DeSmog

Danish Crown

Background

Danish Crown is a Denmark-based food manufacturer specialising in beef and pork processing,1Homepage,” Danish CrownArchived July 13, 2021. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/fNu4j owned by the cooperative Leverandørselskabet Danish Crown AmbA.2Organization,” Danish Crown. Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/xdFDT  The company is one of Europe’s largest pork producers3Who are we?,” Danish Crown. Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/ihUWJ  and the world’s largest pork exporter, with market access to more than 130 countries.4Danish Crown,” LinkedIn. Archived July 13 2021.

In 1998, Danish Crown merged with Danish cooperative slaughterhouse Vestjyske Slagterier.5Aaron McDonald. “Group CEO of Danish Crown to step down,” Food Navigator, September 30, 2015. Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/ecdLo In 2015, the company attempted to merge with its local rival Tican, but this was prevented by Danish competition authorities.6Danish Crown and Tican merger under review,” PigProgress, July 23, 2015. Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/wzKWn

According to its 2019/2020 annual report, Danish Crown slaughtered 18 million pigs and 0.8 million cows during that year. It had 5,900 cooperative members and 22,996 full-time employees, on average, and reported a revenue of DKK 61 billion (£7 billion) and a net profit of DKK 2 billion (£246 million).7Annual report 2019/20,” Danish CrownArchived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/xGiq7 The same year, it announced plans8Emma Upshall. “Danish Crown to invest $322m in factory capabilities,” FoodBev Media, December 1, 2020. Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/D4KiU. to offer plant-based products9Katy Askew. “Danish Crown to launch plant-based products ‘very soon’,”. Food Navigator, August 2, 2019. Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/mVbMJ and invest a “three-digit million figure” in more efficient and eco-friendly processing plants.10Danish Crown will 269 Mio € in eigene Infrastruktur investieren,” Top Agrar Online, December 9, 2020. Archived July 13 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/JghTh

According to a 2021 study by New York University researchers, Danish Crown’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are currently equivalent to 29 percent of Denmark’s total emissions. On a business-as-usual pathway, Danish Crown’s emissions would be responsible by 2030 for 42 percent of Denmark’s emissions target under the Paris Agreement, known as a Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC).11Oliver Lazarus, Sonali McDermid, and Jennifer Jacquet. “The climate responsibilities of industrial meat and dairy producers,” Climatic Change, March 25, 2021. Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.ph/TXRBt.  

Sustainability non-profits GRAIN and the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) estimated in a 2018 report that Danish Crown’s total yearly emissions are 16.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e).12Emissions impossible: How big meat and dairy are heating up the planet,” The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, and GRAIN, July 2018. Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/L0frI

In June 2021, three Denmark-based non-profit organisations filed Denmark’s first climate lawsuit against Danish Crown, accusing the company of spreading false claims about the climate impact of meat.13Frances Schwartzkopff. “First Danish Climate Lawsuit Targets EU’s Biggest Pork Producer,” Bloomberg, June 4, 2021. Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: http://archive.today/P0EdL.

Stance on Climate Change

In 2019, Danish Crown launched a new brand identity, claiming to set “a new direction towards a more sustainable future from farm to fork,” and announced that a “new brand and narrative will make it clearer to customers and consumers that Danish Crown has started this transformation.”14Danish Crown presents its new brand identity,” Danish Crown, September 16, 2019. Archived July, 13 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/5uj7r

As part of the rebranding, Danish Crown changed its website’s motto from “It’s all about food15Home,” Danish Crown. Archived June 7, 2017. to “We are creating a sustainable future for food.”16Homepage,” Danish CrownArchived July 13, 2021. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/fNu4j

The company’s new website includes a section dedicated to sustainability, where the company states that “climate researchers all over the world are highlighting meat as one of the great challenges for our planet, the climate and the living conditions of future generations.”17Sustainability,” Danish CrownArchived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/UL3jx

