Effective environmental management is critical to the success of our business and to the achievement of our long-term sustainability goals. Smithfield’s ISO 14001-certified environmental management system (EMS) addresses the significant environmental aspects of pork production and food processing operations, provides training programs, and facilitates engagement with local communities and regulators. ISO 14001 certification strengthens our environmental performance by requiring a long-term management plan that incorporates regular third-party audits, goal setting, corrective action, documentation, and executive review. It allows us to collect, analyze, and report relevant environmental data to help ensure our continuing compliance with all applicable environmental legislation and regulations. The EMS is also an essential tool that we use to effectively allocate resources to gain efficiencies in energy use, water use, and waste generation.
In 2002, we became the first livestock operation in the world to complete ISO 14001 certification of all domestic company-owned farms. In 2004, we were the first in our industry to achieve ISO 14001 certification at all of our processing facilities, too. Today, we require all acquired operations to achieve ISO certification, including European operations acquired over the past decade. More than 95 percent of Smithfield Foods locations worldwide are ISO 14001 certified.
