As stewards of the land, pork producers have an obligation to use agricultural practices that improve and conserve resources including water, soil and air. This Earth Month, we are celebrating pork producer’s commitment to our We Care® Ethical Principles and protecting our resources for future generations.
A Foundation Built on We Care® Ethical Principles
Healthy pigs have always been a top priority for pork producers. While no two pig farms are the same, they’re all focused on a common goal: to produce safe, nutritious food in a responsible and sustainable manner.
Since establishing the We Care® Ethical Principles in 2008, pork producers have made a commitment to caring for animals, people and the planet. We Care®, the industry’s sustainability platform, aims to track producer progress and foster value-added opportunities for continuous improvement.
Pork producers who follow the We Care® Ethical Principles (Food Safety, Animal Well-being, Public Health, Environment, People, and Community) are committed to constant improvement and driving sustainability forward.
Commitment to On-Farm Sustainability
In 2022, the Pork Cares Farm Impact Report program was introduced to measure and document collective progress toward the We Care® sustainable development goals. The program provides producers with the ability to track, measure and monitor conservation practices on their operation.
The reports quantify data around how conservation practices such as timely manure application or the use of cover crops, buffer strips and wetlands are reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving soil health and water quality.
Participating farmers benefit from cost-share opportunities, strengthened businesses, increased ROI and greater efficiencies. The program also builds trust with supply chain partners and fosters collaboration that supports the industry’s long-term success.
Measuring Progress and Protecting Freedom to Operate
Over time, there has been an increase in the number of producers doing their part to complete an on-farm report to help future proof our industry. In the first two months of 2024, there were nearly a dozen producers who signed up to complete a report. For the first two months of 2025, there were an impressive 248 producers!
The on-farm reports share transparent progress, aim to help foster partnerships to drive even greater achievements, and provide National Pork Board (NPB) with the opportunity to use concrete data to share producer stories. The data from these on-farm reports is incorporated into our annual sustainability report and dashboard so farmers can share their operation’s progress with local thought leaders, buyers, customers and landowners to help them better understand how the farmer’s operation is contributing to We Care® principles, metrics and goals.
After completing a Pork Cares Farm Impact Report, producers are invited to contribute their data to the We Care® dashboard, which tracks stewardship goals and metrics on all six principles, and is then combined anonymously to highlight industrywide reports at national, regional and state levels. Providing real, on-farm data through Pork Cares Farm Impact Reports provides the information we need to achieve our sustainability goals and in return, protects your freedom to operate.
2025 We Care® Sustainability Report
Each producer’s on-farm practices play a unique role in how our industry evolves and grows together. A key reason NPB is able to continue our work to help protect freedom to operate is because of all the producers who participate in signing up for an on-farm report. To that, I would like to extend an enthusiastic, “Thank you!” to our participating producers.
As highlighted in our 2025 We Care® Sustainability Report for the industry, all this data demonstrates producers’ ongoing efforts and generates valuable insights, providing retail and food service partners the social license to sell pork as a protein of choice. To further build our relationship with channel partners, our Sustainability Report showcases how U.S. pork farmers care about pigs, people and the planet in an indisputable data-driven way.
Continuous Improvement
Producers are now, and always have been, committed to driving sustainability forward. Through robust data collection, U.S. pork producers ensure a strong, resilient future where efforts are recognized, valued and rewarded.
While the path to stewardship varies by farm, our unified goal remains clear: to continue our progress to make pork a more sustainable protein.
In honor of Mother Earth this month, take a moment to learn more about our Pork Cares Farm Impact Report program and encourage a producer you know to sign up.