On the page, Danish Crown says it aims to “offer people a sustainable alternative, so they can eat meat in responsible quantities with a clear conscience.” The company plans “to be the world’s most sustainable and successful meat producer in 2030” and says it is working to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.18Fact Sheet: Danish Crown’s Sustainability Strategy,” Danish CrownArchived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/71Voc

In a presentation given at the University of Copenhagen in 2020, Valeur stated: “I think it is really important that Danish Crown, on a day like today, tells and shows the outside world that we are part of the solution. That we demonstrate that we can and will help to make global food systems climate neutral, and that we are part of the future.”19Jais Valeur talte om bæredygtighed på international forskningskonference,” Danish Crown, February 27, 2020Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/hPjTk

In 2019, Danish Crown’s CEO Jais Valeur stated that he has “a rock-solid belief that we are succeeding in taking a lead role globally on sustainability.”20Fem skarpe til Jais Valeur,” Danish Crown, November 21, 2019Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/E2PJQ

In 2018, Danish Crown’s chairman Erik Bredholt explained in a press release that the company is increasingly focusing on sustainability to “go on the offensive” since “everyone is talking about climate and sustainability.” According to Bredholt, Danish Crown now requires farmers to apply for sustainability certification to “demarcate Danish Crown’s pigs positively” and “to show the outside world that we take the lead on the sustainability agenda for meat” to create “a new edge” that cannot be copied by competitors.21Fem skarpe om bæredygtighed til formanden,” Danish Crown, March 8, 2019. Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/YG9Gi

However, the company has also been critical of some efforts to address climate change.

In a 2021 interview with Berlingske, Danish Crown CEO Jais Valeur voiced concerns that the climate debate could drive agriculture out of Denmark.22Vibeke Lyngklip Svansø. “Danish Crown-topchef med advarsel: “Reel risiko for, at vi kører landbruget ud af Danmark med klimadebatten,” Berlingske, June 8, 2020. Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/uqcS5

In 2021, Danish Crown criticised Denmark’s newly launched dietary guidelines, which highlight the health and environmental impacts of food, for not including information about local differences in meat production. It called for dietary guidelines to be “regularly revised to reflect the progress of agriculture.”23Danish Crown: Spis mindre, men bedre dansk kød,” Danish Crown, January 7, 2021. Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/aIl0r

In 2020, Valeur responded to discussions about meat-free days in government canteens by stating, “the debate about what we should eat in the future deserves more than being reduced to a question of mandatory meat-free days.”24Jais Valeur. “Danish Crown: Kødfrie dage hører til på de lette løsningers holdeplads,” Altinget, November 10, 2020. Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/Bolqu

Livestock emissions

In its sustainability report, Danish Crown acknowledges “that meat production is a substantial contributor to greenhouse gas emissions” and provides data about the emissions of farms that have joined the company’s “Climate Track,” a scheme that aims to reduce supplying farmers’ emissions. According to the report, emissions on certified farms increased from 223kg CO2e per pig in 2019 to 223.8kg in 2020. Danish Crown explained the increase by pointing out that farmers on the Climate Track own the smallest herds, “have a much lower feed efficiency per pig and do not use the latest technology.” In September 2019, Danish Crown reported having “certified the 950 Danish cooperative members who deliver 90 per cent of the pigs for our Danish abattoirs” as part of its Climate Track program.25Sustainability report 2019-2020,” Danish Crown. Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/uBR43.

Farmers who join the scheme are inspected and certified by Baltic Control, a Danish inspection, testing, and certification company. Danish Crown plans to add all of its supplying members based in Denmark, Poland, Germany and Sweden to the program by 2023.26Sustainability report 2019-2020,” Danish Crown. Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/uBR43.

In the company’s 2019/2020 sustainability report, Danish Crown claimed that the company had reduced emissions from its facilities from 410,869 to 363,335 tonnes of CO2e in scope 1 and 2 emissions through a transition to renewable energy at several sites. Danish Crown did not include scope 3 emissions in its estimate, however, which account for the majority of meat companies’ emissions.27Sustainability report 2019-2020,” Danish Crown. Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/uBR43.

