McDonald's USA announced it has recognized Smithfield Foods Inc. with the first-ever Sustainability Award during the fast-food giant's 2008 Supplier Summit in Oak Brook, Ill. The award, to become an annual honor, recognizes the supplier that best exemplifies McDonald's vision, principles and values for sustainable supply.

McDonald's said it asked suppliers to self-nominate and to describe their vision, programs and results in developing and promoting a sustainable supply chain. This included practices that ensure the health and welfare of employees, the welfare and humane treatment of animals, as well as programs that minimize impacts on the environment and conserve and protect natural resources.

"We are absolutely honored to be recognized by McDonald's for our company's sustainability achievements," Smithfield President and CEO C. Larry Pope, said in a statement. "The credit has to go to our employees, who exemplify every day our deeply held belief that it's not enough to simply make good food — we must make it in a responsible manner."

Susan Forsell, Vice President Supply Chain, Quality Systems, McDonald's USA said, "Smithfield Foods deserves to be recognized for [its] innovative approaches to protect the environment, to ensure the safety of [its] employees, the well-being of animals, the quality of products, and to promoting education in the communities [the company serves]."

The Roberts Environmental Center at Claremont McKenna College recently gave McDonald's an "A+" for the company's voluntary reporting on environmental and social issues. Since 2004, McDonald's has worked with Conservation International to develop and implement environmental "scorecards" for suppliers, aimed at encouraging the protection of resources that suppliers share with surrounding communities.