by Russ Dickson

At Wayne Farms, we prioritize our planet through collective individual actions to minimize the negative impact on the air we breathe, the water that supports life and the land where we live. Whether on the farm, in the office, or at a processing plant, our team works together to better our environment.

This spring, Wayne Farms will honor the responsibility to support the planet, the only home that we have, and recognize how we care for it. At Wayne Farms, we know that even as individuals, what we do today can make an impact on our family, friends and community – and it is our responsibility to make positive strides.

In celebration of our conservation efforts for our planet, this quarter, Wayne Farms is hosting a company-wide Amazing Planet Starts with Me Art Contest and a company-wide community clean-up.

Each team member is invited to get creative this quarter and display what sustainability means to them through our art contest. Research shows there are strong links to creating art and the quality of social bonds in a community, which is why we’re encouraging our team to rally together and create art around one of our greatest priorities – protecting our planet. In June, each facility will judge submitted artwork, select the top three pieces of art, and enter them into the Best of Wayne Farms Art Contest for a chance to appear in a 2023 company calendar.

We recognize that how we care for the Earth makes a strong impact for future generations, so on Earth Day, April 22, we will hold a company-wide community clean-up at various locations around our facilities. Through this collective effort, we look forward to making a positive impact within the communities that surround our facilities.

As we celebrate our planet this quarter, we should all be reminded of the continuous sustainability efforts Wayne Farms practices every day. Since 2017, we have reduced greenhouse gas intensity by one percent, reduced waste by 19 percent and increased total water reuse by 10.9 percent.

Progress towards our 2025 sustainability goals is tracked, reported and evaluated monthly at each Wayne Farms facility. To further improve our sustainability efforts, we regularly engage with a third party organization, Sustainable Solutions Corporation, to help analyze our data and identify improvement opportunities.

Over the next three years, we aim to do the following at all our facilities:

• Capture, recondition and reuse 15 percent of our water
• Reduce greenhouse gas intensity by 10 percent
• Achieve 50 percent offset recycling from landfills

Through our individual efforts, we have an opportunity to make a positive difference for our planet, which can be made possible by the people around us. As we prioritize our planet this quarter, our team members will be encouraged to recognize their fellow colleagues who take exceptional care in their work to protect our planet and conserve our resources whenever possible.