October 14, 2021. Smithfield Foods, Inc., a vertically integrated food company and the world’s largest pork processor, received the World Sustainability Awards’ (WSA) prestigious “Profit with a Purpose” award. The company is recognized for aligning sustainability and profitability through its innovative renewable natural gas (RNG) programs, which significantly reduce carbon emissions by converting methane from hog manure into clean energy for consumers while presenting new revenue opportunities for family farmers.
Smithfield was selected following a rigorous three-stage judging process and was announced the winner during a virtual awards ceremony Oct. 13. In addition to the “Profit with a Purpose” award, Smithfield received a “Highly Commendable” honorable mention in the WSA’s ‘External Partnership’ category for its collaboration with a leading environmental organization to assist farmers in its supply chain with implementing sustainable farming practices.
After years of research, investments and trialing, Smithfield arrived at an innovative method to implement RNG technology on its farms that generates value for the company and stakeholders across its value chain. Smithfield’s RNG projects are notably reducing carbon emissions across America, removing 25 times more greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the atmosphere than are released during the resulting RNG’s end use to power communities and fuel transportation vehicles. In many cases, the technology creates economic opportunity for family farmers who raise hogs by turning one of their biggest costs, manure management, into a new revenue source.
The World Sustainability Awards are presented by Sustainability Leaders, a global network designed to accelerate cross-functional sustainability initiatives and World 50, a private community for senior-most executives to foster collaborative discovery free from press, competition and solicitation.