Background
Tyson Foods is one of the worldโs four largest meat producers,1Laura Reiley. โBidenโs climate change plan may not nix cheeseburgers, but science says beef should be on the chopping block,โ The Washington Post, April 26, 2021. Archived July 16, 2021. producing approximately 20 percent of U.S. beef, pork and chicken, according to the companyโs website.2โWhat we do,โ Tyson Foods. Archived June 28, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/gf1h6
Founded in 1935 and headquartered in Springdale, Arkansas, Tysonโs business divisions include breeding, raising, and processing of chickens, cows, and pigs, and the production of frozen and refrigerated food products.3โTyson Foods, Inc. history, profile and history video,โ CompaniesHistory.com. Archived June 16, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/PLG31
In Tysonโs 2020 annual report, the company recorded 139,000 employees and $43.2 billion in sales. During the same period, it recorded the capacity to slaughter 8 million cows, 24 million pigs, and 2 billion chickens at 204 US-based slaughter facilities owned or leased by Tyson.4โUnited States Securities and Exchange Commission: Washington, D.C. 20549: Form 10-K,โ U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Archived July 2, 2021.
Since 2019, Tyson has been launching plant-based products5Elaine Watson. โFrom โmade with plantsโ to plant-basedโฆ Tyson eliminates eggs from Raised & Rooted nuggets, drops โblendedโ burger,โ FoodNavigator-USA, December 7, 2020. Archived June 16, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/ao84Y and investing in start-ups developing meat and seafood alternatives.6โTyson invests $2.2 million in in-vitro meat start-up,โ vegconomist, May 4, 2018. Archived January 17, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/JyUoc
Environmental organizations GRAIN and the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) estimated in a 2018 report that Tysonโs total yearly emissions total 118.1 megatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e).7โEmissions impossible: how big meat and dairy are heating up the planet,โ Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, July 2018. Archived July 13, 2021.
Between 2000 and 2020, Tyson Foods spent $25 million on lobbying and $3.2 million on donations to federal political candidates. During the same period, Tyson frequently lobbied the U.S. Congress and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on climate-related and environmental topics, issuing 114 quarterly lobbying reports filed with the Secretary of the Senateโs Office of Public Records (SOPR).8Oliver Lazarus, Sonali McDermid and Jennifer Jacquet. โThe climate responsibilities of industrial meat and dairy producers,โ Climatic Change, March 25, 2021. Archived July 14, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/NybZc
As of 2021, Tyson Foods has been fined more than $58 million for environmental-related violations since 2000, according to data from the Good Jobs First non-profit organisation.9โViolation tracker parent company summary,โ Good Jobs First. Archived June 16, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/niK85
Stance on Climate Change
In 2021, Tyson announced a goal of achieving net-zero deforestation by 2030 and net-zero emissions, including scopes 1, 2 and 3, by 2050.10โTyson Foods targets 2050 to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions,โ Tyson Foods, June 9, 2021. Archived June 18, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/9pFsC The company stated that its emissions reduction target had been approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), a partnership between CDP, the United Nations Global Compact, World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).11โAbout us,โ Science Based Targets. Archived July 14, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/dyx2i
The company plans to achieve its net zero goal by transitioning to 50 percent renewable energy across Tysonโs U.S. operations by 2030,12โTyson Foods targets 2050 to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions,โ Tyson Foods, June 9, 2021. Archived June 18, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/9pFsC encouraging grain farmers to adopt more efficient fertilizer practices13โTyson Foods sets two million acre land stewardship target,โ Tyson Foods, April 3, 2018. Archived June 16, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/2NrnU and facilitating more sustainable beef production through improved grazing management.14โTyson Foods becomes first U.S. food company to verify sustainable cattle production practices at scale,โ Tyson Foods, September 9, 2020. Archived June 16, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/FESoP
In 2017, Tyson Foods announced plans to reduce the companyโs greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 30 percent from 2016-2030.15โSustaining our world: 2017 sustainability report,โ Tyson Foods. Archived June 16, 2021 The companyโs climate target was accepted by the SBTi in 2018. In its 2019 sustainability report, it said it was โthe first U.S. protein company in the food and beverage sector to receive such an approval.โ16โ2019 Sustainability report,โ Tyson Foods. Archived June 16, 2021.
