Tyson sued over ‘climate smart’ beef and other ‘greenwashing’ claims

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Dive Brief:

• An environmental watchdog group has sued Tyson Foods, accusing the meat and poultry giant of making “false or misleading” claims about its climate-friendly goals and beef products.

• The Environmental Working Group on Wednesday filed a lawsuit in a Washington D.C. superior court, targeting Tyson’s goal to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 and its marketing of “climate-smart beef.”

• The EWG is calling on Tyson to retract its misleading statements and stop making unsubstantiated environmental claims. A Tyson spokesperson on Friday told Agriculture Dive that the company will not comment on the litigation but “has a long history of sustainable practices.”

Dive Insight:

As shoppers weigh the health and environmental impacts of their grocery items, food and agriculture companies are rolling out more product labels touting sustainability to align with consumer purchasing habits. However, environmental groups say many of these claims are unsubstantiated and could mislead consumers into paying more for products that may not have the benefits promised.

Without proper standards in place, Tyson and other meatpackers are capitalizing on consumer preferences without taking meaningful steps toward climate-related goals, according to the EWG’s 33-page lawsuit filed this week.

The EWG accused Tyson of deceiving Washington D.C. consumers with its ambitious pledge to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 and through its false or misleading “climate-smart” beef marketing.

Beef production makes up 85% of Tyson’s greenhouse gas emissions, according to the lawsuit. Last year, Tyson unveiled its “climate-smart” beef program with a stated goal of reducing 30% of its beef production emissions by 2030. However, the EWG identified a lack of definitions and data to support that ranchers supplying the beef have adopted practices that reduce emissions.

Tyson’s Brazen beef products were the first in its portfolio to have “climate-smart” marketing. As of press time, Tyson’s Brazenmeats.com website is no longer functioning.

“While we do not comment on specific litigation, Tyson Foods has a long history of sustainable practices that embrace good stewardship of our environmental resources,” a spokesperson said in an email to Agriculture Dive. “We will continue to support agricultural practices that further these efforts and work to strengthen the overall resiliency of the U.S. agriculture system.”

Last month, the USDA tightened its guidance on labels such as “climate friendly,” encouraging meat producers to provide more verification to substantiate their claims, as well as conduct routine sampling and testing. The EWG called the move “a shot across the bow to the food companies making climate claims on food,” calling out Tyson’s labels for its Brazen beef in particular.

“If food companies are going to tell consumers that certain food items are better for the climate, companies had better be able to show us the receipts,” Scott Faber, EWG’s senior vice president for government affairs, said in a statement.