Unity & Action
Within this pillar, our “Unity & Action” platform outlines our commitment to embody a diverse, equitable and inclusive organization.
Mindful that actions speak louder than words, we encourage you to see below for a comprehensive summary of the initiatives we have launched to support “Unity & Action” across our business.
From 1978-2000 in North Carolina we lost 67% of our Black farmers. From that same period we lost 70% of our land. That's 400,000 acres.
MINORITY FARMER program
We have established a contract grower program to support Black and minority farmers and diversify our hog supply chain. This innovative initiative will help us build a stronger agricultural future that encompasses a broader range of perspectives and backgrounds in our work to feed the world.
EDUCATION & CAREER DEVELOPMENT
We are investing in the professional development of our team members through our new Operations Leadership Program (OLP), designed to create a robust pipeline of diverse candidates to fill future management positions. We also recently further diversified our Smithfield Foods Scholarship Program to be inclusive of additional historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) to continue to drive candidates into that pipeline.
Additionally, we instituted a Future Leaders Program that extends scholarship support and career opportunities to diverse rising seniors by way of a summer internship.
SUPPLY CHAIN INITIATIVES
We are committed to increasing our production facility spend with minority-owned businesses by 14% to achieve a more inclusive supply chain by 2025.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
We have pledged financial support through 2022 to support access to education through community partnerships with:
- The North Carolina Business Committee for Education (NCBCE) to fund wireless hotspots for students in rural areas and address long-term internet access solutions for underserved communities.
- Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS) to promote a diverse K-12 student pipeline interested in food, agriculture and natural resource careers.
- The Heritage STEM Camps Foundation (HSCF) to fund a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) summer camp empowering young minority woman ages 12-18 in the Mid-Atlantic region.
- An Achievable Dream (AAD) to support equity in education and provide resources to public-school districts in underserved communities in Tidewater Virginia.