In contrast to Danish Crown’s estimate, sustainability non-profits GRAIN and IATP estimated the total yearly emissions of Danish Crown to be 16.5 Mt of CO2e in a 2018 report, using a UN Food and Agriculture Organisation model that covers scope 1–3 emissions.28Emissions impossible: How big meat and dairy are heating up the planet,” The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, and GRAIN, July 2018. Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/L0frI

Scope 1 and 2 emissions stem from direct activities of a company or activities under their control, as well as from the production of energy used by the company.29What is the Difference Between Scope 1, 2 and 3 Emissions?,” Compare your Footprint, November 2, 2018. Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/bvtk7. Scope 3 emissions are all other indirect emissions originating from sources the company does not own or control, including land used to produce animal feed and emissions from farms that supply meat companies.30Dr. Meryl Richards. “Measure the Chain: Tools for Assessing GHG Emissions in Agricultural Supply Chains,” Ceres et alArchived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/7UvXX

Key Narratives

Danish Crown promotes a number of narratives to justify its business model. Find out more about how the meat industry is climate-washing its activities in our investigation. And you can read counter-arguments and criticisms of these narratives in our factsheet.

‘Animal agriculture isn’t a serious driver of climate change’

‘Danish meat is more environmentally friendly’

In January 2021, Danish Crown criticised Denmark’s newly launched dietary guidelines, which highlight the health and environmental impacts of food, for not including information about local differences in meat production.31Danish Crown: Spis mindre, men bedre dansk kød,” Danish Crown, January 7, 2021. Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/aIl0r

In 2020, the company added stickers to pork products stating that the climate footprint of one kilo of Danish pork from Danish Crown had been reduced by 25 percent since 2005.32Klimaindsats bliver synlig i køledisken,” Danish Crown, August 24, 2020. Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/oF20u The company stated that producing one kilo of pork in Denmark caused 2.82kg of GHG emissions in 2016, compared with 3.79kg in 2005.33Marie Sæhl, Jeppe Kyhne Knudsen, and Klaus Schjerning Andersen. “Danish Crowns reklamer for klimasvin får grønne tæsk: ‘Det ligner vildledning!’,” DR, September 23, 2020. Archive July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/dWHPc Danish Crown backed up this claim by citing a life cycle assessment conducted by Aarhus University’s Department of Agroecology for Danish Crown in 2019. The report is not publicly available, and Danish Crown did not reply to DeSmog’s request for access.34Danish pork has 25% less carbon footprint,” Danish CrownArchived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/tI6Ne

In 2019, Aarhus University withdrew a report on the climate impact of beef published by the Danish Centre for Food and Agriculture (DCA), one of the university’s research centres, when an investigation revealed that Danish Crown and the Danish agricultural association Landbrug & Fødevarer, of which it is a member,35Henriette Stevnhøj. “Kødsagen – få overblikket her,” Aarhus Universitet, November 15, 2019Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/dIVCh. had influenced36Aarhus Universitet erkender at have tilbageholdt dokumenter,” Jyllands-Posten, December 1, 2020. Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/RdAe0 and co-written the report.37Lasse Skou Andersen, Lise Richter, and Martin Bahn. “Efter oksekødsrapport: Landbrug & Fødevarer erkender ’graverende fejl’ i andre sager,” Informatíon, September 21, 2019Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/3QeHR

In an opinion piece published online, Danish Crown CEO Jais Valeur referred to calculations by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and stated that one kilo of Danish pork produced 10.8kg of CO2 emissions, lower than many other countries, to support the claim that “there is a huge difference in meat’s climate footprint, depending on where it is produced.”38Jais Valeur. “Danish Crown: Kødfrie dage hører til på de lette løsningers holdeplads,” Altinget, November 10, 2020. Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/Bolqu The WRI report, which had been part-funded by Landbrug & Fødevarer, concluded that “Denmark is in the lowest carbon cost tier of countries analyzed for both pork and dairy, which differs from some other analyses, but differences are not large.”39Stefan Wirsenius et al. “Comparing the life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of dairy and pork systems across countries using land-use carbon opportunity costs,” World Resources Institute, May 2020Archived July 13 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/guEDO

