SPRINGDALE, Ark. – In 2017, Tyson Foods commissioned its first sustainable sourcing risk assessment of its supply chain and sourcing practices. But two years has seen the company expand its business footprint and with growth can come growing pains.

That’s why Tyson is partnering with Proforest to help the company reassess its global agriculture supply chain. The risk assessment will focus on potential risks in the company’s sourcing origins for commodities such as cattle, palm oil, soy, timber, pulp and paper.

“We’re committed to sustainably feeding the world. As part of that, we must operate with a high degree of certainty about sourcing in our supply chains across the globe,” said John R. Tyson, chief sustainability officer for Tyson Foods. “We look forward to working with Proforest to better understand potential risks and do our part on this complicated issue.”

Proforest is an independent organization that helps companies implement and manage sustainable sourcing practices. Along with Global Canopy, an international environmental non-government organization, Proforest will use a publicly available supply chain mapping platform called Trase. Global Canopy and the Stockholm Environment Institute developed Trase.

Findings from the assessment will inform Tyson Foods’ Forest Protection Policy in 2020. If necessary, the assessment also will inform potential actions to mitigate or eliminate any identified deforestation risks.

This deforestation risk assessment aligns with Tyson’s efforts to implement sustainable business practices. The company recently joined the Round Table on Responsible Soy (RTRS), an organization that promotes responsible production, processing and trading of soy on a global level, and the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), which works with stakeholders from across the palm oil industry to develop global standards to define and certify sustainable palm oil.