At the time, Tysonโs climate targets included โsetting facility-level energy and emissions targets and investing in a more fuel-efficient fleet.โ17โGoals update,โ Tyson Foods. Archived June 25, 2021. Archive.ph URL: โโhttps://archive.ph/tGRs1
In 2017, Tysonโs then-CEO Tom Hayes stated that the company was โcommitted to helping to create a more sustainable food system, which involves cleaning up its factory farms and investing in more plant-based proteins.โ18Jade Scipioni. โTyson Foods CEO: the future of food might be meatless,โ Fox Business, March 7, 2017. Archived June 16, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/2nEra
Tyson first referred to climate change in its 2005 sustainability report, stating that โgreenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are important due to their potential impact on the global climate.โ In 2004, the company joined Climate RESOLVE, an emissions reduction program developed by the Business Roundtable, which represents U.S. CEOs.19โLiving our core values: 2005 sustainability report,โ Tyson Foods. Archived June 16, 2021. The same year, it became an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) โClimate Leaders Partner,โ a voluntary program to โdevelop an aggressive corporate-wide GHG reduction goal to be achieved over 5 to 10 years.โ20โClimate Leaders Partnership Agreement,โ United States Environmental Protection Agency, September 2006. Archived July 16, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/C7ZXB
Livestock Emissions
The company first reported its emissions in 2007, stating that its GHG emissions during the calendar year 2004 were 5.53 million metric tonnes (Mt), referring to its scope 1 and 2 emissions. It described these as comprising โdata related to facility fuel and electricity usage, transportation fuels, refrigeration usage, and anaerobic biogas production.โ21โsustainability itโs in our nature: 2007 sustainability report,โ Tyson Foods. Archived June 16, 2021.
In Tysonโs 2020 sustainability report, the company reported 6.174 Mt CO2e in scope 1 and 2 emissions and said it was โperforming at or above targetโ with regard to reducing its emissions by 30 percent by 2030.22โThe formula to feed the future: 2020 progress report,โ Tyson Foods. Archived June 17, 2021. In its 2019 sustainability report, the company reported 5.73 Mt CO2e in scope 1 and 2 emissions, noting that their scope 1 emissions increased from 2018 to 2019 due to โthe acquisition of new facilities.โ The company did not explain the increase in emissions from 2019 to 2020.23โ2019 Sustainability report,โ Tyson Foods. Archived June 16, 2021.
According to Tysonโs 2017 sustainability report, 90 percent of the companyโs emissions come from its supply chain and are not owned by the company, known as scope 3 emissions.24โSustaining our world: 2017 sustainability report,โ Tyson Foods. Archived June 16, 2021
In contrast to Tysonโs estimates, environmental organisations GRAIN and IATP estimated in 2018 that Tysonโs total yearly emissions are 118.1 Mt CO2e, using the UN Food and Agriculture Organisationโs (FAO) Global Livestock Environmental Assessment Model (GLEAM) 2.0, which covers scopes 1โ3 emissions.25โEmissions impossible: how big meat and dairy are heating up the planet,โ Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, July 2018. Archived July 13, 2021.
Scope 1 and 2 emissions stem from direct activities of an organisation or activities under their control and from the production of energy used by the organisation.26โWhat is the difference between scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions?โ Compare Your Footprint, November 2, 2018. Archived July 14, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/bvtk7. Scope 3 emissions are all other indirect emissions from a companyโs activities, originating from sources it does not own or control, including emissions caused by land use, land-use change, and farms that supply meat companies.27Dr. Meryl Richards. โMeasure the chain: tools for assessing GHG emissions in agricultural supply chains,โ Ceres. Archived July 13, 2021.
