Smithfield Foods works to introduce holistic regenerative agriculture solutions throughout its grain supply chain via its Smithfield Renewables and SmithfieldGro programs. These efforts support Smithfield Foods’ industry-leading carbon reduction goals: to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent by 2025 and to become carbon negative by 2030.

Smithfield Foods’ regenerative agriculture activity focuses on:

• improving crop yields through promoting healthier farmland with improved water and nutrient-holding capacities,
• reducing GHG emissions & water use and pollution through fertilizer optimizations, and
• benefiting the environment while supporting economic growth and opportunity for farmers.

Smithfield Foods’ Agronomics program: SmithfieldGro

In collaboration with the Environmental Defence Fund, Smithfield Foods’ agronomists developed a program that helps grain farmers in its domestic supply chain optimize fertilizer use and minimize related runoff on their farms. As a result, Smithfield Foods has increased purchases of sustainably sourced grains.

The program assists farmers with sourcing tools and resources and site-specific farming methods that reduce waste, optimize fertilizer use, improve soil health, enhance water quality, reduce GHG emissions and increase profits for participating farmers. The resulting reductions in GHG emissions support sustainable farming practices while supporting Smithfield Foods’ industry-leading carbon reduction goals.

Smithfield Foods buys substantial amounts of grain every year, more than 10 billion pounds. Grain purchases account for approximately 15 to 20 percent of Smithfield Foods’ total carbon footprint.

Smithfield’s agronomics program efforts began in 2013 when they partnered with the Environmental Defense Fund to introduce SmithfieldGro.

SmithfieldGro is a program designed to help farmers improve crop yields while utilizing less fertilizer, reducing carbon emissions. Fertilizer is an essential tool for agriculture but also a primary driver of crop-related GHG emissions. On average, more than half of the nutrients applied to fields are not absorbed into the soil. When too much nitrogen is applied to a crop, it can be converted by microbes in the soil to nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas.

The SmithfieldGro program provides free agronomy advice and tools to farmers to:

• optimize nutrient absorption,
• utilize less fertilizer,
• improve soil health, and
• reduce water and improve water quality.

These efficiencies result in better crop yields, reduce GHG emissions, and often support farmers economically.

Smithfield Foods’ agronomists travel to grain farms across the U.S. to develop site-specific strategies to support these ends. Smithfield Foods’ agronomists might suggest farmers cover crops or develop curated seed mixes to accommodate soil needs. Smithfield Foods assists farmers with sourcing products supporting regenerative agriculture efforts at discounted rates. The company utilizes nitrogen management tools, which develop model water, soil, planting, and field management dynamics to assess opportunities for improvement.

As of 2018, Smithfield Foods successfully engaged 80 percent of its grain supply chain regarding sustainable fertilizer and soil health practices.

Recycling nutrients in manure

Smithfield Foods recycles hog manure produced on company-owned farms using anaerobic lagoons to store and treat the manure and apply it as fertilizer to grow crops like corn, soybeans, and certain grasses. This practice uses environmentally sound methods that adhere to area agricultural practices and regulatory requirements.

Through the Align Renewable Natural Gas joint venture between Dominion Energy and the Monarch Bioenergy partnership with Roeslein Alternative Energy, Smithfield Foods is capturing methane from hog manure on farming operations across the country and converting it into clean energy. Through a partnership with Anuvia™ Plant Nutrients, Smithfield Foods produces sustainable fertilizer from renewable biological materials from its hog farm manure treatment systems.

Fertilizer produced through this partnership utilizes remnant solids that accumulate at the bottom of Smithfield Foods’ anaerobic lagoons and basins, which store and treat hog manure on farms. This results in commercial-grade fertilizer higher in nutrient concentration than the organic materials in their original form. The fertilizer produced allows farmers to better manage nutrient ratios and use less fertilizer overall. Because Anuvia’s products contain organic matter, their nutrient release is more controlled, reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Smithfield Foods is continuing to explore other methods to recycle manure and benefit the environment.