• Smithfield Foods introduces a new GHG Reporting Framework.
• The GHG reporting system includes measures such as methane capture and GHG intensity.

Smithfield Foods, an American food-processing company based in Smithfield, Virginia, has introduced a new greenhouse gas (GHG) reporting framework to understand the environmental impact of their food production.

According to Stewart Leeth, chief sustainability officer for Smithfield Foods, the company was the first in the food industry to introduce a comprehensive sustainability programme more than two decades ago.

The recently launched GHG framework will help the company's customers understand the environmental impact of the food it produces by providing them with production-based metrics.

The company's new GHG reporting system consists of two measures:

• Report how much methane, a major greenhouse gas responsible for climate change, is captured from farms, including company-owned and contract ones.
• Record how much CO2 is produced for every 100 pounds of food produced.

The pork producer has cut back on its hog production by around 20 per cent, closing some facilities and opening new ones to operate sustainably.

The company is closely collaborating with partners in the field to turn methane into clean energy to reduce the carbon footprint. The new system will account for the emissions it saves through these projects.

This year, Smithfield will put this system in place to report on its environmental impact and GHG reduction. The primary objective is to provide accurate information about GHG emissions and operate more environmentally friendly.

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Source: Smithfield Foods