Source: Lisa M. Keefe, MEATINGPLACE, 5/11/15


Smithfield Foods ranks No. 1 for responsible water management among meat processors in a new report from Boston-based business sustainability organization Ceres.

Ceres evaluated 37 agricultural and food companies for their water management policies and practices in four categories: governance and management; direct operations; manufacturing supply chain; and agriculture supply chain. Of the six meat processors put under the microscope, Smithfield took the top spot with 33 points out of a possible 100.

The rest were JBS with 12 points, Hormel with 11, Perdue Farms with 9, Tyson with 8 and Pilgrim’s Pride with 3 points.
Cargill was included in a more comprehensive “agricultural products” category, and was awarded 17 points for its programs.

"[O]ur work isn't over," Smithfield CEO C. Larry Pope said in a news release. "Water issues remain one of the most critical risks facing the food industry. The Ceres report notes that one-third of the world's food production occurs in areas of high or extremely high water stress, or competition. As a leader in the global meat industry, Smithfield has an obligation to help find solutions to this pressing issue."

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