SMITHFIELD, Va. —  The Smithfield Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Smithfield Foods Inc., announced a donation of $25,000 to continue its partnership with the University of Minnesota’s NorthStar Initiative for Sustainable Enterprise (NorthStar).

NorthStar is a nonprofit research group who works to understand sustainability within global production and consumption systems. It also develops research tools to improve the sustainability of these systems.

“We are pleased to contribute to the University of Minnesota’s NorthStar Initiative and to continue our research partnership,” said Stewart Leeth, vice president of regulatory affairs and chief sustainability officer for Smithfield Foods and vice president of the Smithfield Foundation. “The University’s research and analysis have been key to our efforts in meeting our industry-leading GHG goal and this partnership will help us continue that strategy and to further our mission of producing good food in a responsible way.”

The Smithfield donation helps further research on supply chain models the company uses throughout its operations. It also helps Smithfield achieve the goal of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 25 percent by 2025. The company first made this commitment with NorthStar in 2016.

 “We are thrilled to maintain our partnership with Smithfield to further provide research and intelligence that has the ability to make a difference, rather than simply provide information,” said Jennifer Schmitt, lead scientist and program director for the NorthStar Initiative. “Our data has supported Smithfield in the past and the company has proven to be a fantastic partner who ultimately looks to make positive changes for its business and the industry overall.”