At Smithfield, sustainability is in our culture.
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Sustainability

Our Sustainability Strategy

The past year has presented both challenges and opportunities to simplify and reaffirm our perennial commitment to sustainability. This report reflects our position as an industry leader in sustainability and introduces our expanded program with additional five and ten-year goals across our new and existing sustainability pillars. It also provides an open and honest account to consumers and other stakeholders who want to know more about where their food is made and how it is produced.
 

We look ahead with anticipation toward Smithfield’s robust, bright future. We know that when faced with challenges, our employees create the solutions. Together, we will guide our business to excellence.

Download our sustainability report
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Our Top Performance Indicators

In 2020, we completed work on our most recent set of five-year goals and report our progress against them in our Sustainability Impact Report.
30%
GHG Reduction

We're broadening our industry-leading greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction commitment to 30% by 2030 across our entire U.S. value chain.

50%
Renewable Electricity

We have a new goal to obtain 50% of our electricity from renewable sources, such as solar and wind power, by 2030.

10%
Reduction in Sodium and Sugar

Our efforts have resulted in a decrease in added sugar and sodium across product lines.

We’ve refreshed our sustainability platform for the next 10 years and have goals and targets to address climate change, water, waste, worker safety, diversity needs and all the issues that we’ve identified as critical to our success."
- Stewart Leeth, Chief Sustainability Officer
Read the full Q&A

Our Core Focus Areas

Our 2020 Sustainability Impact Report reflects our focus across seven pillars and our new goals against each.
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Company Spotlights

Here you'll find just a few stories from our sustainability efforts and the successes we've had as well as initiatives that demonstrate our commitment to sustainability.

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Animal Care

Animal Housing

Pigs are social beings. They like to be around other pigs and their caretakers.

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Animal Care

Animal Nutrition

Our animal nutrition experts routinely study ways to improve the efficient use of our animal feed, analyzing raw ingredients and finished feeds for nutritional content and quality. 

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Animal Care

Conserving Water on Our Farms Through Reuse

Two-thirds of water used on our farms support essential sanitation procedures in and around our barns.

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Environment

Diamond Spring Wind Site

Smithfield invested in Diamond Spring's 112-turbine wind site in south central Oklahoma which will deliver up to 15% of our U.S. energy through...

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Food Safety and Quality

Driving Continuous Improvement

Our state-of-the-art robotics ensure we meet strict food safety guidelines, increase efficiencies for better product yields and address processes to improve employee safety.

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Helping Communities

Employee Volunteerism

Our employees supported local community organizations and efforts, volunteering nearly 1,600 hours to education, health, hunger relief and other causes they are passionate about.

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Food Safety and Quality

Empowering Employees

As part of our Raise Your Hand campaign, we also empower our employees to stop production if they see something in their day-to-day that affects food safety or quality. 

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Diversity, Equity and inclusion

FUSE Studio Offered $350,000 Grant

With a two-year, $350,000 grant from Smithfield, FUSE Studio launched a hands-on, learning-studio education in 20 partner schools in our communities in North Carolina, Nebraska, Iowa and South Dakota.

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Animal Care

Group Housing Systems for Pregnant Sows

Gilts, or female pigs that have not had a litter of piglets, are chosen at about 32 weeks old to be bread based on various traits, such as reproductive potential.

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Worker Health and Safety

Healthy and Safety Awards

Our Health and Safety Awards and Workers’ Compensation Awards annually recognize facility and individual accomplishments in safety excellence.

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Helping Communities

Helping Health Care Workers

As part of Smithfield’s global response to the pandemic, operations in the United States, Poland and Romania provided personal protective equipment (PPE) to hospitals.

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Health and Wellness

Meeting Consumer Needs During the Pandemic

We accelerated our plans to roll out our e-commerce service support for our retail customers, including reformatting portion sizes to meet new market demands.

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Health and Wellness

Accessible, Transparent Ingredient Lists

The online glossary lists and describes ingredients used in products across the company's brands.

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Worker Health and Safety

Our International COVID Response

Smithfield implemented strict, comprehensive safety plans and measures to protect our employees' health and safety and maintain food supply in Poland and Romania.

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Diversity, Equity and inclusion

Schwanzetta Williams, VP, Talent Acquisition and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Schwanzetta is driving our new diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives throughout our business to create career pathways.

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Diversity, Equity and inclusion

Smithfield Foods Scholarship Program

We have committed to diversifying our Smithfield Foods Scholarship Program to include additional HBCUs.

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Helping Communities

Best for Vets Employer

Smithfield was ranked among the Best For Vets: Employers 2020 by the Military Times for the second consecutive year.

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Animal Care

Smithfield's Genetics Research Centers

Our teams use genetics research to identify traits that favor animal health, growth and other characteristics.

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Helping Communities

Disaster Relief

Smithfield donated more than 80,000 pounds of protein (or 320,000 servings) to support relief efforts in Tennessee, Louisiana, Texas and Kentucky communities devastated by tornadoes and hurricanes in 2020.

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Diversity, Equity and inclusion

Voice of a Smithfield Farmer

Charles Locklear, a member of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, has been a contract farmer to Smithfield since 1991 and is passing off the importance of producing food responsibly to his sons.

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Environment

We joined the Sustainable Packaging Coalition

The leading voice on sustainable packaging with members across the entire supply chain.

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Animal Care

Where We Use Water

67% – Facilities for cooking and sanitation
33% – Farms for consumption, cooling, biosecurity and sanitation

View all case studies

Our 2021 Sustainability Impact Report outlines our efforts to make a lasting impact in our processes and policies. It is a wide-reaching view of how we want to hold ourselves to the highest standards.

Download the report

Recent Company News

March 23, 2022

Smithfield Foods Honored for Environmental, Worker Safety Achievements

October 14, 2021

Smithfield Foods Wins World Sustainability Award for Innovative Manure-to-Energy Programs

September 30, 2021

Smithfield Foods Brings Signature Sustainability Program to Life Through New "Good Is What We Do" Campaign

August 11, 2021

Largest Renewable Natural Gas Project of Its Kind Implements Manure-to-Energy Technology Across Northern...

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