We Care®: Celebrating Our Legacy and Commitment to a Sustainable Future This Earth Month

Pork producers' commitment to caring for pigs, people and the planet has always been at the forefront of our industry. This Earth Month, protect your freedom to operate and honor our commitment to people, planet, and pigs with a Pork Cares Farm Impact Report.

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.