonald's letter text...

The following is the text of a letter sent to Jack Greenberg, Chief Executive Officer of McDonald's from TFB President Donald Patman:

Dear Mr. Greenberg:

I am a grain, cotton and cattle producer from Waxahachie, Texas and I serve as president of the Texas Farm Bureau, the largest organization of farm and ranch families in our state.

The beef producers and members of Texas Farm Bureau are very concerned about McDonald's recent decision to do "pilot-testing" that involves the import of lean beef from outside the United States.

While our members understand the need to ensure the supply of beef for your U.S. restaurants, we believe it should be the policy of McDonald's to purchase beef from American suppliers whenever possible. Moreover, McDonald's, we believe, should state a preference for American beef for use in your restaurants.

Clearly, Americans have shown a preference for American beef. The reasons for this are obvious, and easily understood by the consumer. In terms of quality and safety, the American product has no equal in the world. Consumers and beef producers alike understand the health and safety regulations in the United States and doubt that we could ever approach the same comfort level with any product produced beyond our own borders.

McDonald's is a proud symbol of American success to the entire world. Large-scale purchases of imported beef would not be in the long-term interests of McDonald's or U.S. agriculture. We believe your company would be best served by identification with beef produced by American ranchers.

While your pilot program may be necessary for business reasons that apply to the current market, we strongly urge you to make the purchase of American beef a priority and exhaust sources of supply within the United States before any import suppliers are considered.

Sincerely,

Donald Patman, President

Texas Farm Bureau