The pork-producing and food processing company joins the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) US Food Loss and Waste 2030 Champions list. The list includes private businesses and organisations that have publicly committed to reducing food loss and waste.

The list currently includes companies from all across the food chain, including Amazon, Aramark, Campbell Soup Company, Kroger, PepsiCo, Unilever, Walmart, and Wegmans Food Markets.

"For years, Smithfield has spearheaded impactful programs to proactively minimise waste and reduce carbon emissions," said Stewart Leeth, chief sustainability officer for Smithfield Foods. "Simultaneously, we've taken meaningful action to fight food insecurity in our communities."

"Our new food loss and waste goal furthers both of these objectives and underscores our longstanding commitment to produce wholesome, safe and affordable food in a responsible way," he added.

Smithfield will also take on the 10x20x30 initiative, which brings together 10+ of the world's largest food retailers and providers to engage at least 20 suppliers to halve food loss and waste by 2030.

The company is also a member of the Farm Powered Strategic Alliance, an initiative by Vanguard Renewables, Unilever, Starbucks and Dairy Farmers of America that aims to avoid or eliminate food waste first and repurpose what can't be eliminated into renewable energy via farm-based anaerobic digesters.