Smithfield Foods has announced it will conduct a comprehensive watershed and water-use analysis across its vertically integrated operations to increase the company’s water use efficiencies and ensure sustainable sourcing and practices companywide. As part of the initiative, Smithfield will also adopt internationally recognized water stewardship standards by 2025 to support its long-term water management goals.
The exhaustive water conservation effort will refresh prior water assessments and inform updated strategies related to water usage, quality, and supply availability on all company-owned and contract hog farms, in manufacturing facilities, and across grain supplier operations, beginning with Smithfield’s domestic portfolio. Assessments will foster sustainable water use and access to local water sources, inform site-specific performance and conservation targets and reduce the risk of future sourcing issues.
 | Smithfield Foods: Sustainable Processing Practices for Food Brands |
This newest initiative builds on efforts Smithfield has undertaken over the last decade to reduce water use across its farms and production facilities, which utilize ISO 14001:2015 certified environmental management systems (EMS) to establish water-use reduction targets and assess potential new efficiencies. Additional ongoing efforts to conserve water include strictly regulating the application of nutrients on company and contract hog farms, introducing grain supply chain innovations to protect water from fertilizer runoff, and partnering with local water authorities to reduce impacts of groundwater use.
“Responsible stewardship of water and other finite natural resources is an essential component of sustainable food production and critical to our role as an environmentally conscious protein company,” says Stewart Leeth, chief sustainability officer for Smithfield Foods. “Because our business operations rely on water to produce food and support animal care, we continually assess our water use and pursue innovations that further conserve resources and implement the best available technologies.”
PACK EXPO Las Vegas and Healthcare Packaging EXPO (Sept. 27-29, Las Vegas Convention Center) will reunite the packaging and processing community, offering new products, technologies, and solutions, while implementing up-to-date protocols for a safe and successful in-person event. Attendee registration opens in May.
