Smithfield Foods sets 2030 food waste diversion goal

Smithfield Foods Inc., Smithfield, Virginia, has announced plans to halve overall food loss and waste in its U.S. company-owned operations by 2030. 

"For years, Smithfield has spearheaded impactful programs to proactively minimize waste and reduce carbon emissions," says 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 producing wholesome, safe and affordable food responsibly." 

With the implementation of its food loss and waste target, Smithfield joins the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's U.S. Food Loss and Waste 2030 Champions list. The list includes private businesses and organizations that have publicly committed to reducing food loss and waste like Amazon, Aramark, Campbell Soup Co. and more.

According to a news release from Smithfield, its commitment aligns with various resource conservation and waste reduction initiatives the company’s operations have underway. This includes efforts to reduce overall waste sent to landfills by 75 percent and achieve zero-waste-to-landfill certification at three-quarters of its U.S. facilities by 2025.

Additionally, Smithfield has accepted an invitation to the 10x20x30 initiative, which brings together 10 international 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 eliminate food waste and repurpose what can't be eliminated into renewable energy via farm-based anaerobic digesters. 

For more information on Smithfield's comprehensive sustainability program, click here.