{"id":22618,"date":"2017-11-14T17:58:41","date_gmt":"2017-11-14T22:58:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digital.hbs.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/the-future-of-meat-at-tyson\/"},"modified":"2017-11-14T17:58:41","modified_gmt":"2017-11-14T22:58:41","slug":"the-future-of-meat-at-tyson","status":"publish","type":"hck-submission","link":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/the-future-of-meat-at-tyson\/","title":{"rendered":"The future of meat at Tyson"},"content":{"rendered":"

In 2006, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization released a report that found that the livestock sector generates more greenhouse gas emissions than the global transportation industry. The report projected that at the current pace of global economic growth, global meat production would more than double from 229 million tons\/year to 465 million tons\/year in 50 years. In addition to the impact of livestock on greenhouse gas emissions, the report notes that the livestock industry also accounts for \u201cwide-scale land degradation\u201d and is a significant contributor to \u201cwater pollution, euthropication and the denigration of coral reefs\u201d through pollutants like waste, antibiotics, and other chemicals.[1]<\/a><\/p>\n

As such, global food suppliers have taken note that the production of meat in its current form is likely unsustainable over the long-run. Over the past decade, Tyson Foods, the world\u2019s second largest processor and marketer of chicken, beef, and pork, has increased its focus on sustainability and environmental impact. Tyson\u2019s focus on sustainability has been driven not only by its recognition of the environmental hazards associated with meat production and livestock, but also by its recognition that consumers are increasingly demanding food products that are produced in a way that minimizes impact on the environment.<\/p>\n

Given consumer demands and the potential disruption to the meat supply chain resulting from its costly impact on the environment, Tyson has taken a number of steps to address some of the concerns outlined above. While the Company has continued to process meat, it has searched for ways to eliminate the use of certain chemicals and antibiotics that have a detrimental impact on the environment. In April 2015, the Company pledged to \u201celiminate the use of human antibiotics from its U.S. broiler chicken flocks by the end of September 2017.\u201d This announcement came following the achievement of an 80 percent reduction in human antibiotic use on broiler chickens since 2011.[2]<\/a> In 2016, the Company pledged to reduce water use by 12 percent by 2020 and committed to working with its independent farmers who grow animals that the Company processes to find ways to reduce water usage.[3]<\/a> In the last year, Tyson also launched an animal well-being initiative that uses \u201chigh-touch monitoring and training to improve the care of chickens.\u201d[4]<\/a><\/p>\n

In addition to taking steps to improve and optimize its existing supply chain, Tyson has begun to consider ways to address the environmental concerns related to its meat supply chain by looking at other channels for growth and innovation. In 2016, Tyson invested in Beyond Meat, a company that produces a plant-based burger with the goal of reducing consumption of animal-based products.[5]<\/a> While the investment likely does little to mitigate the challenges Tyson faces in its current business, it may indicate the beginning of a new way of thinking about tackling the challenge of sustainable meat production over the long run.<\/p>\n

Following the investment in Beyond Meat, Tyson should take a much bolder approach to investing R&D resources into plant-based meat production, or, at the very least, into finding ways to improve meat output with lower required animal inputs. Incremental changes to mitigate the environmental impact of its current production processes are useful, but the Company is likely to face severe supply chain consequences if it does not consider more radical changes to the way it relies on livestock and animal resources. It is unrealistic to expect a shift away from animal processing overnight, but Tyson\u2019s management team needs to act with a greater sense of urgency to get ahead of the long-term unsustainability of the use of livestock in food for a rapidly growing and increasingly prosperous population.<\/p>\n

While efforts to improve the sustainability and environmental impact of its supply chain are laudable, does Tyson need to take bolder steps to diversify away from meat production given the environmental challenges facing its supply chain? While the Company\u2019s recent investment in Beyond Meat indicates a strong desire to diversify away from animal-based meat and protein, can (or should) it do more to get behind similar efforts to innovate away from traditional animal-based food products? As other plant-based meat companies like Impossible Foods continue to grow at a rapid pace, what can Tyson do to ensure that its own production process remains competitive and sustainable. (709 words)<\/p>\n

[1]<\/a> \u201cLivestock a major threat to the environment,\u201d FAO Newsroom, November 29, 2006, http:\/\/www.fao.org\/newsroom\/en\/news\/2006\/1000448\/index.html, accessed November 2017.<\/p>\n

[2]<\/a> Tyson Foods, \u201cTyson Foods Strives to Eliminate Human Antibiotics From Broiler Chicken Flocks by 2017,\u201d April 28, 2015, http:\/\/www.tysonfoods.com\/media\/news-releases\/2015\/04\/antibiotics-announcement.aspx, accessed November 2017.<\/p>\n

[3]<\/a> Tyson Foods, \u201cWater Conservation Goal Announced with Third Segment of Tyson Foods Sustainability Report,\u201d March 31, 2016, http:\/\/www.tysonfoods.com\/media\/news-releases\/2016\/03\/water-conservation-goal-announced-with-third-segment-of-tyson-foods-sustainability-report, accessed November 2017.<\/p>\n

[4]<\/a> Tyson Foods, \u201cTyson Foods Rolls Out High-Tech, High-Touch Animal Welfare Program,\u201d June 21, 2017, http:\/\/ir.tyson.com\/investor-relations\/news-releases\/news-releases-details\/2017\/Tyson-Foods-Rolls-Out-High-Tech-High-Touch-Animal-Welfare-Program\/default.aspx, accessed November 2017.<\/p>\n

[5]<\/a> Stephanie Strom, \u201cTyson Foods, a Meat Leader, Invests in Protein Alternatives,\u201d The New York Times<\/em>, October 10, 2016, https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2016\/10\/11\/business\/tyson-foods-a-meat-leader-invests-in-protein-alternatives.html, accessed November 2017.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Analysis of Tyson Foods’ efforts to mitigate the environmental impact of its meat supply chain<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9668,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","categories":[1218,658,17],"class_list":["post-22618","hck-submission","type-hck-submission","status-publish","hentry","category-climate-change","category-meat","category-supply-chain","hck-taxonomy-organization-tyson-foods","hck-taxonomy-industry-food-and-beverage","hck-taxonomy-country-united-states"],"connected_submission_link":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/assignment\/rc-tom-challenge-2017\/","yoast_head":"\nThe future of meat at Tyson - Technology and Operations Management<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/the-future-of-meat-at-tyson\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The future of meat at Tyson - 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