Climate Change Data

National Pork Board (NPB)

Climate Impact & Sustainability Data (2019, 2021)

Reporting Period: 2019

Environmental Metrics

Total Carbon Emissions:Not disclosed
Scope 1 Emissions:Not disclosed
Scope 2 Emissions:Not disclosed
Scope 3 Emissions:Not disclosed
Renewable Energy Share:Not disclosed
Total Energy Consumption:Not disclosed
Water Consumption:Not disclosed
Waste Generated:Not disclosed
Carbon Intensity:Not disclosed

ESG Focus Areas

  • Food Safety
  • Animal Well-Being
  • Environment
  • Public Health
  • Our People
  • Community

Environmental Achievements

  • 75.9% less land used over the past 55 years
  • 25.1% less water used over the past 55 years
  • 7.0% less energy used over the past 55 years
  • 7.7% lower carbon emissions per pound of pork produced over the past 55 years
  • Some farmers are now carbon neutral, and even carbon negative

Social Achievements

  • 71,000 farmers and farm personnel voluntarily participate in PQA Plus
  • 85% of all U.S.-raised pork comes from PQA Plus certified farms
  • 31,000 industry animal handlers and transporters have TQA certification
  • More than 3.2 million servings of food donated in 2018
  • Over 54,000 volunteer hours contributed in 2018
  • More than $5.5 million donated to charitable causes in 2018

Governance Achievements

  • Pork Quality Assurance® Plus (PQA Plus®) program launched in 1989, continuously improved and expanded
  • Common Swine Industry Audit implemented, certified by PAACO
  • Sustainability Research Alliance formed

Climate Goals & Targets

Long-term Goals:
  • Not disclosed
Medium-term Goals:
  • Not disclosed
Short-term Goals:
  • Not disclosed

Environmental Challenges

  • Antibiotic resistance
  • Maintaining public trust in pork production
  • Reducing environmental impact of farming while increasing food production
Mitigation Strategies
  • Research on antibiotic resistance patterns
  • Responsible antibiotic use programs and education
  • Improved manure management strategies
  • Increased feed efficiency
  • Use of wind turbines, methane digesters, and solar panels
  • Community engagement programs (Operation Main Street)
  • Transparency and communication efforts

Supply Chain Management

Supplier Audits: Not disclosed

Responsible Procurement
  • Not disclosed

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Physical Risks
  • Not disclosed
Transition Risks
  • Not disclosed
Opportunities
  • Not disclosed

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: Null

Certifications: PQA Plus, TQA

Third-party Assurance: Not disclosed

UN Sustainable Development Goals

  • Not disclosed

Not disclosed

Sustainable Products & Innovation

  • Leaner pork cuts

Awards & Recognition

  • Not disclosed

Reporting Period: 2021

Environmental Metrics

Total Carbon Emissions:Not disclosed
Scope 1 Emissions:Not disclosed
Scope 2 Emissions:Not disclosed
Scope 3 Emissions:Not disclosed
Renewable Energy Share:Not disclosed
Total Energy Consumption:Not disclosed
Water Consumption:Not disclosed
Waste Generated:Not disclosed
Carbon Intensity:Tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent per pound of pork

ESG Focus Areas

  • Animal Well-being
  • Environment
  • Public Health
  • Food Safety
  • Our People
  • Our Communities

Environmental Achievements

  • Reduced land, water, and energy use by 75%, 25%, and 7% respectively between 1960 and 2015, resulting in an 8% smaller environmental footprint.
  • Offset 4,208 tons of commercial nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium required to produce feed.

Social Achievements

  • Implemented PQA Plus and TQA programs for employee training in animal care and biosecurity.
  • Expanded national giving campaign and doubled volunteerism in communities (goals for 2030).

Governance Achievements

  • Established industry-wide sustainability goals and metrics.
  • Developed a data infrastructure to track and report on progress toward goals.

Climate Goals & Targets

Long-term Goals:
  • Not disclosed
Medium-term Goals:
  • By 2030, 100% of fresh pork products will be traceable through the supply chain.
  • By 2030, reduce GHG emissions by 40% from a 2015 baseline.
  • Expand national giving campaign by 100% by 2030.
  • Double volunteerism in our communities by 2030.
Short-term Goals:
  • Double the number of American pig farms that have completed an On-Farm Sustainability Report within the next year.

Environmental Challenges

  • Pressures on environmental stewardship of air, soil, and water.
  • Need for transparency, measurement, and reporting of sustainability practices.
Mitigation Strategies
  • Developed On-Farm Sustainability Reports to gather and analyze farm-level data.
  • Established industry-wide database for data aggregation and reporting.
  • Collaborated with stakeholders to set ambitious goals and metrics.

Supply Chain Management

Supplier Audits: Not disclosed

Responsible Procurement
  • Working across the agricultural supply chain to improve the sustainability of feed production.

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Physical Risks
  • Not disclosed
Transition Risks
  • Not disclosed
Opportunities
  • Use of biodigesters to capture greenhouse gas emissions and generate energy.

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)

Certifications: Pork Quality Assurance® Plus (PQA Plus®), Transport Quality Assurance® (TQA®)

Third-party Assurance: Not disclosed

UN Sustainable Development Goals

  • Not disclosed

The pork industry’s sustainability goals and metrics address 15 of the 17 UN SDGs.

Sustainable Products & Innovation

  • Not disclosed

Awards & Recognition

  • Not disclosed