Smithfield Foods Inc. has announced that it has successfully engaged 80 percent of its grain supply chain, which is used to feed the company’s hogs, in farming practices that are both sustainable and reduce the cost of production for grain farmers. This exceeded the company’s original goal of 75 percent. In 2018, Smithfield purchased grain from producers who use efficient fertilizer and soil health methods across approximately 560,000 acres of land.
Grain production is the first step in the vertically integrated company’s supply chain, making this accomplishment one of the key ways Smithfield is working toward its ambitious goal to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 25 percent by 2025 throughout its entire supply chain – the first commitment of its kind from a protein company.