Table 1 The 35 largest animal agriculture companies in the world, their emissions (GRAIN 2018), along with the company’s current percentage of greenhouse gas emissions relative to their headquarter (HQ) countries, and how these percentages would change if the companies were to operate under a business-as-usual scenario and their headquarter countries were to reduce their emissions levels to meet their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) submitted as part of the Paris Agreement (“% of NDC” column; again, this assumes the company’s total emissions are attributed to the headquarter country, which is not the current conception of attribution under the Paris Agreement)
From: The climate responsibilities of industrial meat and dairy producers
Company (ranked by emissions) | Animal products | Company emissions (MT CO2-eq) | HQ country | Country NDC (MtCO2-eq) | Current % of country GHG | % of NDC | Net-zero target? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
JBS | Beef, pork, chicken | 280.0 | Brazil | 1723.2 | 20.6 | 18.6 | No |
Tyson | Beef, pork, chicken | 118.1 | USA | 4876.0 | 2.0 | 2.8 | No |
Cargill | Beef, chicken | 86.3 | USA | 4876.0 | 1.5 | 2.0 | No |
DFA | Dairy | 52.2 | USA | 4876.0 | 0.9 | 1.2 | Yes |
Fonterra | Dairy | 41.5 | New Zealand | 38.9 | 74.3 | 129.7 | No |
National Beef | Beef | 41.5 | USA | 4876.0 | 0.7 | 1.0 | No |
Marfrig | Beef, pork, chicken | 40.0 | Brazil | 1723.2 | 2.9 | 2.7 | No |
Minerva | Beef | 34.7 | Brazil | 1723.2 | 2.6 | 2.3 | No |
Smithfield | Pork | 30.1 | China | 2818.0 | 0.3 | 1.2 | No |
Lactalis | Dairy | 23.9 | France | 314.1 | 5.5 | 9.2 | No |
BRF | Pork, chicken | 23.1 | Brazil | 1723.2 | 1.7 | 1.6 | No |
Arla | Dairy | 22.4 | Denmark | 45.2 | 42.4 | 60.2 | No |
Nestlé | Dairy | 22.1 | Switzerland | 26.2 | 48.5 | 102.4 | Yes |
FrieslandCampina | Dairy | 19.9 | Netherlands | 136.0 | 9.9 | 17.8 | No |
Dean | Dairy | 19.1 | USA | 4876.0 | 0.3 | 0.4 | No |
Danish Crown | Beef, pork | 16.5 | Denmark | 45.2 | 29.0 | 42.1 | Yes |
Vion Food Group | Beef, pork | 15.2 | Netherlands | 136.0 | 7.5 | 13.0 | No |
California Dairies | Dairy | 14.3 | USA | 4876.0 | 0.2 | 0.3 | No |
Saputo | Dairy | 14.3 | Canada | 498.2 | 2.1 | 3.5 | No |
Danone | Dairy | 14.3 | France | 314.1 | 3.3 | 5.5 | Yes |
DMK | Dairy | 12.3 | Germany | 732.2 | 1.4 | 2.0 | No |
New Hope Group | Pork, chicken | 12.2 | China | 2818.0 | 0.1 | 0.6 | No |
Groupe Bigard | Beef, pork | 10.2 | France | 314.1 | 2.4 | 3.9 | No |
Tönnies | Pork | 10.9 | Germany | 732.2 | 1.2 | 1.7 | No |
Yurun Group | Pork | 10.3 | China | 2818.0 | 0.1 | 0.4 | No |
Guangdong Wens | Pork, chicken | 10.3 | China | 2818.0 | 0.1 | 0.5 | No |
NH Foods | Beef, pork, chicken | 8.7 | Japan | 992.0 | 0.7 | 1.1 | No |
Hormel | Pork | 8.1 | USA | 4876.0 | 0.1 | 0.2 | No |
Coren Group | Pork, chicken | 6.7 | Spain | 149.0 | 2.4 | 5.2 | No |
CP Group | Pork, chicken | 6.3 | Thailand | 188.9 | 2.7 | 4.7 | No |
ABP | Beef | 5.4 | Ireland | 37.1 | 8.1 | 17.5 | No |
Perdue Farms | Chicken | 3.7 | USA | 4876.0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | No |
Bachoco | Chicken | 3.7 | Mexico | 478.7 | 0.6 | 1.1 | No |
Koch Foods | Chicken | 3.4 | USA | 4876.0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | No |
ACOLID | Chicken | 3.3 | Saudi Arabia | 409.1 | 0.6 | 1.1 | No |