GLOBE NEWSWIRE — Smithfield Foods, Inc. and the National Conservation Foundation (NCF) announced on Wednesday, September 9th a partnership to help sponsor NCF‑Envirothon, an educational program that engages high school students across the U.S. and Canada in conservation efforts.

As part of Smithfield’s sponsorship of NCF-Envirothon, the company’s employees will serve as volunteers in communities where they live and work, assisting students participating in the program. Smithfield’s sponsorship also underscores the company’s commitment to sustainability, and is a vital component of its overall program, which has five main focus areas, or pillars: animal care, environment, food safety and quality, employees, and helping communities.

NCF-Envirothon is a hands-on, environmental problem-solving competition that directly involves about 50,000 high school students annually throughout North America. Participating teams complete training and testing in five natural resource categories: soils/land use, aquatic ecology, forestry, wildlife and current environmental issues. The program combines in-class curriculum and hands-on field experiences.

NCF-Envirothon works in partnership with local conservation districts, forestry associations, educators and cooperating natural resources agencies to organize and conduct competitions on the local, regional, state and/or provincial level. Winning teams from each state and province advance to a final competition.

“We’re excited to be partnering with NCF to sponsor this worthwhile program, which helps educate students about the environment and the value of preserving our natural resources,” said Dennis Treacy, Smithfield’s executive vice president and chief sustainability officer. “For many years now, our employees have worked to achieve a wide range of environmental goals and targets, which help protect and conserve our nation’s natural resources. We are excited to support students who share that passion,” Treacy added.

Steve Robinson, chair of the NCF Board of Trustees said that he is “very pleased to start this partnership with Smithfield, which will help us all educate the next generation about the importance of natural resources to their future in North America as well as around the world.” For more about Smithfield’s commitment to sustainability, please visit www.smithfieldfoods.com.

About National Conservation Foundation

The mission of the National Conservation Foundation was established by the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) and  encourages and facilitates the implementation of unique programs and services by districts and other conservation organizations that advance the conservation, wise use and orderly development of the nation’s natural resources. It accomplishes this by providing funding for research, educational and communications programs and educating the public about conservation. NCF has provided support to the North American Envirothon efforts for many years and in 2014 assumed responsibility for the program. To learn more about the Envirothon go to: www.envirothon.org.

About Smithfield Foods

Smithfield Foods is a $15 billion global food company and the world’s largest pork processor and hog producer. In the United States, the company is also the leader in numerous packaged meats categories with popular brands including Smithfield®, Eckrich®, Farmland®, Armour®, Cook’s®, John Morrell®, Gwaltney®, Nathan’s Famous®, Kretschmar®, Margherita®, Curly’s®, Carando® and Healthy Ones®. Smithfield Foods is committed to providing good food in a responsible way and maintains robust animal care, community involvement, employee safety, environmental and food safety and quality programs. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com.