Salisbury, Md. (Thursday, April 19, 2018) — In anticipation of Earth Day, April 22, Perdue Farms announces aggressive and transparent “2022 Goals” to reduce greenhouse gases, water use and solid waste.

Perdue Farms will commit to reducing Scope and Scope Two greenhouse gasses by 30 percent and potable water use by 25 percent. It will divert 90% of solid waste from landfills and achieve zero solid-waste certification for at least five facilities.

“Earth Day reminds us that the modern environmental movement, born 48 years ago when 20 million Americans rallied together across the country, demands action and accountability, especially on the part of companies,” said Steve Levitsky, vice president of sustainability for Perdue Farms. “Our 2022 sustainability goals will make those components of Earth Day an increasingly important part of our company’s culture.”

A conscious effort to reduce environmental impact is not new to Perdue. The company’s internal environmental scorecard has factored into management compensation.

“We’re already taking steps to reduce our environmental footprint, but our 2022 goals will significantly accelerate our progress,” said Levitsky.

A conscious effort to reduce environmental impact is not new to Perdue. The company’s internal environmental scorecard has factored into management compensation.

Perdue already has a history of major environmental initiatives, including solar energy installations in Maryland and Delaware, a biogas project in Kentucky that uses methane from a wastewater lagoon to generate electricity and hot water, and a biomass-fueled co-generation and boiler project in North Carolina. Perdue’s recently opened soybean crushing plant in Pennsylvania uses steam from an adjacent county waste-to-energy system, eliminating onsite fossil-fuel boilers.

Sixteen years ago, Perdue became the first – and still only – poultry company providing farmers on the environmentally sensitive Delmarva Peninsula alternative uses for their poultry litter. Last year, with a move to large-scale composting, that project expanded to include a broader range of nutrient-rich by-products from poultry production and processing.

“Reaching our 2022 goals will require innovation and continuous improvement,” said Levitsky. “We will report annually on our progress. Along the way, we’ll also announce additional goals and initiatives as our sustainability efforts expand deeper into our supply chain.”

About Perdue Farms
We’re a third-generation, family owned, U.S. food and agriculture company. Through our belief in responsible food and agriculture, we are empowering consumers, customers and farmers through trusted choices in products and services.

We focus on continuously improving everything we do, constantly learning, and sharing those insights across different production methods. That innovative approach is driving change throughout the company and onto farms. This continuous advancement is leading us toward our vision of becoming the most trusted name in food and agricultural products.

The PERDUE^® brand is the number-one brand of fresh chicken in the U.S., and Perdue AgriBusiness is an international agricultural products and services company. As we approach our 100^th anniversary in 2020, our path forward is about getting better, not just bigger. We never use drugs for growth promotion in raising poultry and livestock, and we are actively advancing our animal welfare programs. Our brands are leaders in no-antibiotics-ever chicken, turkey and pork, and in USDA-certified organic chicken. We’ve increased our support for the family farm by creating new markets, including specialty crops. Through agricultural services, we give farmers more options for the acre, including conversion to organic production and products and services that increase the sustainability of conventional agriculture. Learn more at www.perduefarms.com.