Green group sues Tyson Foods for allegedly false climate claims

An environmental group is suing U.S.-based meat processor Tyson Foods for allegedly misleading consumers by saying it will reach net-zero emissions by 2050 and marketing climate-friendly beef without meaningful plans to achieve those goals.

“These type of greenwashing claims are on the rise and consumers have a right to know the truth about their food choices,” said Carrie Apfel, an attorney with Earthjustice, on a Wednesday press call.

Earthjustice is representing EWG in the suit alongside the Animal Legal Defense Fund, Edelson PC, and FarmStand.

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The suit was filed on Wednesday by the Washington-based Environmental Working Group (EWG) in D.C. Superior Court. Tyson did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

In 2021, Tyson said it would achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 by increasing its use of renewable energy and eliminating deforestation in its supply chain, among other steps.

The company also markets a brand of “climate-friendly” beef it says is produced with 10 per cent less emissions than conventional beef.

In its lawsuit, EWG alleges that Tyson has not presented a rigorous plan for reaching its net zero goals or details for its lower-emission beef production and is thus misleading consumers with the claims.

Tyson is one of the largest meat processing companies in the United States. The company says it produces 20 per cent of the country’s beef, pork, and chicken and that the majority of its emissions are from beef production.

Livestock production generates about 14.5 per cent of all anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions globally, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. Cattle represent 65 per cent of those emissions.