Smithfield Foods Supports Activation of Defense Production Act During COVID-19 Pandemic
Smithfield Foods expressed its support for the activation of the Defense Production Act which safeguards the country’s food supply that provides sustenance to hundreds of millions of Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also protects the livelihoods of millions of American family farmers who produce bountiful livestock supplies but rely on meat processing facilities to convert that abundance into food. Grocers and restaurants are dependent on farmers, processors and distributors to supply protein to the country. This action helps ensure the American people will not experience protein shortages.
The executive order, together with the guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the Department of Health and Human Services and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) of the Department of Labor, provides a much-needed framework that prioritizes employee health and well-being, while also stabilizing the country’s food supply and preventing the collapse of the agricultural economy. The company appreciates the Administration’s partnership, along with various other local, state and federal healthcare authorities and public officials and its union representatives during these unprecedented and enormously challenging times.