SMITHFIELD, Va. — Smithfield Foods, an American food company and one of the world’s leading vertically integrated protein producers, submitted commitments to fighting hunger and food insecurity to the White House in advance of its Conference on Hunger Nutrition and Health, which was held on Wednesday, Sept. 28.
The company has pioneered sustainability standards for more than two decades and has made long-term commitments to improve food access and affordability, integrate nutrition and health and empower all consumers to make and have access to healthy choices.
“Smithfield Foods has been an integral part of the fabric of our communities for more than 80 years since our founding in Smithfield, Va., in 1936,” said Shane Smith, president and chief executive officer. “The commitments we are sharing with the White House today are not brand-new goals for us; we have been focused on fighting food insecurity and hunger, supporting our communities and driving innovation in sustainability for decades. We look forward to working side by side with the many public and private sector stakeholders participating in this conference to continue to drive transformative change to end hunger.”
Smithfield submitted the following commitments for inclusion in the conference:
- Pillar 1: Improve Food Access and Affordability
- Committed to donating 200 million servings of protein valued at $200 million by 2025.
- Donated more than 107 million servings of protein valued at more than $101 million during the pandemic when food banks needed it most.
- Continuously drive operational efficiencies across our integrated value chain to produce more with less, ensuring a consistent supply of widely accessible and affordable, high-quality, nutrient-dense protein.
- Pillar 2: Integrate Nutrition and Health
- Developing innovative solutions to increase the functionality and viability of our byproducts for the advanced development of pharmaceuticals and medical devices through our Smithfield BioScience platform.
- Offering enhanced benefits, educational programs and screenings for all full-time Smithfield employees through our “Let’s Get Healthy Together!” program.
- Pillar 3: Empower All Consumers to Make and Have Access to Healthy Choices
- First in the industry to publish an online ingredient glossary, providing clear information about ingredients added to enrich flavor, expand variety and enhance food safety.
- Increasing transparency through cleaner labeling across 100% of our product line by 2025.
- Reducing sugars and sodium by 10% across our entire product line by 2025.
- Simplifying and transforming ingredients in our all-natural and naturally cured products.
- Reducing allergens such as wheat and sesame derivatives.
- Ensuring a variety of products to meet consumer dietary requirements.
More information about Smithfield’s commitments may be found in the company’s 2021 Sustainability Impact Report at https://smithfieldfoods.com/sustainability-reports.
About Smithfield Foods, Inc.
Headquartered in Smithfield, Va., since 1936, Smithfield Foods, Inc. is an American food company with agricultural roots and a global reach. With more than 60,000 jobs globally, we are dedicated to producing “Good food. Responsibly.®” and serve as 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 our 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. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com, and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.
