Environmental

Stewardship:
The Nature of
our Company

© 2010 Perdue

ack when my grandfather, Arthur Perdue, was saving the leather from his old boots to make
B hinges for his chicken house doors, he wasn’t thinking “reduce, reuse, recycle.” Yet, his
frugality included a belief that you were responsible for the resources entrusted to you. That
sense of stewardship has guided our company’s growth across three generations and more than
eight decades.

Today, our company has come a long way from Mr. Arthur’s backyard table egg business, yet
the Perdue commitment to quality in everything we do has remained a constant.

That commitment to quality extends to our environmental policies. From the first-ever, large-
scale litter recycling operation; through the millions we spend each year on equipment
upgrades, research and producer education; to the involvement of our associates, a respect
for the environment comes naturally for our company. I am also especially proud of the
leadership role our company has taken in working cooperatively with the farm community,
environmental groups, and state and federal agencies.

I invite you to read this brochure and learn more about what our company is doing to protect
and conserve our natural resources and move toward a stronger position of environmental
sustainability. While there’s always more to do, we’re as proud of our environmental record and
programs as we are of our quality products.
Environmental Sustainability:
A Comprehensive Approach
erdue has long been an industry
P leader in environmental stewardship.
As a company committed to quality in
everything we do and as a brand built
upon trust, we wouldn’t have it any other
way. Our respect for the environment
extends through every aspect of our
company’s operations, from live
production to manufacturing and
distribution.
Steve Schwalb, Vice President
With environmental managers covering all
of Environmental Sustainability
of our operations and the first large-scale
alternative to land application of poultry litter, we’ve
established a record for exceeding compliance and
leading the industry in addressing the environmental
challenges associated with animal agriculture and
food production.
We’ve organized our environmental initiatives into
three sustainability platforms: Reduce, Reuse,
Recycle; Research and Innovation; and Community
Outreach. At the same time, our Perdue
“The mission of our
environmental
programs is to set
the standard for
regulatory
compliance,
stewardship,
sustainability and
community
outreach.”
Jeff Smith
Director of Corporate
Environmental Services
Environmental Steering Committee is helping us
develop a plan to make Perdue a “greener” company.
We’re also focusing on how we can protect the
environment by partnering with others. We continue
to recognize the importance of working together with
the farm community, environmental groups and local,
state and federal agencies. Our Clean Waters
Environmental Initiative with the EPA created a
groundbreaking model for how industry, agriculture
and regulators can cooperate to ensure compliance
and protect our natural resources. Equally important
are the relationships we’re forming with leading
national environmental groups, such as the National
Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and with such
grassroots community organizations as the Alliance
for the Chesapeake Bay and the Oyster Recovery
Partnership.
At Perdue, environmental sustainability goes beyond
policy; it’s in the nature of our company.
Awards & Recognition
¶ In naming Chairman Jim Perdue the 2010 winner of
Maryland’s Governor’s International Leadership Award,
Governor Martin O’Malley cited the company’s
“environmental stewardship.”
¶ In 2009, Perdue became the eighth company to receive
Poultry magazine’s Jewell award for innovation, and the
first to win the award for innovation and leadership in
environmental stewardship.
¶ Our company’s environmental initiatives also gained a
National Provisioner cover story and a feature article in
Meat & Poultry, with both articles recognizing our
company’s industry leadership in environmental
stewardship.
Defining a Greener Vision:
The Perdue Environmental Steering Committee
W hile we’ve always been proud of our
environmental accomplishments as a
environmental efforts across the company,
including measuring our company’s carbon
company, we recognize that our customers, footprint and benchmarking our environmental
consumers, communities, associates and business efforts against world-class standards. The steering
partners want to see measurable proof of our committee’s efforts are helping define the future
sustainability efforts. That’s why we’ve recently of our environmental sustainability initiatives.
brought our long-standing respect for the
environment into a formal, companywide
“Our environmental
environmental sustainability program. To that end, sustainability efforts
we formed the Perdue Environmental Steering touch every product,
