McDonald's serves up ethically sourced brew

McDonald's is to become the UK's first fast-food chain to serve ethically sourced coffee. The rest of its outlets across Europe are poised to follow suit in a deal worth £50m for some of the world's poorest coffee farmers.

The hamburger chain, which is trying to overhaul its image, is switching all the purchasing of coffee used in its 1,200 UK outlets to farms approved by the Rainforest Alliance, an independent watchdog.

Its move follows a decision to source fish on its UK menu from sustainable fisheries approved by the Marine Stewardship Council and to use only free-range eggs. Other initiatives include using organic milk and buying its beef only from farmers who meet special standards on animal welfare and environmental practices.

Steve Easterbrook, president of McDonald's UK, said the coffee deal would "transform the market for sustainably grown coffee in the UK".

Farms certified by the Rainforest Alliance use sustainable farming techniques to grow their coffee beans. Chris Willie, chief of sustainable agriculture for the watchdog, said: "The programme is of economic, environmental and ethical value."

Unlike the Fairtrade Foundation, the Rainforest Alliance does not guarantee premium prices for farmers, but Mr Willie said that farmers who use sustainable processes tended to get a "significant" premium.

In Colombia, where McDonald's buys most of its coffee, Rainforest Alliance-certified farmers get on average 25 cents more per 1lb of coffee - or nearly one-third more than they would otherwise.

Colombian coffee growers who belong to the alliance saw their income double to $1.6m (£830,000) in 2006 and this year it is expected to double again, Mr Willie said.