Climate Change Data

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Employee Talent Management
• Compensation & Benefits
• Employee Engagement
• Diversity & Inclusion
• Work/Life Balance
• Safety Performance
• Environmental Policy
• Water Use
• Fertilizer Offsets
• Waste, Gas & Energy
• Animal Care
• Antibiotics Stewardship
• Community Support
• Economic Impact

Environmental Achievements

• Reduced water intensity per pound of pork produced by 20.3% from 2017-2020 (equivalent to 198 million 16 oz. water bottles or 24.8 million gallons of water)
• Avoided nearly 57,000 CO2 emissions and saved nearly 628 million gallons of water through fertilizer offsets (2018-2020)

Social Achievements

• Maintained or improved sustainability metrics while prioritizing employee health and safety during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Provided pork gift certificates, recipes, and other items to employees in lieu of canceled appreciation picnics
• Supported local communities with approximately $50,000 in donations from contract producer partners due to supply chain disruptions
• Partnered with 15 local restaurants to provide meals to employees, supporting local businesses
• Donated whole hogs to over 60 employees
• Increased employee engagement by 4% year over year
• 79% employee participation in the 2020 employee engagement survey

Governance Achievements

• Maintained or improved sustainability metrics
• Continued to maintain or improve sustainability metrics
• Actively involved in local communities, industry, and governmental organizations
• Benchmarking against industry peers and sharing best practices
• Proactive engagement with governmental agencies

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Societal pressures and misinformation regarding pork production
• Supply chain disruptions due to COVID-19
• Balancing sustainability efforts with economic viability and potential trade-offs

Mitigation Strategies

• Frequent communication with employees and contract partners during COVID-19
• Seeking alternative avenues to get market-ready pigs to processing plants
• Supporting local communities through donations
• Partnering with local restaurants to provide meals to employees
• Continuous improvement and development of sustainability initiatives

Supply Chain Management

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Awards & Recognition

• Minnesota Pork Producers Association Environmental Stewardship Award (2006)
• Minnesota Pork Board Environmental Steward of the Year (2016, 2019, 2020)
• Venture Award from the Iowa Area Development Group (2016)
• Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Above and Beyond Recognition (2020)
• Iowa Pork Producers Master Pork Producer Award (2020)
• Minnesota Swine Manager of the Year Award (2021)
• Iowa Pork Producers Master Pork Partner Award (2021)

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Environmental
• Social
• Governance
• Animal Welfare

Environmental Achievements

• Saved an average of 30.4 million gallons of water annually since Fiscal Year 2017
• 92% of manure generated is stored in fully covered structures, minimizing emissions
• 100% of manure is used as fertilizer, improving soil health and reducing need for commercial fertilizers
• Reduced over 250,000 miles travelled by optimizing load weights resulting in a 46,000 gallon fuel reduction and over 500 tons CO2e avoided
• 2.8% MMBTU DECREASE PER POUND OF PORK FROM FISCAL YEAR 2022

Social Achievements

• Launched MyCareer program for talent lifecycle management
• Adjusted wages for the majority of positions in response to inflation
• Hosted 18 interns from nine different institutions
• 55 individuals and 11 teams received the Christensen Farms Award for Excellence. Four employees received the Bob Christensen Award for Excellence

Governance Achievements

• Proactively engages with governmental agencies
• Maintains a robust investigation process for all injuries
• Upholds a zero-tolerance policy for animal mistreatment and neglect

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• High feed prices
• Onerous animal housing regulations
• Inflationary pressures
• Depressed margins

Mitigation Strategies

• Producing more pork with fewer resources
• Mitigating costly inputs and inefficiencies
• Investing in advanced genetics with superior feed conversion and livability
• Investing in corn sourcing and receiving capabilities and technologies

Supply Chain Management

Responsible Procurement

• Sources corn directly from local farmers and grain elevators

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Awards & Recognition

• 2022: Minnesota Pork Board Environmental Steward of the Year
• 2022: New Ulm, Minnesota Chamber of Commerce Large Business of the Year
• 2022: Iowa Pork Master Pork Producer