Committee, a cross-functional team that includes every process and
include every step in
representatives from Perdue Farms (our food the supply chain.”
products business), Perdue AgriBusiness, and our Cathy Klein, Vice President,
corporate support groups (including Perdue AgriBusiness
Co-Product Sales and
environmental services, research and Environmental Steering
development and human resources). Committee Co-Chair
The steering committee has created a formal
structure to measure, track and report on
Our Commitment
to Environmental
Stewardship
Perdue is committed to environmen-
tal stewardship and shares that com-
mitment with our partners in the
farm community. We believe it is pos-
sible to preserve the family farm and
provide a safe, abundant and afford-
able food supply while protecting our
communities and the environment.
Perdue leads the industry in address-
ing the full range of environmental
challenges related to animal agricul-
ture and food processing, investing
millions of dollars in research, new
technology, equipment upgrades, and
Water from our Lewiston, N.C., processing operation leaves our wastewater treatment
awareness and education. plant cleaner than the river into which it is discharged.
Responsibility and Respect: Perdue’s
Environmental Sustainability Accomplishments
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Research and Innovation
We’re conserving resources and reducing waste ¶ Lighting projects are reducing electricity use We’re leveraging technology discovered through ship a popular product to one of our foodservice
streams by managing material usage more efficiently. across the company, including annual savings of research or developed through innovation to drive customers. A redesigned box lid for a major
1.2 million kWh at our Milford, Del., processing environmental sustainability throughout Perdue’s retail customer reduced
¶ Our Perdue AgriRecycle litter recycling plant has “We’re developing next-
plant; 346,000 kWh at our Eagle Springs, N.C., supply chain for the benefit of associates, corrugated cardboard
handled more than 650,000 tons of litter in its generation packaging
hatchery and 780,000 kWh at the wastewater consumers, customers and our businesses. This use by 1.3 million
first eight and a half years of operation. That’s that is environmentally
treatment plant for our Cromwell, Ky., initiative includes teams working on more square feet a year. A
the equivalent of 52 million pounds of nitrogen, friendly and improves
processing plant. environmentally friendly packaging and alternative more efficient process
26 million pounds of customer
¶ Recycling efforts at our Lewiston, N.C., fuels. reduced by 56% the
phosphorus and 30 convenience.”
processing plant reduced solid waste by 2,170 packaging for our twin-
million pounds of ¶ Perdue BioEnergy, LLC, is pursuing
“Environmental pack Cornish hens. Dave Owens,
potassium with more than tons. Our Dillon, S.C., facility recycles more than opportunities in alternative fuels, including next- Vice President,
sustainability involves 55% of its solid waste. Similar efforts are We’re also moving Research and Development
half of the finished generation bio-energy.
every associate in the underway at all of our facilities. product out of wax-
product relocated to ¶ We’re exploring alternative energy sources,
plant; it’s part of our ¶ Perdue Transportation Inc. is an EPA SmartWay coated boxes when possible so that more of our
nutrient-deficient areas. including wood chips and poultry fat, to
culture.” Transport Partner with an “exceptional rating.” shipping boxes can be recycled.
¶ Phytase, an enzyme replace fuel oil at our processing plants, and,
Tanya Rogers-Vickers
¶ The Environmental Management System (EMS), ¶ We’re re-formulating products and processes to
Environmental Manager, added to poultry feed, where feasible, switching from fuel oil to more
piloted at our Salisbury, Md., processing plant reduce environmental impact on our waste
Salisbury Processing Plant reduces phosphorus in environmentally friendly gas-fired boilers.
and modeled after internationally recognized streams. Examples include reducing phosphate
manure by 25%. ¶ We’re improving packaging to maximize
ISO 14001 standards, integrates environmental use in further-processed products.
¶ Our Shore Water Conservation initiative resulted payloads and reduce waste at both the customer
sustainability goals and measures into every ¶ In one year, we used 883,000 gallons of
in an average reduction in water use of 2.3 and consumer level. A case-size change reduced
aspect of plant operations. We are rolling out biodiesel on Delmarva in our trucks.
million gallons of water per week for each of our by 75 the number of trucks needed each year to
four Delmarva processing plants. A similar the Perdue EMS at all our facilities.
program at our Cromwell, Ky., plant is saving 2.4 ¶ We’ve used computerized routing technology to
