SMITHFIELD, VA — Smithfield Foods, Inc. announced Jan. 5 a new goal to halve overall food loss and waste in its U.S. company-owned operations by 2030. The new commitment aligns with various resource conservation and waste reduction initiatives the company has underway in its operations, including efforts to reduce overall waste sent to landfills by 75% and achieve zero-waste-to-landfill certification at three-quarters of its U.S. facilities by 2025.
"For years, Smithfield has spearheaded impactful programs to proactively minimize waste and reduce carbon emissions. Simultaneously, we've taken meaningful action to fight food insecurity in our communities," said Stewart Leeth, chief sustainability officer for Smithfield Foods. "Our new food loss and waste goal furthers both of these objectives and underscores our longstanding commitment to produce wholesome, safe and affordable food in a responsible way."
Additionally, Smithfield has accepted an invitation to the 10x20x30 initiative, which brings together 10+ of the world's largest food retailers and providers to engage at least 20 suppliers to halve food loss and waste by 2030. The company is also a member of the Farm Powered Strategic Alliance, an initiative by Vanguard Renewables, Unilever, Starbucks and Dairy Farmers of America that aims to avoid or eliminate food waste first and repurpose what can't be eliminated into renewable energy via farm-based anaerobic digesters.
Since 2008, the company has donated hundreds of millions of protein servings across the U.S. through its Helping Hungry Homes hunger-relief initiative and has pledged to donate an additional 100 million servings by 2025.
For more information on Smithfield's comprehensive sustainability program, visit smithfieldfoods.com/sustainability.
Headquartered in Smithfield, VA since 1936, Smithfield Foods, Inc. is an American food company with agricultural roots and a global reach. Our 63,000 team members are dedicated to producing "Good food. Responsibly." and have made Smithfield one of the world's leading vertically integrated protein companies. We have pioneered sustainability standards for more than two decades, including our industry-leading commitments to become carbon negative in U.S. company-owned operations and reduce GHG emissions 30 percent across our entire U.S. value chain by 2030. We believe in the power of protein to end food insecurity and have donated hundreds of millions of food servings to our communities. Smithfield boasts a portfolio of high-quality iconic brands, such as Smithfield, Eckrich and Nathan's Famous, among many others.