The WRI and Aarhus University emissions estimates depend on different life cycle analysis models. The World Resources Institute’s model considers land use, land-use change, and forestry (LULUCF), which includes deforestation and organic soil carbon.40Land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF),” European Union Emissions Trading Scheme, July 24, 2015. Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/cTHgE Aarhus University uses a life cycle assessment model41Anette Eckholt. “Fremtidens grønne grise,” JA Aktuelt, January 15, 2020. Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/rWail. developed as part of a project initiated by Danish Crown titled “Pork 4.0.” The assessment model does not consider the emissions caused, and carbon sequestration prevented, by land use and is only used by Aarhus University in the context of the “Pork 4.0” project.42CSR report 2016/17,” Danish Crown. Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/EKPu1.

Also in 2020, the company ran an advertising campaign, claiming that “pigs are more climate-friendly than you think.”43Marie Sæhl, Jeppe Kyhne Knudsen, and Klaus Schjerning Andersen. “Danish Crowns reklamer for klimasvin får grønne tæsk: ‘Det ligner vildledning!’,” DR, September 23, 2020. Archive July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/dWHPc After criticism from consumer organisation Forbrugerrådet Tænk and green think tank Concito, Danish Crown stopped using the slogan. The company continues to claim, however, that it produces “climate controlled pork.”44Climate-controlled pork from our Danish farmers,” Danish Crown. Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/b6en7

In June 2021, three Denmark-based non-profit organisations, the Vegetarian Society of Denmark, the Climate Movement, and the Green Student Movement, filed Denmark’s first climate lawsuit against Danish Crown for these two marketing campaigns, accusing the company of spreading deceptive claims about the climate impact of pork.45Frances Schwartzkopff. “First Danish Climate Lawsuit Targets EU’s Biggest Pork Producer,” Bloomberg, June 4, 2021. Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: http://archive.today/P0EdL.

‘Meat can be produced sustainably’

In his opening speech to the 2018 “MEAT2030” conference,46Let’s Meat 2030 Together,” Danish Crown, September 19, 2018. Archived June 14, 2021.  Valeur said he wanted a future where “consumers actively seek sustainably produced meat,” “meat production and farming systems are resilient, diverse and thriving; working in harmony with the environment and nature,” and “farmers are paid a fair price for their products and are an influential and valuable part in society.”47Jais Valeur. “Meat 2030: Action for a sustainable future,” Danish Crown. Archived June 14, 2021.

After the conference, Valeur stated: “I was particularly happy about the consensus that meat should be on the dinner plate in the future. We must have a place on the plate so that we do not become irrelevant in the future.”48Jais Valeur. “MEAT2030: Ideer til mere bæredygtigt kød,” Danish Crown, September 20, 2018. Archive July, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/gv4y3

A 2018 study published in Nature found that reducing meat consumption is crucial to lowering the food system’s emissions and that “[i]f socioeconomic changes towards [meat-heavy] Western consumption patterns continue, the environmental pressures of the food system are likely to intensify, and humanity might soon approach the planetary boundaries for global freshwater use, change in land use, and ocean acidification.”49Marco Springmann et al. “Options for keeping the food system within environmental limits,” Nature, October 10, 2018. Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/hiTaq

‘Grazing supports biodiversity’

In 2021, Danish Crown criticised a database about the carbon footprint of different foods launched by Danish retailer Salling Group A/S and the sustainability think tank Concito, claiming it lacked nuance. Danish Crown argued that for “beef cattle, which are bred solely for meat production, CO2 emissions are of course high, but in return they graze in fields and contribute greatly to biodiversity” by “contributing to the emergence of more insects, worms, flowers, plants, and birds, which add biotopes that are attractive to the holistic view of nature.”50Ny rapport om klimabelastning savner nuancer,” Danish Crown, February 2, 2021. Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/bxXDK

The US-based Center for Biological Diversity states: “The ecological costs of livestock grazing exceed that of any other western land use.”51Grazing,” Centre for Biological DiversityArchived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/n59Hj A 2020 study by researchers from the University of Alberta warned that scaling up livestock grazing to meet future food demand could threaten the biodiversity of herbivores and pollinators worldwide.52Alessandro Filazzola et al. The effects of livestock grazing on biodiversity are multi-trophic: a meta-analysis,” Ecology Letters, February 6, 2020. Archived July 13, 2021.

