Behind McDonald's Mai Mai Farm Traceability Campaign: A Legal Analysis of Catering Supply Chain Compliance and Protection of Farmers' Rights and Interests
9月22日中国农民丰收节当天，麦当劳中国启动”麦麦农场敬丰收”活动，将内蒙古、河北、甘肃等地种植土豆、生菜、玉米的农人群像搬上深圳”湾区之窗”大屏，并在全国餐厅推出丰收主题小票和互动内容。截至2026年6月，麦当劳中国内地餐厅已超过8000家，每年采购300多种食材，本土采购率超过95%。从法律视角看，这场营销活动触及的不只是品牌传播，更牵出连锁餐饮供应链中合同管理、农产品质量安全、农人权益保障和知识产权保护等一系列合规议题。
Behind a Local Procurement Rate of Over 95%: Legal Risks in Supply Chain Contracts
Large chain restaurant enterprises achieving a high proportion of local procurement means that they have formed long-term, stable contractual relationships with upstream planting bases and processing enterprises. Under the relevant provisions of the Book on Contracts of the Civil Code, a procurement contract should clearly specify core clauses such as the specifications of the subject matter, quality standards, delivery time, acceptance method, and liability for breach of contract. Taking the potato growing cycle disclosed by McDonald's as an example, the period from seedling cultivation to harvest is relatively long. If the contract fails to provide for the allocation of liability in cases of force majeure such as abnormal weather, pests, and diseases, then once production declines or quality fails to meet standards, disputes are highly likely to arise.
实务中，餐饮企业通常采用”框架协议+订单”模式。框架协议锁定长期合作条件，订单确定每批次数量与价格。这种模式效率高，但对供应商而言风险不对称——企业可随时调整订单量，供应商却已投入土地、种子和人工。深圳从事商事合同纠纷的律师建议，供应商在签署框架协议时应争取最低采购量承诺或补偿条款，避免”被绑定却无保障”。
In addition, qualification review during supplier onboarding is also a compliance priority. Companies need to verify documents such as land use rights for planting bases, pesticide residue testing reports, and food production licenses. If upstream suppliers lack complete qualifications, in the event of a food safety incident, the catering brand may bear joint and several liability under the Food Safety Law.
From Farm to Table: Legal Red Lines for Agricultural Product Quality and Safety
《食品安全法》第四十二条要求食品生产经营者建立食品安全追溯体系，保证食品可追溯。麦当劳”麦麦农场”项目通过短视频、直播展示产地和种植过程，客观上具备溯源功能，但法律意义上的追溯体系远不止营销内容——它要求企业能够记录并保存食材从种植、加工、运输到门店的全链条信息。
The lettuce supply chain is especially illustrative: manual harvesting, washing with cold clean water, and cold-chain transportation—every stage carries a risk of microbial contamination. Under Article 34 of the Food Safety Law, producing or dealing in food with pathogenic microorganisms exceeding the permitted limits is prohibited. If a food safety incident is caused by inadequate washing or a break in the cold chain, the enterprise may face not only administrative penalties but also civil compensation and even criminal liability.
It is worth noting that since 2023, the project has continued to visit actual places of origin and publicly display the images of growers. This may legally constitute the use of farmers' portrait rights and name rights. Under Article 1019 of the Civil Code, without the consent of the portrait rights holder, his or her portrait may not be made, used, or publicly displayed. When enterprises carry out such dissemination activities, they should sign written authorization agreements with the farmers appearing on camera, specifying the scope of use, term, and remuneration, so as to avoid subsequent disputes.
Safeguarding Farmers' Rights and Interests: New Farmers, Successors, and the Definition of Labor Relations
活动中亮相的农人包括从父辈手中接棒土豆种植的年轻人、”00后”新农人和坚持十余年的玉米种植者。这些主体与餐饮企业之间通常不存在直接劳动关系，而是通过供应商或合作社间接合作。但法律风险并未因此消失。
如果农人实际接受餐饮企业或其供应商的指挥管理，比如按指定标准种植、使用指定农资、在指定时间交付，司法实践中可能被认定为事实劳动关系或劳务关系。一旦被认定，企业需承担工伤保险、经济补偿等责任。广东知明律师事务所律师在服务餐饮供应链企业时发现，部分企业通过多层外包规避用工责任，但若管理介入过深，”外包”外壳仍可能被穿透。
对于”00后”新农人和返乡接棒者，还可能涉及农村土地承包经营权流转、合作社入股等法律安排。依据《农村土地承包法》，土地经营权流转应当签订书面合同并报发包方备案。若流转程序不规范，后续遇到征地补偿或补贴申领时，权益归属容易产生争议。
Intellectual Property and Advertising Compliance Boundaries in Harvest-Themed Marketing
“麦麦农场”作为品牌项目，其名称、视觉形象、农人语录等内容均可能构成商标或著作权保护对象。企业应尽早对相关标识进行商标注册，防止被他人抢注。同时，餐厅小票上随机呈现的农人手写语录，若由企业整理编辑，可能形成汇编作品，著作权归属需在授权协议中明确。
广告合规方面，《广告法》要求广告内容真实、合法，不得含有虚假或引人误解的信息。活动宣传”100%本土种植及采购”等表述，必须有采购记录、产地证明等材料支撑。若实际采购中存在进口比例，可能构成虚假广告，面临市场监管部门处罚。
深圳作为餐饮品牌竞争激烈的城市，”湾区之窗”等城市大屏广告还需遵守户外广告管理规定，办理相关审批或备案手续。企业在投放前应确认广告内容不侵犯第三方权利，避免因一张农人照片引发侵权诉讼。
From a serving of French fries to a leaf of lettuce, the supply chains of chain restaurants are far more complex than consumers see. For food and beverage businesses, supply chain compliance is not a cost burden but the cornerstone of long-term brand stability; for farmers and suppliers, a well-drafted contract is the most tangible safeguard. Guangdong Zhiming Law Firm has long focused on restaurant supply chains, food safety, and commercial contracts, and can provide food and beverage businesses with professional legal services including supply chain contract review, food safety compliance system development, authorization for the use of farmers’ likenesses, and labor dispute prevention.
