Springdale, Arkansas-based Tyson Foods has released its 2021 Sustainability Report, which reflects its focus on driving product responsibility and working to sustain natural resources.
“More than ever, Tyson Foods is operating as part of a global food system and we have a critical role to play in responsibly producing food that is affordable, accessible and nutritious,” said John R. Tyson, EVP strategy and chief sustainability officer. “At the same time, we are investing in team member benefits and services to become the most sought-after place to work in the protein industry.”
In 2021, Tyson Foods began a process to further establish long-range 2030 goals and metrics that will embed its environmental, social and governance priorities and commitments into its business.
Through a materiality assessment, Tyson Foods engaged diverse internal and external partners to identify issues where opportunities could be addressed. Based on this assessment, Tyson Foods fine-tuned its pillars of its formula to “Feed the Future” strategy, broadening the scope of the focus areas.
Other key achievements include:
- Reimagining people and community impact:
- Invested $500 million in wage increases and bonuses to its hourly workforce, including $50 million in one-time, thank-you bonuses delivered at the end of the year.
- Committed $1 million through the Tyson Immigration Partnership to expand legal and citizenship support to employees across the nation ensuring that everyone has access to training, education and legal support to becoming U.S. citizens.
- Achieved more than 96 percent COVID-19 vaccination rate in its U.S. workforce by Nov. 1, 2021.
- Donated 16 million pounds of protein – valued at $36 million and equivalent to 64 million meals – to support food banks, pantries and hunger relief organizations.
- Driving product responsibility from farm to table:
- Reached a $100 million investment into Tyson Ventures to support startups and other companies focused on emerging proteins, new technologies for food and worker safety and sustainable production.
- Piloted sustainable packaging solutions for several products and began testing the validation of new recyclable, pulp fiber trays to replace traditional trays made of foam.
- Integrated the Five Domains animal welfare framework across global operations and became the first beef processor to join the U.S. CattleTrace program.
- Working toward sustaining natural resources and achieving net zero:
- Announced its ambition to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, including scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions, by 2050.
- Developed a beef-focused GHG emissions accounting framework to capture cradle-to-gate emissions and verify emission reductions through more sustainable agricultural practices.
- Achieved zero waste to landfill gold-level validation at six U.S. plants where 95-99 percent of certain waste streams has been diverted from landfills.
The sustainability report and accompanying information can be found on Tyson Foods’ Environmental, Social and Governance Hub, which provides resources on all sustainability initiatives, including background information on key topics, ESG-related policies and statements and an ESG data center.
