Smithfield Foods Donates $25,000 to Raise Students' Awareness of Virginia's Natural Resources

LEXINGTON, Va., April 2, 2008 /PRNewswire/ -- Smithfield Foods, Inc., and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) today launched a program that promotes environmental education for elementary school students in the state's economically disadvantaged areas.

The $25,000 that Smithfield Foods' Learners to Leaders(TM) educational alliance donated will benefit the Foundation for Virginia's Natural Resources (FVNR) and the DEQ's Virginia Office of Environmental Education. The donation will help fund a state program that raises students' awareness of Virginia's natural resources and teaches them about environmental stewardship. About half of the Learners to Leaders funding has been designated for professional development of elementary school teachers.

The donation was announced today during the Environment Virginia 2008 Conference in Lexington.

"We're gratified that Smithfield Foods places such a high priority on promoting environmental education for Virginia's grade school students and helping prepare our teachers," said Jay Gilliam, chair of the FVNR. "It's so critical that we teach these stewardship concepts as early as possible."

FVNR is a nonregulatory philanthropic organization dedicated to enhancing the quality of life through the conservation of the state's natural resources. The Virginia Office of Environmental Education is Virginia's clearinghouse for environmental education and information.

"As a company, we take our environmental stewardship responsibilities and education of our communities' youth very seriously," said Dennis Treacy, vice president of environmental and corporate affairs at Smithfield Foods. "Teaching our state's young people about the importance of being good environmental stewards seems an obvious way to make sure future generations can enjoy the beauty around us."

Founded in 2006, Learners to Leaders strengthens communities by providing individuals with learning opportunities that inspire them to become tomorrow's leaders. The alliance's goal is to help reinforce what organizers believe is the most critical part of any community's foundation, the education of its residents. Learners to Leaders is funded by the Smithfield-Luter Foundation and is made up of Smithfield Foods, its independent operating companies and local community and educational partners.

"It is so important that we provide quality environmental education programs that teach our young people the importance of preserving Virginia's natural resources and engage them in meaningful conservation activities," said Ann Regn, director of the Virginia Office of Environmental Education. "The Learners to Leaders alliance will help accomplish that goal by funding a very worthwhile state program."

Smithfield Foods is a global food company with operations in 13 countries through wholly owned subsidiaries and joint ventures. Headquartered in Smithfield, Va., the company produces more than 50 brands of pork, beef and turkey products and more than 200 gourmet foods. Employing more than 57,000 people across the globe, Smithfield Foods is the world's largest producer and processor of pork and a leader in turkey processing, cattle feeding and beef processing.