For more than 20 years, Smithfield has employed policies, processes and technologies to reduce our environmental footprint. In 2020, we were the first major company in our industry to commit to becoming carbon negative at our U.S. company-owned operations by 2030.
To reach our targets, we apply our guiding principles of Responsibility, Operational Excellence and Innovation (ROI) to implement carbon-reduction projects that focus on emissions reduction and efficiency on farms, at our facilities and within our transportation and logistics networks. We have set ambitious goals for environmental stewardship, and we continually develop innovative solutions to minimize our impact on the environment and improve our conservation of natural resources. To learn more, view our environmental stewardship video.
Our Approach
Environmental stewardship is about doing business in a way that not only reduces our impact on the environment but also preserves natural resources for future generations. Our focus is on finding solutions that maximize operational efficiency, optimize supply chains and reduce waste and energy consumption. Our environmental programs are overseen by a compliance committee led by our senior director of environmental affairs, and our Environmental Management System helps us manage our environmental actions in alignment with International Organization for Standardization 14001 standards. ISO 14001 sets requirements for environmental management systems and helps entities improve environmental performance through more-efficient use of resources and waste reduction. We also have standardized internal auditing systems that ensure consistent environmental compliance across all our operations.
At Smithfield, effective environmental management is critical to the success of our business and to the achievement of our long-term sustainability goals.Our Environmental Policy and Water Policy serve as the foundation for our efforts to minimize our impact on natural resources throughout our value chain.
Our environmental management system (EMS) helps us manage our environmental actions in a comprehensive, systematic, planned and documented manner and is aligned with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14001 Standard. Smithfield was the first in our industry to have all farms and facilities certified to ISO 14001 (recent acquisitions will be certified in a timely manner).
ISO 14001 is considered the international gold standard for environmental management. To obtain certification, an organization must meet a rigorous and comprehensive set of requirements and criteria developed by more than 2,000 experts from around the world. It also requires independent audits by third parties.
Environmental Policy Statement
It is the corporate policy of Smithfield Foods, Inc. and its subsidiaries to conduct business in a manner consistent with continual improvement in regard to protecting the environment.
- Smithfield Foods, Inc. is committed to protecting the environment through pollution prevention and continual improvement of our environmental practices, with recognition of process-related risk and opportunities associated with the needs and expectations of interested parties. We consider our activities, products and services, which may have significant environmental aspects in the scope of the EMS.
- Smithfield Foods, Inc. seeks to demonstrate its responsible corporate citizenship by complying with relevant environmental legislation and regulations and with other requirements to which we subscribe. We will create, implement and periodically review appropriate environmental objectives and targets to improve sustainable development.
- Under our leadership, protection of the environment is the responsibility of all Smithfield Foods, Inc. employees within the scope of the EMS.
- Smithfield Foods, Inc. communicates this policy to persons within the scope of the EMS and makes it available to the public through its website and provides printed copies upon request.
Water is an essential natural resource for our business and our communities. Consistent with Smithfield’s commitment to environmental stewardship, we place high priority on the conservation and protection of this critical resource.
Throughout all aspects of our business worldwide, Smithfield will strive to reduce the impacts of our operations on water resources and to protect and sustain the water supply for our communities and our business.
Smithfield will take a leadership role in managing water supplies cooperatively with our communities. The 2010 United Nations General Assembly Resolution recognizes the right to a safe and sufficient water supply, and wherever we operate, Smithfield will help ensure the sustainability of this essential resource.
As part of this commitment, Smithfield will implement proactive management systems that direct this effort throughout the Company, adhering to the following principles:
- Quality. As Smithfield manages and utilizes our water resources, we aim to preserve and enhance the quality of these resources for our communities and our operations. Sustaining water quality is an ongoing management priority and is incorporated into our planning and day-to-day operations.
- Conservation and Efficiency. Smithfield will manage our water supply, mindful that it is a finite resource, and will preserve its quantity and availability to the community and our operations. Smithfield will strive to constantly improve the efficient use of its water supply. We will maintain targets for decreased consumption and cost, pursue best practices and track progress to evaluate performance over time.
- Cooperation. We will work with our local communities and regulatory agencies to manage water resources. As a company, Smithfield is committed to complying with all regulatory mandates as we utilize water supplies. The Company will maintain transparency and open communication with the community.
Smithfield is committed to protect and enhance the environment. Likewise, as a company, we will be responsible stewards of water supplies and partners with our communities to ensure the sustainability of the resource.
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*The scope of our carbon-negative target exclusively represents emissions originating from facilities under direct ownership and control of the company. Any implications regarding total inventory must be understood within the context of company-owned operations. Additionally, Scope 3 emissions, such as emissions from contract farmers and other suppliers, are not included. We acknowledge that future refinements, as well as advancements in the science and methodologies of GHG reporting, may lead to corrections or changes in GHG reporting in subsequent reports.
We continued to make progress toward our GHG and carbon-reduction targets by capturing biogas from manure on our hog farms, reducing emissions and creating value for our company in producing renewable natural gas (RNG), which we sell to energy providers. At our operations in Mexico, biogas is used as a renewable source of energy for water pumping, heating and power generation, reducing emissions and energy costs, while in our Starachowice, Poland, facility, we replaced a coal-fired power plant with a combined heat and power (CHP) plant, improving air quality and generating cost savings.
In 2023, we reduced our production-weighted solid waste to landfills by approximately 60% compared with a 2010 baseline, and nearly a third of our facilities were zero waste to landfill (ZWTL)-certified. Our target is for 75% of our company-owned facilities to achieve ZWTL status by 2025. Additionally, we took steps to reduce packaging waste, setting a target of having 90% recycle-ready, reusable or industrially compostable packaging by 2030. In July 2023, we opened a new $45 million wastewater treatment plant at our Sioux Falls, South Dakota, pork-processing facility that is significantly improving water quality in the Big Sioux River basin. We also continued to fund environmental grants in North Carolina, providing $2 million per year for projects across the state.
Our animal care policies and practices document our commitment to the well-being, health and comfort of our animals.
Food safety and quality are embedded in our culture and prioritized by every Smithfield team member.
Being a good corporate citizen means supporting the communities where our team members and their families live and where we operate.