‘Our feed comes from responsible sources’

According to Danish Crown’s website, the company plans to ensure that their “Danish production needs for soy is [sic] covered by third party certified or verified responsible say [sic] that does not cause deforestation.”53We are creating a sustainable future for food,” Danish Crown. Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/3yz0T. In 2019, the company joined the Danish Alliance for Responsible Soy.54Danish Crown tilslutter sig Dansk Alliance for Ansvarlig Soja,” Danish Crown, September 26, 2019. Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/nU4qA Danish Crown’s Communications Director Astrid Gade Nielsen stated: “Danish feed companies buy soy from areas that live up to the fact that no rainforest has been cleared within a certain number of years, however, the challenge is a lack of documentation on this.”55Stort fokus på bæredygtig soja,” Danish Crown, February 7, 2020Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/b84eB

In response to the 2020 Amazon fires, Danish Crown announced it would be partnering with the European Feed Manufacturers Federation (FEFAC)56Jane Byrne. “Danish Crown moves to ensure its soy value chain is deforestation-free as report calls out the company on its soy sustainability policies,” Feed Navigator, May 4, 2020. Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/rCJ8h and plans to acquire “RTRS or RTRS equivalent certificates / credits to cover the company’s Danish production with effect from 1st October 2020.”57Responsible soy,” Danish CrownArchived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/z6v1s RTRS credits support farmers to produce soy without deforestation but do not necessarily mean that the credit buyers themselves are feeding sustainable soy to farmed animals.58Tom Levitt. “How can we stop using soya linked to deforestation?,” The Guardian, November 25, 2020. Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/aasxK

According to a 2021 Greenpeace report, Danish Crown has knowingly contributed to deforestation in Brazil, including the widely-reported fires of 2020, through its trading partners JBS, Minerva, and Marfrig.59Sådan kan du lægge pres på Danish Crown,” Greenpeace, March, 4, 2021Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/28M39

‘Locally-produced meat cuts out transport emissions’

The company argues on its website that meat produced in Denmark “has a very short way from farm to fork.”60Danish Crown: Spis mindre, men bedre dansk kød,” Danish Crown, January 7, 2021. Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/aIl0r

According to an analysis published by Oxford University’s Our World in Data project, however, the transport, processing, retail, and packaging of food account for only a small share of emissions, while most GHG emissions caused by animal agriculture result from the production of the meat itself.61Hannah Ritchie. “You want to reduce the carbon footprint of your food? Focus on what you eat, not whether your food is local,” Our World in Data, January 24, 2020Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/jK4Se

‘Meat is needed for a healthy diet and to feed the world’

‘Meat is needed to feed the world’s growing population’

On September 19, 2018, Danish Crown hosted a conference titled “MEAT2030” in Copenhagen with the goal “to get input for a more sustainable future for meat.”62Jais Valeur. “MEAT2030: Ideer til mere bæredygtigt kød,” Danish Crown, September 20, 2018. Archive July, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/gv4y3 One day before the conference, Danish Crown CEO Valeur wrote an article published by Altinget, stating: “In ten years, the middle class worldwide will have grown from 3.2 billion people to 5 billion who will […] have meat as part of their diet. This is wearing out the planet and this development cannot continue. We are therefore faced with a choice: Should we stop eating meat, or should we find a sustainable way forward? At Danish Crown, the answer is clear. Meat has always been part of the human diet, and so it will remain in the future.”63Kiki Qvistgaard. “Danish Crown: Fremtiden er bæredygtig – også for kød,” Altinget, September 18, 2020. Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/C0IQC

On the company’s “Sustainability” section of its website, Danish Crown states that despite the climate impacts of meat consumption, “this does not mean that Danish Crown will be producing less meat” because “in 2050, according to the UN, there will be approximately 10 billion mouths to feed.”64We are creating a sustainable future for food,” Danish Crown. Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/3yz0T.

