Smithfield Foods Supports National Agriculture in the Classroom to Educate Students About Global Food Sustainability

Smithfield Foods, Inc., an American food company and one of the world’s leading vertically integrated protein companies, is partnering with National Agriculture in the Classroom Organization (NAITCO) and its Agriculture in the Classroom (AITC) state program members to strengthen pre-kindergarten through 12th grade agricultural literacy outreach and educate teachers and students about the importance of feeding the growing global population sustainably.

The company is supporting NAITCO and its AITC state programs in their efforts to educate students about the importance of agriculture by developing elementary and secondary lessons about biogas production and the use of anaerobic digesters to convert animal manure into renewable energy, among other activities to illustrate how Smithfield Foods and its affiliates support sustainable food production.

“Smithfield is a leader in sustainability, and we are especially proud of our industry-leading carbon reduction and renewable energy efforts, including our ‘manure-to-energy’ projects,” said Stewart Leeth, vice president of regulatory affairs and chief sustainability officer for Smithfield Foods and vice president of the Smithfield Foundation. “As a company, we place a high value on education and are ourselves continuously learning and seeking new ideas to further refine our sustainability program. We’re honored to support National Agriculture in the Classroom and its Agriculture in the Classroom state programs to instill the importance of sustainable agriculture and food production to the next generation.”

“The support of important partners like Smithfield Foods helps National Agriculture in the Classroom and Agriculture in the Classroom state programs reach even more teachers and students across the nation with lessons and programming that use agricultural concepts to teach reading, writing, math, science, social studies and other subjects,” said Tammy Maxey, president of NAITCO and program director of the Virginia Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom.

About Smithfield Foods, Inc.
Headquartered in Smithfield, Va. since 1936, Smithfield Foods, is an American food company with agricultural roots and a global reach. Its 40,000 U.S. employees are dedicated to producing “Good food. Responsibly.®” and have made it one of the world’s leading vertically integrated protein companies. Smithfield Foods has pioneered sustainability standards for more than two decades, including many industry firsts, such as its ambitious commitment to cut its carbon impact by 25 percent by 2025. The company believes in the power of protein to end food insecurity and has donated hundreds of millions of food servings to its neighbors in need. Smithfield boasts a portfolio of high-quality iconic brands, such as Smithfield®, Eckrich® and Nathan’s Famous®, among many others. To learn more about Smithfield Foods, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com.

About National Agriculture in the Classroom Organization (NAITCO)
NAITCO’s mission is to increase agricultural literacy through pre-kindergarten through 12th grade education and it does so with an online, searchable database of lessons and resources called the Curriculum Matrix, a national conference, a virtual conference, a national teacher awards program and professional development and support for Agriculture in the Classroom state programs in 50 states including the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. NAITCO and its AITC member state programs reached 87,000 teachers and 8.2 million students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade in the U.S. in 2019. To learn more about NAITCO, please visit www.agclassroom.org.