According to a 2021 study by New York University researchers, meat companies โemphasize mitigating energy use, with limited focus on emissions (e.g., methane) from animal and land management and land-use change, which make the biggest warming contributions in the agricultural sector,โ noting that โthe majority of […] Tysonโs emissions are the result of land-use changes for feed production in places like the Brazilian Amazon.โ28Oliver Lazarus, Sonali McDermid and Jennifer Jacquet. โThe climate responsibilities of industrial meat and dairy producers,โ Climatic Change, March 25, 2021. Archived July 14, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/NybZc
Until 2017, the company refused to disclose information to the climate charity CDP, stating that it had decided to communicate emissions data โthrough alternative but equally effective meansโ and prefered โto continue working with EPA regarding GHG inventory information because of the Agencyโs expertise and long-term management responsibility for climate change.โ29โ2009 sustainability report: rooted in tradition, growing responsibly,โ Tyson Foods. Archived June 16, 2021. In 2021, CPD gave Tyson scores of C and B- for their disclosure regarding โForestsโ and โClimate Change,โ respectively.30โSearch and view past CDP responses: Tyson Foods,โ CDP. Archived June 16, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/yAKmq
In 2009, an investment research firm claimed that Tyson produces substantial climate-heating methane emissions. Tyson rejected this claim, writing in their 2009 annual report that โmanure management accounted for [only] 4.7 percent of N2O [nitrous oxide] and 7.5 percent of CH4 [methane] emissions in the U.S. during the 2007 reporting year,โ according to EPA figures.31โ2009 sustainability report: rooted in tradition, growing responsibly,โย Tyson Foods.ย Archived June 16, 2021.ย
Pollution
Research by the Union of Concerned Scientists revealed in April 2020 that, between 2018 and 2022, over 371 million pounds of pollutants โ including nitrogen, phosphorus, chloride, oil and cyanide โ were released into waterways by 41 of Tysonโs slaughterhouses and mega processing plants.32ย โSpeech by President von der Leyen at the European Parliament Plenary on the conclusions of the European Council meetings, in particular the special European Council meeting of 1 February 2024,โ European Commission, February 6, 2024. Archived June 26, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/1mV6j This was found in wastewater โ which also contained bacteria, faeces, and animal blood โ that was directly disposed into streams, rivers, and wetlands across 17 states of the U.S.
Key Narratives
Tyson Foods promotes a number of narratives to justify its business model. Find out more about how the meat industry is climate-washing its activities in our investigation. And you can read counter-arguments and criticisms of these narratives in our factsheet.
โAnimal agriculture isnโt a serious driver of climate changeโ
โOur feed comes from responsible sourcesโ
In Tysonโs 2020 sustainability report, the company announced that its international expansion โhas resulted in the need to reassess the risk of deforestation across our operations and supply chain.โ According to Tyson, an assessment by Proforest, a sustainability nonprofit focused on the agricultural sector, concluded that โ94% of our land footprint is at no-to-low risk of being associated with deforestation and โapproximately 3% is at medium-to-high risk,โ while โthe sourcing origin could not be identified for the other 3%.โ33โThe formula to feed the future: 2020 progress report,โ Tyson Foods. Archived June 17, 2021.
In 2020, Tyson announced it was partnering with the Round Table on Responsible Soy (RTRS) to purchase credits for soybean meal that โwill be used to feed chickens in our supply chain in regions that typically source from high risk areasโ and with the non-profit organisation Proforest to conduct a deforestation risk assessment.34Flora Southey. โTyson Foods commits to sustainable soy in poultry supply chain,โ Food Navigator, January 2, 2020. Archived January 16, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/uPxIx
The RTRS has come under criticism, however, with a 2021 Greenpeace report describing the programโs claims of supporting responsible feed production as โmisleading, allowing companies a green image even if they are still contributing to human rights abuses and/or the destruction of nature.โ It noted that โthe vast majority of RTRS soya sales are based on creditsโ and that credit buyers โthus might not know whether the producers of the actual products they are buying are engaging in deforestation or other ecosystem destruction.โ35โDestruction: certified,โ Greenpeace, March 2021. Archived July 11, 2021.
โGrazing supports biodiversityโ
In 2020, Tyson announced plans to start sourcing cattle from a verification program titled โBeefCARE,โ which includes โpractices such as having a cattle grazing management plan to help promote vegetative growth and diversity.โ36โTyson Foods becomes first U.S. food company to verify sustainable cattle production practices at scale,โ GlobeNewswire, September 9, 2020. Archived June 16, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/RKkuH
The US-based environmental group, the Center for Biological Diversity, states: โThe ecological costs of livestock grazing exceed that of any other western land use.โ37โGrazing,โ Centre for Biological Diversity. Archived July 14, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/DAcFu A 2020 study by researchers from the University of Alberta warned that scaling up livestock grazing to meet future food demand could threaten the biodiversity of herbivores and pollinators worldwide.38Alessandro Filazzola et al. โThe effects of livestock grazing on biodiversity are multi-trophic: a meta-analysis,โ Ecology Letters, 2020. Archived July 13, 2021.
