Photo of a girl inspecting the water at an outdoor project.

Smithfield Foods — Committed to Protecting the Environment

Providing good food responsibly means going above and beyond to be good stewards of the environment. Our commitment to environmental leadership is reflected in our ISO 14001 certification, the gold standard for environmental management, as well as in these other areas:

  • Implemented over 150 individual projects in 2007 resulting in reduced water usage, air emissions and greenhouse gas emissions, improved energy efficiency and increased recycling
  • Instituted a Web-based training program to provide standardized training and certification for each processing facility's Environmental Coordinator
  • Created a Bioenergy Task Force to explore alternative energy options
  • Participated in a pilot project on our company-owned farms to convert methane into electricity
  • Implemented new metrics software to better monitor and measure environmental performance
  • Received approval for two additional facilities to join the EPA’s Performance Track Program

National FFA Environmental and Natural Resources Career Development Event

The team from Watkinsville, Georgia placed first in the National FFA Environmental and Natural Resources Career Development Event at the 80th National FFA Convention in 2007.

The National FFA Organization is a driving force in the education of students across the country, providing opportunities to learn leadership skills and experience personal growth and career success through agricultural education. That’s why we’re pleased to sponsor the National FFA Environmental and Natural Resources Career Development Event.

Each year, FFA students participating in this event challenge their skills and knowledge in a variety of team and individual events that test everything from soil and water analysis to developing measurable solutions to pressing environmental issues. The top eleven individuals and the national winning team members are awarded scholarships to further their education at a post-secondary institution of their choice.

FFA members who take top honors demonstrate they are serious about protecting the environment and our resources. We are proud to provide scholarships they can use toward an education to help achieve that goal.

For more information on the National FFA Environmental and Natural Resources Career Development Event, visit www.ffa.org.

“I would like to thank Smithfield Foods for its support of the FFA Environmental/Natural Resources competition. I received a $500 scholarship, and I will use this money to assist with my college tuition. I will be attending Garrett College in McHenry, Maryland, in the fall of 2008, majoring in Natural Resources and Wildlife Technology. Upon graduation, I will transfer to Frostburg State University to obtain a bachelor’s degree in Natural Resources/Conservation.”

Adam Reid
Scholarship Recipient, FFA 2006 Environmental and Natural Resources Competition