Environment, Farmland Foods, John Morrell Food Group, Murphy-Brown, Smithfield Packing

As Smithfield Foods becomes an industry leader, we know our collective progress is the result of individual ambition. Our employees desire to set the bar high is what makes this company thrive, and such dedication does not go unnoticed. Every year at our Internal Awards Conference, we recognize the outstanding efforts of our independent operating companies to make Smithfield’s operations more sustainable.

Close to 100 representatives of Smithfield Foods, John Morrell, Smithfield Packing Company, Farmland Foods, and Murphy-Brown, along with invited guests, attended this year’s program. Ian Olson, director of sustainability for Darden Restaurants, was the keynote speaker.

This year’s theme was “Our Commitments,” which reflected environmental management initiatives that altogether resulted in approximately the following:

• 128 million gallons of water saved

• 17,402,247 kwhs of electricity conserved

• 109,868 decatherms of natural gas not used

• 2,336 tons of solid waste materials not landfilled

• 3,397 tons of additional cardboard recycling

• 166,365 gallons of diesel fuel not used

A total of 168 projects were submitted, resulting in an annual cost savings of over $13 million that only required $5 million in capital expenditures. One President’s Award and 10 Environmental Excellence Awards were presented in a wide range of project categories representing Smithfield Foods’ strong commitment to sustainability.

The President’s Award was given to Don Butler and Rhonda Campbell, two employees of Smithfield’s hog production subsidiary, Murphy-Brown, LLC. These two employees produced a video series entitled “Taking the Mystery Out of Pork Production,” which is available at www.takingoutthemystery.com. As the first publicly available footage of its kind in the pork industry, the documentary series provides an inside view of the pork production process, from farrow to finish To date, the series has nearly 30,000 views, and it was awarded two Telly Awards this past year.

Brian Paulsen of Premium Standard Farms was selected as this year’s “Zero Hero” for his work addressing regulatory compliance while integrating a revolutionary odor management technology in Missouri as part of an agreement with the state.

“These accomplishments reflect our employees’ commitment to our proactive corporate social responsibility program that is working at every level of our company,” said Bill Gill, assistant vice president for environmental affairs.

Dennis Treacy, Smithfield’s senior vice president of corporate affairs and chief sustainability officer, added, “Our award recipients have achieved meaningful reductions in our environmental impact and deserve to be recognized for their hard work and innovation. Cost savings are great, but improving our processes will help preserve the environment for future generations, and that’s something to strive for.”