โMeat is needed for a healthy diet and to feed the worldโ
โMeat is needed to feed the worldโs growing populationโ
As part of the Coalition for Global Protein, an initiative launched by Tyson, the company co-produced a video that states: โResearch shows that the world isnโt getting enough [protein] and there are life-long consequences. Thatโs today. The global population is growing fast. If we canโt meet the protein demand of today, it will take substantial changes to meet the demand of the future. With a challenge this big, we canโt just look to one solution. A challenge this big demands we consider every option.โ At this point, the video displays a list of foods including chicken, tofu, pork, seeds, beef, legumes, and eggs.39โImagining new and creative solutions for the future of sustainable protein,โ video uploaded by Coalition For Global Protein. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog.
Tyson also claims during the video that inhabitants of Africa, South America, Asia, and Europe are not meeting the dietary requirement of 52g of protein per day.
Unlike Tysonโs estimates, the latest protein supply figures from FAO, for 2013, recorded average protein consumption of 69.1g per capita per day in Africa, 77.57g in Asia, 86.09g in South America, and 102.06g in Europe.40โFood supply โ livestock and fish primary equivalent,โ Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations. Archived July 14, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/NbEYh The World Resources Institute (WRI), a sustainable development organisation, argues that overconsumption of protein is already occurring in all of the worldโs regions, and particularly in wealthy countries.41โPeople are eating more protein than they needโespecially in wealthy regions,โ World Resources Institute, April 20, 2016. Archived June 16, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/EOBpD
โMeat is an exceptional source of nutrientsโ
The company states that โnutritional fads come and go but most nutritionists agree that protein is an essential part of a well-balanced dietโ42โHelping people eat well,โ Tyson Foods. Archived June 28, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/DBG8d and describes meat as โan important part of a healthy diet, providing essential nutrients including amino acids, vitamins and minerals.โ43โDietary guidelines,โ Tyson Foods. Archived June 16, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/XyJ81
Nutrition associations, including the British Nutrition Foundation, approve of meat-free diets, however.44“Plant-based diets,โ British Nutrition Foundation, June 2019. Archived July 14, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/Afaf1 According to the American Dietetic Association, โappropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases.โ45Winston J Craig, Ann Reed Mangels and American Dietetic Association. โPosition of the American Dietetic Association: vegetarian diets,โ American Dietetic Association, July 1, 2009. Archived July 14, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/JLA9T
โInnovations in animal agriculture will tackle climate changeโ
โWe are producing less emissions-intensive meatโ
Tyson reported that it had reduced its GHG emissions intensity from 190kg of CO2e emitted for every 1,000 pounds of product produced in 2018 to 180kg in 2019.46โ2019 Sustainability report,โ Tyson Foods. Archived June 16, 2021.
Environmental organizations GRAIN and IATP argue that โarguments for emissions intensity reduction in the absence of targets to reduce the livestock sectorโs total emissions are dangerousโ, because they allow a companyโs absolute emissions to continue increasing. The organizations also argue โthat the large gains in โefficiencyโ realised by industrial farming in the twentieth century will be hard to repeat without major ecological, social and health impacts.โ47โEmissions impossible: how big meat and dairy are heating up the planet,โ Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, July 2018. Archived July 13, 2021.
โNew grazing techniques can sequester carbonโ
In 2020, Tyson announced plans to start sourcing cattle from a verification program titled โBeefCARE,โ designed to support carbon sequestration through a โcattle grazing management plan.โ48โTyson Foods becomes first U.S. food company to verify sustainable cattle production practices at scale,โ GlobeNewswire, September 9, 2020. Archived June 16, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/RKkuH
Environmental scientists from the University of Oxford have, however, criticised the idea of using cattle grazing to capture carbon, claiming that this can only offset 20-60 percent of annual average emissions from grazing ruminants, concluding that โgrass-fed cattle remain net contributors to warming.โ49โGrazed and confused?,โ Food Climate Research Network. Archived June 30, 2021.
