McDonald's named Smithfield Foods as its first-ever Supplier Sustainability Award winner during the company's 2008 Supplier Summit in Oak Brook, Illinois. The honor is intended to be an annual recognition of the supplier that best exemplifies the McDonald's vision, principles and values for sustainable supply.

McDonald's recognized Smithfields Foods for its programs meant to ensure the health and humane treatment of animals, protect the environment, educate employees and communities on environmental topics and ensure the safety of its personnel.

"We are absolutely honored to be recognized by McDonald's for our company's sustainability achievements," said C. Larry Pope, president and chief executive officer of Smithfield Foods, which supplies pork to McDonald's restaurants.

Suppliers were asked to self-nominate, explaining the programs and results of their efforts to create a sustainable supply chain. Those programs also played a significant role in McDonald's 'scorecards' — environmental ratings for each supplier developed by McDonald's in conjunction with Conservation International — which the company uses to improve its relationships with sustainable suppliers.

Image — McDonald's