SMITHFIELD FOODS INC
SFD
Consumer Staples
4
exclusion reasons
1 theme
SMITHFIELD FOODS INC is screened out under 4 exclusion reasons spanning 1 issue category.
This page is part of our public exclusion list — a transparency tool that shows which companies we screen out and why. It is not investment advice, and it is not an accusation. It is a statement of values.
Smithfield Foods Inc. is the world's largest pork producer, operating large-scale hog confinement facilities and processing plants. The company slaughters millions of pigs annually for meat production, a core business activity that constitutes commercial animal exploitation.
Multiple independent investigations have documented systemic animal welfare issues within Smithfield's supply chain and operations. In 2010, an undercover investigation by The Humane Society of the United States at a Virginia facility supplying Smithfield revealed pigs being subjected to abuse. In 2007 and again in subsequent years, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) filed cruelty allegations against Smithfield suppliers, prompting company investigations. A 2021 lawsuit filed by The Humane Society against Smithfood Foods in D.C. Superior Court further alleged deceptive marketing regarding animal welfare practices.
FAIRR Initiative - Smithfield Foods Inc (NASDAQ IPO Jan 2025); World's largest hog producer and pork processor; raises 15M pigs annually; confines pregnant sows in gestation crates despite phase-out commitments; 4.7B gallons manure in anaerobic lagoons; $2M child labor settlement 2024
Research Sources
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Companies appear on our exclusion list based on our investment judgment — not because they've done anything illegal. This is a difference of values and opinion, not an accusation of wrongdoing. Exclusion does not constitute a recommendation against investing in any company, and absence from the list does not constitute a recommendation to invest.
This information is provided for educational and transparency purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice. Data is drawn from independent watchdogs, NGOs, government registries, and Ethical Capital's ongoing research — see Research Sources for the full list.
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