โTechnological innovations will cut emissionsโ
As part of Tysonโs goal to reduce its emissions by 30 percent by 2030, the company is conducting a pilot program to develop more sustainably-grown crops through the use of โcloud-basedโ agricultural technologies50โ2019 Sustainability report,โ Tyson Foods. Archived June 16, 2021. and transitioning to โrenewable fuels like biogas from [Tysonโs] wastewater treatment operations.โ51โTyson Foods and EDF launch partnership to accelerate sustainable food production,โ Tyson Foods, January 15, 2019. Archived June 16, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/AUzqg
The arguments echo those of the pesticides industry, which claims that so-called precision agriculture can be a climate solution. Critics argue they are unlikely to be sufficiently effective and can cause other problems.
Lobbying
According to a 2021 study by New York University researchers, Tyson has frequently lobbied the EPA and U.S. Congress on climate-related and environmental issues since 2000, issuing 114 quarterly lobbying reports filed with the Secretary of the Senateโs Office of Public Records (SOPR), as well as contributing $3.2 million to political campaigns since 2000. The study pointed out that โtaken as a share of each companyโs total revenue over that period, Tyson has spent double what [U.S. oil giant] Exxon has on political campaigns and 33% more on lobbying.โ52Oliver Lazarus, Sonali McDermid and Jennifer Jacquet. โThe climate responsibilities of industrial meat and dairy producers,โ Climatic Change, March 25, 2021. Archived July 14, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/NybZc
According to OpenSecrets.org, Tyson spent $27.88 million on lobbying between 1998 and 2020.53โTyson Foods: Annual Lobbying Totals: 1998 โ 2020,โ OpenSecrets. Archived July 18, 2021. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/wip/73Gza During the same period, Tyson lobbied the following agencies:54โAgencies Lobbied By Tyson Foods, 2020,โ OpenSecrets. Archived July 18, 2021. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/wip/7seqs
- Commodity Futures Trading Commission
- Dept of Agriculture
- Dept of Commerce
- Dept of Defense
- Dept of Energy
- Dept of Health & Human Services
- Dept of Homeland Security
- Dept of Labor
- Dept of State
- Dept of the Interior
- Dept of the Treasury
- Dept of Transportation
- Environmental Protection Agency
- Executive Office of the President
- Federal Maritime Commission
- Food & Drug Administration
- National Oceanic & Atmospheric Admin
- Office of Management & Budget
- Office of US Trade Representative
- US Coast Guard
- US Fish & Wildlife Service
- White House
In 2020, Tyson contributed $393,311 to federal candidates, 50 percent to Democrats and 50 percent to Republicans, including:55โTyson Foods: Recipients, 2020,โ OpenSecrets. Archived July 18, 2021. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/d9pmB
In 2018, Tyson contributed $299,305 to federal candidates, 62 percent to Republicans and 38 percent to Democrats, including:56โTyson Foods: Recipients, 2018,โ OpenSecrets. Archived July 18, 2021. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/wip/zrQss
In 2019, the National Cattlemenโs Beef Association, an umbrella organisation Tyson is a member of, successfully lobbied to disband a Maryland state committee focused on studying the carbon intensity of different foods, including beef and dairy, arguing that the committee was โoperating with a political agenda.โ57Georgina Gustin. โAs Beef Comes Under Fire for Climate Impacts, the Industry Fights Back,โ Inside Climate News, October 21, 2019. Archived July 18, 2021. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/SXGBh
In 2009, Tyson lobbied against the Waxman-Markey American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, a climate bill approved by the House of Representatives that would have established a cap-and-trade system but failed in the Senate in 2010. According to a 2021 study by New York University researchers, Tyson argued that โthe bill would increase food and feed prices and reduce the international competitiveness of their businesses and successfully secured provisions that set the cap for agriculture operations lower than for other industries.โ58Oliver Lazarus, Sonali McDermid and Jennifer Jacquet. โThe climate responsibilities of industrial meat and dairy producers,โ Climatic Change, March 25, 2021. Archived July 14, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/NybZc
Affiliations
Tyson is a member of the North American Meat Institute, a sponsor of the Animal Agriculture Allianceโs 2013 โCollege Aggies Onlineโ program,59โGeneral (Packer/Processor) Members,โ North American Meat Institute. Archived July 18, 2021. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/wip/aPpAH designed to teach college students how to advocate for the livestock sector, and has co-sponsored the National Pork Producers Councilโs PorkPAC since 1987.60โTYSON FOODS JOINS AS SPONSOR OF COLLEGE AGGIES ONLINE SCHOLARSHIP COMPETITION,โ Animal Agriculture Alliance, September 4, 2013. Archived July 18, 2021. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/wip/3XZnP
