McLocal?

As food issues get pushed more and more into the national spotlight McDonald’s is trying harder to convince the public that it too can be environmentally and nutritionally conscious. Its latest attempts can be seen through a new ad campaign in the state of Washington, where McDonald’s is brazenly seeking to jump on the “local foods” bandwagon.

Billboards and commercials throughout the state cleverly insinuate that McDonald’s uses local produce. The billboards are plastered with slogans like “"Served in Seattle, grown in Pasco." A recent press release issued by McDonald’s states that “88% of apples served at McDonald's in western Washington are from Washington State” and that “95% of French fries and hash browns served at McDonald's in western Washington are from Washington.”

This new campaign doesn’t reflect any changes in McDonald’s industrial approach to food production. Instead, McDonald’s is capitalizing on the fact that many of their industrial farms happen to already be located in Washington. For a more accurate representation of these farms, click here.

The local foods movement is about making a conscious decision to buy foods that are grown in the area rather than foods that are shipped across continents and oceans. Implicit in the movement is an appreciation for the environment and for the safety and quality of the food we are consuming.

McDonald’s new ad campaign is a gross example of the fast food industry continually seeking new ways to misrepresent themselves to the public.


For a closer look at the billboards, click here.


Photo by grist.org