Oct 23 2008
McDonald's USA recently recognized Smithfield Foods, Inc., a pork supplier for the McDonald's system, with the first-ever Sustainability Award during the McDonald's 2008 Supplier Summit in Oak Brook, Ill. The award, which will become an annual honor, recognizes the supplier that best exemplifies the McDonald's vision, principles and values for sustainable supply.
McDonald's asked suppliers to self-nominate and to describe their vision, programs and results in developing and promoting a sustainable supply chain. This included practices that ensure the health and welfare of employees, the welfare and humane treatment of animals, as well as programs that minimize impacts on the environment and conserve and protect natural resources.
"We are absolutely honored to be recognized by McDonald's for our company's sustainability achievements," said C. Larry Pope, president and chief executive officer of Smithfield Foods. "The credit has to go to our employees, who exemplify every day our deeply held belief that it's not enough to simply make good food-we must make it in a responsible manner."
Susan Forsell, Vice President Supply Chain, Quality Systems, McDonald's USA said, "Smithfield Foods deserves to be recognized for their innovative approaches to protect the environment, to ensure the safety of their employees, the well-being of animals, the quality of products, and to promoting education in the communities they serve."
McDonald's dedication to sustainable practices and transparency was highlighted recently when The Roberts Environmental Center at Claremont McKenna College gave McDonald's an "A+" for the company's voluntary reporting on environmental and social issues. Since 2004, McDonald's has worked with Conservation International to develop and implement environmental "scorecards" for suppliers, aimed at encouraging the protection of resources that suppliers share with surrounding communities.
In addition to the Sustainability Award, McDonald's recognized several other outstanding suppliers at the 2008 Supplier Summit for their invaluable partnership in the categories of innovation, quality, customer satisfaction and overall leadership.