Global branded food company Hormel Foods has committed to cutting down absolute greenhouse gas emissions by 50%, with a 2030 target against a 2019 baseline. It is also pledging to reduce absolute greenhouse gas emissions within its supply chain by 27.5% during this timeframe.
This follows an agreement to limit average temperatures rising by more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, a trajectory set during the Paris Climate Agreement. The targets set by Hormel Foods were recently validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).
Hormel Foods oversees a range of brands, such as Jennie-O, Skippy, and Sadler’s Smokehouse. More than 80 countries, including China, Japan, Australia, South Korea and the Philippines, sell Hormel Foods products.
“We are proud to announce these ambitious targets to help fight climate change,” said Tom Raymond, director of environmental sustainability. “It is going to require all team members, partners, and supply-chain members to reach these goals and continue to decarbonize every part of our value chain.”
This is part of a range of initiatives taken by Hormel Foods to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, with a goal to achieve 100% green power globally by 2030. In 2022, the company increased procurement of domestic renewable energy from less than 10% to 100% through Power-Purchase Agreements. These generated more than 936 million kilowatt hours in 2022.
Hormel Foods completes eight-acre solar field
In line with this, Hormel Foods has additionally announced the completion of an eight-acre solar field at its Jennie-O plant site in Montevideo, Minn. More than three million kilowatt hours are estimated to be generated between the community solar and onsite solar projects.
The project’s onsite solar portion is set to provide around 10% of the plant’s yearly electricity. The community solar portion will give Jennie-O team members, community members, and businesses avenues to support green power and receive discounts on energy bills.
The solar array will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by a projected 2,265 metric tons annually. This is equivalent to removing 504 average gasoline-powered passenger vehicles from the road over the course of one year.
“We are inspired to do our part to make the world a better place with the completion of this project,” Raymond shared. “We know the importance of advancing renewable energy initiatives and this project demonstrates our commitment to environmental stewardship, including how we source the energy we need.”
Other renewable energy initiatives include solar projects in Kansas and California and Virtual Power Purchase Agreements for its Western Trails and Haystack wind projects in northern Texas and eastern Nebraska.
These efforts have gained Hormel Foods multiple awards from the Environmental Protection Agency and Center for Resource Solutions. A ProFood World Sustainability Excellence in Manufacturing award was also given to the company in recognition of its endeavors to reduce water and energy usage at its progressive processing plant.
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