McCain Foods focuses on more sustainable French fries

McCain Foods with harvested potatoes ready to roll. PHOTO: McCain Foods

TORONTO — McCain Foods is committing to a more sustainable french fry (and other products) by creating a more sustainable approach to potato farming.

The global frozen food manufacturer based in Toronto that began in Florenceville, NB, where it still makes fries, is building three Farms of the Future.

The farms will showcase how regenerative farming practices and the latest agricultural technology and innovations, can be implemented at scale.

The company said its farms, partnering with leading academics and suppliers, will demonstrate more sustainable practices and also create a more financially viable future for farming, while increasing food production.

“The global demand for food has never been greater, and farmers are being challenged with producing more with less, while facing increasingly challenging weather patterns due to climate change, and growing food in soil that is deteriorating,” says Max Koeune, president and CEO of McCain Foods Ltd. “The food challenges we’ve experienced during COVID-19 could only get worse if we don’t start taking action.”

The commercial farms will be built in three different countries with three different climates around the world. The first will be developed in New Brunswick, where McCain was founded.

Other initiatives include producing zero waste to landfill, using 100% renewable energy and reducing CO2 emissions by 50% by 2030. The company plans to reduce sodium content in its products by 15% by 2025, provide clear and transparent nutritional information, and remove artificial ingredients.