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Townsend Bailey, director of supply chain sustainability for McDonald’s USA, talks about McDonald's definition of "sustainable," the company's collaborations with the beef industry and other interested groups to move to more sustainable production, and the chain's future goals for beef sustainability.

The story of beef is complex. It begins with a calf born on a ranch and continues two years. Dozens of people are involved from start to finish before the story ends at dinner. Though each person depends on the others, rarely does one see the full story. Together, they seek improved sustainability. First, they must connect.

Hugh Aljoe, director of producer relations, calls 2017 "the year of a new beginning." Here are a few highlights from the year.

The entire beef value chain is engaged in a beef sustainability pilot project, which is testing U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef indicators and metrics.

In 2017, the Integrity Beef Alliance voted to include more bull breeds, modified requirements for breed composition for eligible calves, offered additional marketing avenues and a changed sale format, and continued developing the Integrity Beef Premier Replacement Female Program.

In 2017, representatives from Noble Research Institute, Integrity Beef Alliance, Beef Marketing Group, Tyson Foods, Golden State Foods and McDonald’s set out to test the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef metrics and align the segments of the beef supply chain.