SMITHFIELD, Va., May 22, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Smithfield Foods, Inc. issued the fourth and final installment of its 2017 Sustainability Report with the release of its Helping Communities and People sections. The Helping Communities section focuses on Smithfield's 2017 charitable giving within the communities where its employees live and work. The People section features new programs rolled out in 2017 that focus on keeping employees safe and engaged, and highlights employee talent development and educational opportunities.

"At Smithfield, it is our responsibility to be a good neighbor and do our part to help strengthen the communities we call home," said Keira Lombardo, senior vice president of corporate affairs for Smithfield Foods and president of the Smithfield Foundation. "We bring our social purpose to life through the Smithfield Foundation, a nonprofit organization that acts as the philanthropic wing of our company, and the community outreach efforts of our people, and we are proud of our collective impact."

In 2017, Smithfield's charitable giving donations totaled $27.4 million in support of hunger relief, education, veterans, and other causes that align with the company's industry-leading sustainability program. Featured in this section, Smithfield:

• Donated 21.1 million servings of protein to food banks and hunger relief organizations across America through Helping Hungry Homes®, Smithfield's initiative that works to alleviate hunger and raise awareness of food insecurity.
• Donated more than $3 million to veteran-related causes, including supporting the Warrior Canine Connection's Puppy Enrichment Center where future service dogs begin their training; the Virginia Veteran Services Foundation to support state programs for homeless veterans; and the Virginia Peninsula Foodbank mobile pantry that provides meals to more than 200 veteran families each month.
• Provided millions in support of education in a variety of ways, including donating $3 million for multifaceted educational programs to public schools near the company's headquarters, and funding $165,000 in scholarships for students in Virginia and North Carolina.
• Contributed $85,000 as a sponsor of the National Conservation Foundation's Envirothon project (NCF-Envirothon), an annual academic challenge that engages 50,000 high school students in real-world environmental problem solving. In addition, all Smithfield farms and facilities participated in the program through volunteering or donations to local teams.

"Only by unleashing the full potential of our employees, can our organization excel," said Stewart Leeth, vice president of regulatory affairs and chief sustainability officer for Smithfield Foods. "Stable and prosperous communities support our ability to recruit and retain a talented workforce—a crucial ingredient to our success—and provide a good place for our employees to live."

The People section of the report provides information about Smithfield's ongoing efforts to enhance workplace safety, employee training and engagement, and health and wellness activities. In 2017, Smithfield:

• Launched the Smithfield Injury Prevention System (SIPS), driving further improvements to the company's worker safety program, and aligning with the International Standards Organization (ISO) 45001 standards, the international management system created specifically for safety and health.
• Decreased Total Incident Frequency Rate (TIFR) by nearly eight percent from 2016; Smithfield's TIFR has consistently been below the industry average since 2006.
• Received national worker safety awards for more than 30 facilities.
• Provided $849,000 in tuition assistance to employees pursuing higher education.
• Awarded $660,000 in Smithfield Foundation scholarships to 144 employees' children and grandchildren of employees.
• Created a new Military Fellowship Program, an 18-month rotational leadership development program for high-caliber, recently transitioned military leaders.
• Rolled out Operation 4000!, an initiative to employ 4,000 veterans by 2020, as well as Smithfield Salutes, a veterans-focused Employee Resource Group, to ease the transition of veterans into the company and provide support resources for existing employees with prior military service.

"Our people are our greatest asset and it is their unwavering dedication that makes this company successful, and for that I am grateful each and every day," said Kenneth M. Sullivan, president and chief executive officer for Smithfield Foods. "We invest heavily in all pillars of our sustainability program because what is best for our people, our communities, our animals, and the environment is what is best for our company, underpinning everything that goes into producing good food the right way, the sustainable way." 

Additional 2017 Sustainability Report sections also released today include Innovation, International Operations, and Governance & Management, along with key metrics that capture the company's sustainability performance. Collectively, all sections illustrate how Smithfield's sustainability program creates value for the company and its stakeholders.

To view an introductory video about Smithfield's commitment to Helping Communities and People, click here and here. This release follows the Animal Care, Environment, and Food Safety and Quality report sections published earlier this month. The complete report is available at smithfieldfoods.com/2017report.

About Smithfield Foods
Smithfield Foods is a $15 billion global food company and the world's largest pork processor and hog producer. In the United States, the company is also the leader in numerous packaged meats categories with popular brands including SmithfieldⓇ, EckrichⓇ, Nathan's FamousⓇ, FarmlandⓇ, ArmourⓇ, Farmer JohnⓇ, KretschmarⓇ, John MorrellⓇ, Cook'sⓇ, GwaltneyⓇ, CarandoⓇ, MargheritaⓇ, Curly'sⓇ, Healthy OnesⓇ, MorlinyⓇ, KrakusⓇ and BerlinkiⓇ. Smithfield Foods is committed to providing good food in a responsible way and maintains robust animal care, community involvement, employee safety, environmental and food safety and quality programs. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com.

Contact:
Diana Souder
Smithfield Foods, Inc.
(757) 357-1675
dsouder@smithfield.com

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

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