Helgeson - Overview Life Cycle Assessment in the Poultry Industry

An overview Life Cycle Assessment

in the poultry industry.

Minnesota Environmental Initiative Oct 2011

• Fully integrated poultry processor

• Partnerships with over 250 family farmers in Minnesota and Wisconsin

• Multiple brands, including Gold’n Plump

• Founded in 1926

Brand Portfolio

Carbon Accounting and Product Life Cycle Assessment

Carbon: Scope 2 and 3

Corporate Standard

Product Standard (LCA)

Scope 3 Standard

COMPANYFACILITIES

COMPANYVEHICLES

PURCHASEDELECTRICITY, STEAM, HEATING & COOLING FOR OWN USE

CAPITALGOODS

BUSINESSTRAVEL

EMPLOYEECOMMUTING

LEASEDASSETS

FRANCHISES

INVESTMENTS

PURCHASEDGOODS & SERVICES

FUEL & ENERGY RELATED ACTIVITIES

TRANSPORTATION& DISTRIBUTION

WASTE GENERATEDIN OPERATIONS

END-OF-LIFETREATMENT OF

SOLD PRODUCTS

USE OF SOLDPRODUCTS

PROCESSING OF SOLD

PRODUCTS

TRANSPORTATION& DISTRIBUTION

Upstream Scope 3Upstream Scope 3 Scope 1 & 2 Downstream Scope 3Downstream Scope 3

LEASEDASSETS

LCA

Cradle to grave assessment• Supply chain

• Process

• Use phase

• Disposal

Measurement• Quantitative data

• Create benchmarks

Improvement• Identify hot stops - areas of opportunity

• Measurable results

…engaging suppliers is vital, because many firms have direct control over only a small part of their products’ footprints. Gold’n Plump Poultry, a large American chicken producer, found that its own operations accounted for just 22% of the footprint of each chicken; 50% of the footprint came from the production of corn- and soya-based chicken feed.

-- Economist, Technology Quarterly, June 2nd 2011

CO2 eq percentage per kg chicken

INTERPRETATION Impacts beyond

operational control• Direct land use

• Soy and corn farming

Water bigger impact category than climate• Eutrophication and ecotoxicity

Product/packaging impact• Plastics

• Over-packaging

ACTION

Supplier and Industry Engagement

• Corn and Soy growers

• Packaging Suppliers

• Agriculture and environmental NGOs

• NCC National Chicken Council

• Agristats

Stakeholder Engagement

AC

TIO

NInternal engagement

• Redesign packaging

• Continuous process improvement

• Transportation & storage effi ciencies

Consumer engagement• Communication / education

• Transparency

Customer/retail engagement

• Use and disposal

• Incorporate favorable JB results across brands

• Marketing / communications

THANK YOU

Paul HelgesonSustainability Managerphelgeson@goldnplump.com