In 2021, Tyson stated that its emissions reduction target had been approved61โTyson Foods targets 2050 to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions,โ Tyson Foods, June 9, 2021. Archived June 18, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/9pFsC by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), a partnership between CDP, the United Nations Global Compact, World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). It also stated that the company was collaborating with the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Poultry and Eggs and the International Poultry Welfare Alliance.62โAbout us,โ Science Based Targets. Archived July 14, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/dyx2i
Tyson is a โpartnerโ of the World Economic Forum. During the 2020 WEF meeting in Davos, Switzerland,63โOur Partners,โ World Economic Forum. Archived July 18, 2021. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/wip/lovvg the company launched the Coalition for Global Protein to โunite stakeholders across the food and agriculture sector to identify and implement new and creative solutions to sustainably feed the worldโs growing population.โ64Alyssa Danigelis. โTyson Launches Global Sustainable Protein Coalition,โ Environment + Energy Leader, January 23, 2020. Archived July 18, 2021. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/wip/wy3yx
The same year, Tyson announced plans to start sourcing cattle from a verification program titled โBeefCARE,โ a program recognised by the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef that partners with U.S. certification and verification company Where Food Comes From and environmental organisation The Nature Conservancy.65โTyson Foods becomes first U.S. food company to verify sustainable cattle production practices at scale,โ Tyson Foods, September 9, 2020. Archived June 16, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/FESoP
Also in 2020, Tyson co-sponsored the Honor the Harvest (HTH) Forum hosted by U.S. Farmers & Ranchers in Action (USFRA) (formerly known as U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance). Other sponsors of the event included Bayer, Cargill, Corteva, McDonaldโs, the National Pork Board, and Nestlรฉ Purina Petcare.66โU.S. Farmers & Ranchers in Action Releases Report Spotlighting Agricultureโs Role in Reaching UN Sustainability Goals at Annual Honor the Harvest Forum,โ Cision PR Newswire, September 17, 2020. Archived July 18, 2021. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/wip/w0gqw
Tyson is a member of the Ecosystem Services Market Consortium (ESMC), a food industry umbrella organisation formed in 2019 that provides โtools and opportunities for producers and corporations […] to meet goals for increased soil carbon sequestration, net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions, improved water quality and water use conservation.โ Other ESMC members include ADM, the American Farm Bureau Federation, Cargill, Corteva, Danone, General Mills, McDonaldโs, Nestlรฉ, Soil Health Institute, Syngenta, The Nature Conservancy, American Soybean Association, American Farmland Trust, Farmers Business Network, Growmark, Mars, NCBA, the National Farmers Union, National Corn Growers Association, The Fertilizer Institute, and the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF).67โA summary of Farm Bureau supported climate proposals,โ Nebraska Farm Bureau. Archived March 16, 2021. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/wip/5IORL
Resources
- 1Laura Reiley. โBidenโs climate change plan may not nix cheeseburgers, but science says beef should be on the chopping block,โ The Washington Post, April 26, 2021. Archived July 16, 2021.
- 2
- 3โTyson Foods, Inc. history, profile and history video,โ CompaniesHistory.com. Archived June 16, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/PLG31
- 4โUnited States Securities and Exchange Commission: Washington, D.C. 20549: Form 10-K,โ U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Archived July 2, 2021.
- 5Elaine Watson. โFrom โmade with plantsโ to plant-basedโฆ Tyson eliminates eggs from Raised & Rooted nuggets, drops โblendedโ burger,โ FoodNavigator-USA, December 7, 2020. Archived June 16, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/ao84Y
- 6โTyson invests $2.2 million in in-vitro meat start-up,โ vegconomist, May 4, 2018. Archived January 17, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/JyUoc
- 7โEmissions impossible: how big meat and dairy are heating up the planet,โ Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, July 2018. Archived July 13, 2021.