million gallons of water per week. reduce by 2,000 miles per week the distances
¶ Cold cathode lighting in our farm partners’ traveled by our flock supervisors to visit our farm Community Outreach
chicken houses reduces energy use by 80%. partners’ poultry operations.
We’re coming together with various stakeholders, Eastern Shore’s Little Assawoman Bay.
including our local communities, environmental ¶ Perdue pledged 750 volunteer hours to
groups and regulatory agencies, to communicate, environmental groups as part of Maryland
educate and collaborate on environmental Public Television’s Chesapeake Bay Week
sustainability efforts. Volunteer-a-thon.
¶ We continue to work closely with local, grass-
¶ The Clean Waters Environmental Initiative is a
roots environmental groups and programs,
historic agreement between Perdue and the
such as the Oyster Recovery Partnership and
Environmental Protection Agency to partner
Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, and with
with the independent farm families who grow
national environmental groups, such as the
our chickens to protect waterways in the
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. These
communities where we operate from nutrient
partnerships provide support to worthwhile
run-off.
Perdue associates and family members participate in volunteer efforts, including the
projects while also giving our associates the
NFWF/Perdue-funded Oyster Recovery Partnership (above) and Project Clean Streams, ¶ Perdue has partnered with the Center for
as part of the company’s commitment to the Chesapeake Bay Week Volunteer-a-thon. opportunity to participate on a personal level.
Inland Bays to improve water quality in the
Perdue AgriRecycle: An Industry First
P erdue AgriRecycle is the industry’s first large-scale alternative to land application
of poultry litter. The plant, which represents an initial $13 million capital
investment in protecting the environment, processes surplus poultry litter from
Delmarva farms into pasteurized, organic fertilizer products. Perdue AgriRecycle
provides free poultry house clean-outs to farm partners who have surplus litter, and
the program is open to poultry farmers regardless of
“With every load their company affiliation.
that comes into
While poultry litter remains a valuable resource for
the plant and
many producers as a natural alternative to chemical
every load that
fertilizers, Perdue AgriRecycle provides an
leaves, we’re
helping the environmentally friendly alternative for those poultry
environment.”
farmers who do not have the acreage for traditional
Wayne Hudson, Director
Co-Products Operations,
land application or whose fields do not need the
Perdue AgriBusiness nutrients.
The finished product is an Organic Materials Review
Institute (OMRI) certified organic fertilizer and meets the requirements of the USDA’s
National Organic Program (NOP). It is used in horticulture, landscaping, organic crop
production and as a key ingredient in popular organic lawn-and-garden products.
Perdue AgriRecycle also participates in litter transport programs, relocating raw litter
to farmers who can appropriately utilize the nutrients. More than half the nutrients
recycled are removed from the Chesapeake watershed.
Perdue AgriRecycle makes its litter recycling and relocation
services available to all poultry farmers, regardless of company
affiliation.
Clean Waters Environmental Initiative: Making History
he Perdue Clean Waters Environmental Initiative is an industry-leading
T cooperative agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Regions 3 and 4 designed to help independent contract poultry farmers growing for
Perdue protect our nation’s waters. The program is an expansion of Perdue’s
groundbreaking Clean Bays Environmental Management Initiative, a pilot program on
Delmarva that created a new model for how industry,
agriculture and regulators can cooperate to promote
“We’re working
compliance and protect our natural resources. proactively with our
farm partners to
The Clean Waters initiative provides training, assistance
help them make
and environmental assessments for farm partners growing
their poultry
our chickens to enhance the compliance of their poultry operations more
operations with federal, state and local environmental environmentally
friendly.”
regulations. In addition, Perdue processing facilities will
Ron Darnell,
each implement an Environmental Management System, a
Director of Live Production
formal system designed to reduce environmental impacts
through awareness, measurement and goal-setting.
By the end of the four-year implementation, approximately 1,650 farm partners in
Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, South
Carolina and Virginia will be included in the initiative.
Perdue live production associates are working closely with the independent farmers
who raise our birds to help them prevent nutrient run-off from their poultry operations.
www.perdue.com

© 2010 Perdue Incorporated