It’s Time to Get on the Bus: National Pork Board Unveils Sustainability Goals
For generations, pork producers have done a great job in their on-farm sustainability practices, says Sara Crawford, vice president of sustainability at the National Pork Board. In the past 60 years, pork production has improved by using 75% less land, 25% less water and 7% less energy, resulting in a nearly 8% smaller environmental footprint.
“We've had fantastic foundational programs like Pork Quality Assurance Plus for decades, we've done worker and safety health programs for many years, we've had the We Care Ethical Principles for 14 years. Those programs look at more than just the environment when we think of sustainability,” Crawford says.
Those programs have been focusing on people, animals, communities, food safety, public health, as well as the environment.
“When we started on this journey, one producer said, ‘We've got all the pieces and parts to the bus. Let's put the bus together and drive it.’ That's really what we're seeing here,” she says. “We've had all these pieces and parts, let's put those all together in these goals and drive the bus.”
The National Pork Board unveiled its new sustainability goals on Feb. 17, building upon all of that progress. The journey ahead will not only welcome more drivers along the way, but it will also improve navigation with additional and more current data while engaging across the supply chain to share progress.
Benchmarks for Progress
The National Pork Board is taking an action-based and scientific approach to set benchmarks for where the pork industry is today and creating goals for how they will continue to improve in the future. Progress will be measured on the farm and across the industry using tools that will allow the industry to make better, data-driven decisions.
“When we look at the lifecycle analysis studies that were done, we realize a large portion of our sustainability efforts, especially related to carbon sequestration, have been linked to the feed products that we use – corn and soybeans. We know we can go only as far and as fast as they're able to and they're fully supportive,” says Dale Stevermer, a Minnesota pig farmer. “We've been working with them, too, as we develop these metrics. Our goals are achievable, and we are going to be measuring every step of the way.”
Supported by a measurement infrastructure already in place to collect real, on-farm data, each goal will be tracked and reported regularly on behalf of the industry and in alignment with best-practice metrics and disclosures for corporate sustainability, such as Global Reporting Initiative. Future reports will share data based on “pigs reported” – meaning progress toward the metric will be gauged on percentage of pigs or farms for which we have received and aggregated data through an industry-wide database.
“Technology has given us the ability to take every single thing we do with each pig and verify it – whether it’s how much water or food they eat or drink, the technologies we use to keep them healthy, or how many times a person comes into the barn and how they interact with the pigs,” Lukas Fricke, a Nebraska pig farmer said in the 2021 Sustainability Report.
A key component to the industry’s established metrics infrastructure is On-Farm Sustainability reports, which provide free, farm-level data to help pork producers establish an individual baseline for social, environmental, and economic sustainability. The reports help confirm management decisions for producers while showing proof of the industry’s commitment to continuous improvement.
Building consumer trust will help protect pig farmers’ freedom to operate and contribute to the industry’s long-term economic viability. NPB is partnering with third-party expert Sustainable Environmental Consultants (SEC), to make data collection and aggregation quick and efficient.
The On-Farm Sustainability Reports provide metrics on manure – application and agronomic rates, water quality and use, and community donations and service hours.
A Look at the New Sustainability Goals
Closely aligned with 15 of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the goals were developed through a producer-led, multi-year process, which considered customer needs and expectations. The goals line up with the six We Care Ethical Principles.
Our People
We are committed to providing meaningful, dignified work for the people who choose to dedicate their careers to raising the food we eat.
Goals: We are committed to ensuring all our caregivers have knowledge and skills to thrive and provide quality care while being safe in their jobs. We will:
- Provide access to professional growth and appropriate training opportunities to all our caregivers by equipping them to demonstrate leadership at each stage of their career.
- Support multi-factored diversity within our farms and the communities in which we raise pigs
Metrics to measure progress:
- Percentage of pigs reported produced at a location where employees have received specific animal-care training.
- Percentage of pigs reported produced at a location where animal well-being training is verified by caregiver competency.
- Percentage of pigs reported produced at a location where employees were provided training and/or leadership opportunities in addition to PQA Plus.
- Percentage of pigs reported produced at a location where there is a formal, written Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policy for their business.
Environment
We are committed to safeguarding and nurturing natural resources for now and future generations
Goals: We are committed to protecting our planet’s natural resources – water, soil and air – and realize the impact of GHGs on the environment. We will:
- Continuously improve water-use efficiency through advanced agriculture practices, aggressive implementation of on-farm water use targets and best management practices.
- Use agriculture practices that improve soil, land and biodiversity, while restoring and protecting natural habitats to further decrease our footprint from a 2015 baseline.
- Contribute to improving the quality of surrounding water bodies through agriculture practices, including reducing nutrient run-off, implementing nutrient management plans, managing manure and protecting riparian areas located on farms.
- By 2030, reduce GHG emissions by 40% from a 2015 baseline.
Metrics to measure progress:
- Water used per pig recorded, measured by in-barn water use.
- Percentage of pigs reported produced at locations where nutrient application plans are being implemented.
- Area of land used for pork production per year.
- Area of land under conservation practices per year.
- Area of land protected or restored including riparian areas.
- Tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent per pound of pork.
Animal Well-Being
We are committed to the highest level of care and well-being for the pigs we raise.
Goals: We are committed to end-to-end certification that is fully transparent and uses the following programs to demonstrate compliance:
- PQA Plus worker certifications
- TQA worker certifications
- PQA Plus Site Assessments
- Common Swine Industry Audit
Metrics to measure progress:
- Percentage of pigs reported produced per year at a location that is compliant with the end-to-end certification program.
Public Health
We are committed to producing the highest quality food possible while increasing the enjoyment of pork and the well-being of people around the world.
Goals: We are committed to supporting public health and the well-being of the pigs under our care using best practices.
Metrics to measure progress:
- Percentage of pigs reported produced at a location where there is documented veterinary oversight of animal health.
- Percentage of pigs reported produced from farms that have documented compliance with the proper use of medications.
Food Safety
We are committed to producing the safest food in the world.
Goals: By 2030, 100% of fresh pork products can be traced through the supply chain using technology that allows the public to easily access information on how pork was raised and produced.
Metrics to measure progress:
Percentage of fresh pork produced per year that can be traced from retail or foodservice location back to the packing plant.
Our Communities
We are committed to growing and supporting strong communities for today and tomorrow.
Goals: We are committed to driving sustainable, equitable development and prosperity in our communities by generating desirable jobs, growing rural economies, and helping meet community needs. We will:
- Support the rural leaders of tomorrow by awarding annual scholarships.
- Help feed the hungry in our communities by expanding our national giving campaign by 100% by 2030, from a 2019 baseline.
- Double volunteerism in our communities by 2030, from a 2019 baseline.
Metrics to measure progress:
- Economic value generated and distributed per year.
- Number of jobs, apprenticeships, externships or internships per year.
- Total farmer and employee charitable contributions per year.
- Number of volunteers trained annually.
- Number of volunteer hours.
- Number of community presentations given.
- Percentage of pigs reported produced at a location where there is a formal, written Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policy for their business.
- Number of scholarships and total dollar amount awarded annually.
“Even though we've put in this this work as producers over the last couple of years developing these goals and metrics, this work is not done,” Stevermer says. “We’re not just going to set this on the shelf and then in 2029, pull it off go, ‘Oh my gosh how do we get there?’ Along the way, by being able to use these On-Farm Sustainability Reports, we are going to show our progress and if you're not getting to where you want to be, then you start looking at what you need to do to get to the level you want to reach personally or the level that is being asked of you by the companies you're supplying for.”
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