- 8Oliver Lazarus, Sonali McDermid and Jennifer Jacquet. โThe climate responsibilities of industrial meat and dairy producers,โ Climatic Change, March 25, 2021. Archived July 14, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/NybZc
- 9โViolation tracker parent company summary,โ Good Jobs First. Archived June 16, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/niK85
- 10โTyson Foods targets 2050 to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions,โ Tyson Foods, June 9, 2021. Archived June 18, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/9pFsC
- 11โAbout us,โ Science Based Targets. Archived July 14, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/dyx2i
- 12โTyson Foods targets 2050 to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions,โ Tyson Foods, June 9, 2021. Archived June 18, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/9pFsC
- 13โTyson Foods sets two million acre land stewardship target,โ Tyson Foods, April 3, 2018. Archived June 16, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/2NrnU
- 14โTyson Foods becomes first U.S. food company to verify sustainable cattle production practices at scale,โ Tyson Foods, September 9, 2020. Archived June 16, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/FESoP
- 15โSustaining our world: 2017 sustainability report,โ Tyson Foods. Archived June 16, 2021
- 16โ2019 Sustainability report,โ Tyson Foods. Archived June 16, 2021.
- 17โGoals update,โ Tyson Foods. Archived June 25, 2021. Archive.ph URL: โโhttps://archive.ph/tGRs1
- 18Jade Scipioni. โTyson Foods CEO: the future of food might be meatless,โ Fox Business, March 7, 2017. Archived June 16, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/2nEra
- 19โLiving our core values: 2005 sustainability report,โ Tyson Foods. Archived June 16, 2021.
- 20โClimate Leaders Partnership Agreement,โ United States Environmental Protection Agency, September 2006. Archived July 16, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/C7ZXB
- 21โsustainability itโs in our nature: 2007 sustainability report,โ Tyson Foods. Archived June 16, 2021.
- 22โThe formula to feed the future: 2020 progress report,โ Tyson Foods. Archived June 17, 2021.
- 23โ2019 Sustainability report,โ Tyson Foods. Archived June 16, 2021.
- 24โSustaining our world: 2017 sustainability report,โ Tyson Foods. Archived June 16, 2021
- 25โEmissions impossible: how big meat and dairy are heating up the planet,โ Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, July 2018. Archived July 13, 2021.
- 26โWhat is the difference between scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions?โ Compare Your Footprint, November 2, 2018. Archived July 14, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/bvtk7.
- 27Dr. Meryl Richards. โMeasure the chain: tools for assessing GHG emissions in agricultural supply chains,โ Ceres. Archived July 13, 2021.
- 28Oliver Lazarus, Sonali McDermid and Jennifer Jacquet. โThe climate responsibilities of industrial meat and dairy producers,โ Climatic Change, March 25, 2021. Archived July 14, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/NybZc
- 29
- 30โSearch and view past CDP responses: Tyson Foods,โ CDP. Archived June 16, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/yAKmq
- 31โ2009 sustainability report: rooted in tradition, growing responsibly,โย Tyson Foods.ย Archived June 16, 2021.ย
- 32ย โSpeech by President von der Leyen at the European Parliament Plenary on the conclusions of the European Council meetings, in particular the special European Council meeting of 1 February 2024,โ European Commission, February 6, 2024. Archived June 26, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/1mV6j
- 33โThe formula to feed the future: 2020 progress report,โ Tyson Foods. Archived June 17, 2021.
- 34Flora Southey. โTyson Foods commits to sustainable soy in poultry supply chain,โ Food Navigator, January 2, 2020. Archived January 16, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/uPxIx
- 35โDestruction: certified,โ Greenpeace, March 2021. Archived July 11, 2021.
- 36โTyson Foods becomes first U.S. food company to verify sustainable cattle production practices at scale,โ GlobeNewswire, September 9, 2020. Archived June 16, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/RKkuH
- 37โGrazing,โ Centre for Biological Diversity. Archived July 14, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/DAcFu
- 38Alessandro Filazzola et al. โThe effects of livestock grazing on biodiversity are multi-trophic: a meta-analysis,โ Ecology Letters, 2020. Archived July 13, 2021.
- 39โImagining new and creative solutions for the future of sustainable protein,โ video uploaded by Coalition For Global Protein. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog.
