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Major foodservice provider serving 3 million annual visitors at the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, and other treasured parks sets first-ever quantified plant-based goal
LOS ANGELES — After more than a year of dialogue with Mercy For Animals, Xanterra Travel Collection, the foodservice provider for many of America’s most iconic national parks, has committed to making at least 50% of its menu entrées plant-based by the end of 2026. This groundbreaking pledge marks the first time the company has set a quantified plant-based menu goal and promises to transform dining experiences for millions of visitors to the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Death Valley, Mount Rushmore, Rocky Mountain National Park and other treasured destinations.
Xanterra serves over 3 million guests per year across America’s national park system, making this commitment one of the largest plant-based food initiatives in the public tourism sector. The policy change reflects a growing shift toward more sustainable and inclusive food options in America’s most cherished natural spaces.
“Xanterra’s commitment to increasing plant-based menu options across some of the most iconic U.S. national parks is a powerful step toward a more compassionate and sustainable food system,” said Jennifer Behr, director of corporate engagement at Mercy For Animals. “By making plant-based food more accessible to millions of park visitors, Xanterra proves that caring for animals, people and the planet can go hand in hand. Mercy For Animals is proud to partner with Xanterra on this historic policy and looks forward to supporting the company’s continued progress.”
Why This Commitment Matters:
- Improves food accessibility:
- An estimated 68% of the global population experiences lactose malabsorption.
- In the U.S., lactose intolerance is most prevalent among African, Asian and Indigenous Americans.
- Offering more plant-based options helps ensure equitable dining access for all park visitors.
- Reduces environmental impact:
- Animal agriculture accounts for 14.5% of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions — more than the direct emissions from all the world’s cars, planes, ships and trains combined.
- Producing one pound of beef requires an estimated 1,800 gallons of water, while producing one pound of tofu requires only 300 gallons — 83% less.
- Shifting to plant-based meals is a powerful step toward decreasing the carbon and water footprints of national park food operations.
“Our commitment to providing Legendary Hospitality with a Softer Footprint® extends to the food we serve in our national parks,” said Kevin Crosby, Corporate Director of Sustainability at Xanterra Travel Collection. “Increasing our plant-based offerings is a natural extension of our longstanding goal to source 70% of our cuisine from local and sustainable providers. By working alongside Mercy For Animals, we’re proud to set an ambitious target that not only reduces our environmental impact but also offers guests the delicious, healthy, and sustainable choices they’re looking for. This is about aligning our culinary practices with the values of conservation, wellness, and accessibility that define our parks and our mission.”
Mercy For Animals will continue to work closely with Xanterra as the company develops a comprehensive implementation plan for this policy and encourages other public foodservice providers to follow Xanterra’s lead in adopting plant-based food policies that protect animals, the planet and public health.
For more information about Mercy For Animals’ corporate engagement work, visit MercyForAnimals.org, or contact Melanie Greene at [email protected].
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Mercy For Animals is a leading international nonprofit working to end industrial animal agriculture by constructing a just and sustainable food system. Active in Brazil, Canada, India, Mexico, Southeast Asia and the United States, the organization has conducted over 100 investigations of factory farms and slaughterhouses, influenced over 500 corporate policies and helped pass historic legislation to ban cages for farmed animals. Learn more at MercyForAnimals.org.