Public engagement on issues of concern to our stakeholders
McDonald’s operates in a complex and continuously evolving world. Sometimes, addressing issues of concern to our business involves working with government agencies, both directly and through our trade associations.
We engage with policymakers at the international, national, and local level and provide education and guidance for McDonald's franchisees involved in the public policymaking process.
Not surprisingly, many of the issues on which we engage are related to food. For example, we have actively supported strong food safety regulations and enforcement for many years, and shared our technical expertise with government agencies in several of the countries where we operate.
In Latin America, we have worked with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to secure harmonized, science-based food safety standards and improvements in food safety testing and inspections throughout the region. We have also, at PAHO’s request, shared our experience with reducing trans fatty acids in our food products.
We have also been engaged, on a global basis, in public policy deliberations related to nutrition and consumer well-being.
Both directly and through our memberships in the International Hotel and Restaurant Association and the European Modern Restaurant Association, we have participated in dialogues on implementation of the World Health Organization/Food and Agriculture Administration Global Strategy on Diet, Nutrition and Health.
In the U.S., we are actively involved in the Coalition for Responsible Nutrition Information, which seeks federal legislation to require specific, consistent nutrition disclosures by major chain restaurants.
McDonald’s Approach to Political Contributions
In March 2006, our Board of Directors adopted a political contributions policy, which formalized our long-standing practices regarding contributions to political parties, candidates for public office and political organizations. The policy recognizes that it may be in the company's best interests to make political contributions. For these cases, the policy is intended to ensure that contributions are made in a manner consistent with the law and the company's core values.
The policy reiterates the provision in the Standards of Business Conduct that requires advance approval of political contributions, and it establishes guidelines for reviewing requests. Under the policy, management reports semi-annually to the Board's Audit Committee on political contributions that have been made. Political contributions made in the U.S. are posted semi-annually on mcdonalds.com.