- 40โFood supply โ livestock and fish primary equivalent,โ Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations. Archived July 14, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/NbEYh
- 41โPeople are eating more protein than they needโespecially in wealthy regions,โ World Resources Institute, April 20, 2016. Archived June 16, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/EOBpD
- 42โHelping people eat well,โ Tyson Foods. Archived June 28, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/DBG8d
- 43โDietary guidelines,โ Tyson Foods. Archived June 16, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/XyJ81
- 44“Plant-based diets,โ British Nutrition Foundation, June 2019. Archived July 14, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/Afaf1
- 45Winston J Craig, Ann Reed Mangels and American Dietetic Association. โPosition of the American Dietetic Association: vegetarian diets,โ American Dietetic Association, July 1, 2009. Archived July 14, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/JLA9T
- 46โ2019 Sustainability report,โ Tyson Foods. Archived June 16, 2021.
- 47โEmissions impossible: how big meat and dairy are heating up the planet,โ Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, July 2018. Archived July 13, 2021.
- 48โTyson Foods becomes first U.S. food company to verify sustainable cattle production practices at scale,โ GlobeNewswire, September 9, 2020. Archived June 16, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/RKkuH
- 49โGrazed and confused?,โ Food Climate Research Network. Archived June 30, 2021.
- 50โ2019 Sustainability report,โ Tyson Foods. Archived June 16, 2021.
- 51โTyson Foods and EDF launch partnership to accelerate sustainable food production,โ Tyson Foods, January 15, 2019. Archived June 16, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/AUzqg
- 52Oliver Lazarus, Sonali McDermid and Jennifer Jacquet. โThe climate responsibilities of industrial meat and dairy producers,โ Climatic Change, March 25, 2021. Archived July 14, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/NybZc
- 53โTyson Foods: Annual Lobbying Totals: 1998 โ 2020,โ OpenSecrets. Archived July 18, 2021. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/wip/73Gza
- 54โAgencies Lobbied By Tyson Foods, 2020,โ OpenSecrets. Archived July 18, 2021. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/wip/7seqs
- 55โTyson Foods: Recipients, 2020,โ OpenSecrets. Archived July 18, 2021. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/d9pmB
- 56โTyson Foods: Recipients, 2018,โ OpenSecrets. Archived July 18, 2021. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/wip/zrQss
- 57Georgina Gustin. โAs Beef Comes Under Fire for Climate Impacts, the Industry Fights Back,โ Inside Climate News, October 21, 2019. Archived July 18, 2021. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/SXGBh
- 58Oliver Lazarus, Sonali McDermid and Jennifer Jacquet. โThe climate responsibilities of industrial meat and dairy producers,โ Climatic Change, March 25, 2021. Archived July 14, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/NybZc
- 59โGeneral (Packer/Processor) Members,โ North American Meat Institute. Archived July 18, 2021. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/wip/aPpAH
- 60โTYSON FOODS JOINS AS SPONSOR OF COLLEGE AGGIES ONLINE SCHOLARSHIP COMPETITION,โ Animal Agriculture Alliance, September 4, 2013. Archived July 18, 2021. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/wip/3XZnP
- 61โTyson Foods targets 2050 to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions,โ Tyson Foods, June 9, 2021. Archived June 18, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/9pFsC
- 62โAbout us,โ Science Based Targets. Archived July 14, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/dyx2i
- 63โOur Partners,โ World Economic Forum. Archived July 18, 2021. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/wip/lovvg
- 64Alyssa Danigelis. โTyson Launches Global Sustainable Protein Coalition,โ Environment + Energy Leader, January 23, 2020. Archived July 18, 2021. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/wip/wy3yx
- 65โTyson Foods becomes first U.S. food company to verify sustainable cattle production practices at scale,โ Tyson Foods, September 9, 2020. Archived June 16, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/FESoP
- 66โU.S. Farmers & Ranchers in Action Releases Report Spotlighting Agricultureโs Role in Reaching UN Sustainability Goals at Annual Honor the Harvest Forum,โ Cision PR Newswire, September 17, 2020. Archived July 18, 2021. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/wip/w0gqw
- 67โA summary of Farm Bureau supported climate proposals,โ Nebraska Farm Bureau. Archived March 16, 2021. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/wip/5IORL