We recognize that our consumers, customers and communities expect us to be responsible stewards of our shared natural resources. We also recognize that producing more with less is not the full measure of sustainability, and that we need to take a holistic approach that overlaps with our commitments to food safety and quality, animal welfare, associate well-being, consumer preferences, community concerns and supporting family farms.

In pursuit of our Vision to be the most trusted name in food and agriculture products, we know we have to go beyond compliance to actively address the full range of environmental stewardship challenges related to animal agriculture and food production. We know that environmental stewardship includes partnering with and supporting efforts and organizations that bring stakeholders together to protect our natural resources.

We count "Stewardship" among our core company Values, and incorporate environmental sustainability into our company goals.

• We have environmental scorecards for each of our operations to track our progress in reducing energy and water use, increasing recycling, and community involvement and associate engagement.
• Environmental stewardship is a shared responsibility for all associates, and our environmental goals factor into management compensation.
• We have dedicated environmental managers responsible for each of our larger facilities and each facility has an environmental management system to reduce environmental impacts and lower our overall carbon footprint.

Our commitment to environmental stewardship extends across our supply chain, including

• Assisting the farmers who raise our poultry to comply with environmental regulations and best practices, and requiring nutrient management plans and environmental compliance as part of our poultry contracts
• Reducing the impact of our processing operations, including reducing energy use, water use and solid waste
• Solar, biomass and biogas renewable energy projects
• Fuel efficient trucks and trailers
• Advising and assisting grain farmers with implementing soil and nutrient Best Management Practices through Perdue Ag Services
• Providing markets for cover crops through Perdue AgriBusiness
• Membership in the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil
• Reductions in packaging material, and
• LEED Platinum certification at our corporate office.

Environmental Stewardship and the Chesapeake Bay

With operations on Delmarva, we understand the unique environmental challenges of agricultural production in the Chesapeake Bay and coastal bays watersheds.

Since 2001, we’ve been the only poultry company on Delmarva offering alternatives to land application of nutrient-rich byproducts, including litter, from poultry production and processing. In 2016, we switched from litter pasteurizing and pelleting to a composting technology that added the capability to recycle other agricultural by-products into a wide range of soil amendments while significantly reducing energy use and associated emissions.

We remain committed to accepting surplus litter from Delmarva growers while continuing to explore new technologies for nutrient recycling.