A 2018 study published in Nature, however, found that reducing meat consumption is crucial to lowering the food system’s emissions and that “[i]f socioeconomic changes towards [meat-heavy] Western consumption patterns continue, the environmental pressures of the food system are likely to intensify, and humanity might soon approach the planetary boundaries for global freshwater use, change in land use, and ocean acidification.”65Marco Springmann et al. “Options for keeping the food system within environmental limits,” Nature, October 10, 2018. Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/hiTaq

‘Meat is an exceptional source of nutrients’

According to Valeur, “meat has always been associated with quality of life and prosperity” and is “a good and safe way to vital proteins, vitamins and minerals.”66Jais Valeur. “Vi vil skabe en bæredygtig fremtid for kød,” Danish Crown, September 18, 2018Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/PDnjt.  At a conference held at the University of Copenhagen in 2020, Valeur stated that “meat has an important role to play in a balanced diet.”67Jais Valeur talte om bæredygtighed på international forskningskonference,” Danish Crown, February 27, 2020Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/hPjTk

Nutrition associations, including the British Nutrition Foundation, approve of meat-free diets, however.68Plant-based diets,” British Nutrition Foundation. Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/Ws13f According to the American Dietetic Association, “appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases.”69Winston Craig and Ann Reed Mangels. “Position of the American Dietetic Association: vegetarian diets,” National Centre for Biotechnology Information, July 2009. Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/yU1Fh

‘Eating meat is a personal choice’

In response to newly launched dietary guidelines by the Danish government in January 2021, Danish Crown argued it should be left to “the individual consumer to assess their meat intake.”70Danish Crown: Spis mindre, men bedre dansk kød,” Danish Crown, January 7, 2021. Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/aIl0r

‘Innovations in animal agriculture will tackle climate change’

‘We are producing less emissions-intensive meat’

As part of the company’s sustainability strategy, Danish Crown launched a “Climate Track” scheme to “produce meat that is (net) climate neutral in 2050,” pointing out that “Danish farmers have [already] successfully improved efficiency, so that the amount of feed needed to produce 1 kg of pork has fallen significantly over the last several years.”71We are following the Climate Track,” Danish CrownArchived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL:https://archive.ph/jGxTL

Sustainability non-profits GRAIN and IATP warn that “the large gains in ‘efficiency’ realised by industrial farming in the twentieth century will be hard to repeat without major ecological, social and health impacts.”72Emissions impossible: How big meat and dairy are heating up the planet,” GRAIN and the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, July 18, 2018. Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/xY4Y7

‘Breeding and genetic engineering will reduce the climate impacts of meat’

In 2019, Danish Crown partnered with SEGES, an offshoot of Landbrug & Fødevarer, Aarhus University, and other companies for the “FutureBeefCross” project, aiming to develop more climate-friendly beef cattle through breeding and genetic engineering.73Landmand inviterer til et kig på fremtidens bæredygtige slagtekalv,” Danish Crown, November 5, 2019. Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/2Ycfz

‘We are using more sustainable packaging and fertiliser’

In 2021, Danish Crown committed to purchasing CO2-free fertiliser from a new production plant in Esbjerg, a project led by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP)74DFDS Aims to Bring Environmental Footprint to Climate Neutral,” Railly News, February 27, 2021Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/gX0gz expected to start operations in 2026.75Sladjana Djunisic. “CIP joins Dansh shipping, agri-sector on offshore wind-to-ammonia project,” Renewables Now, February 23, 2021. Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/HDZGC In 2019, Danish Crown launched new packaging to reduce its plastic consumption.76Danish Crown introducerer ny klimavenlig emballage til foodservice,” Danish Crown, November 26, 2019Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/VvjTZ

According to an analysis published by Oxford University’s Our World in Data project, the packaging of meat accounts for only a small share of emissions caused by the livestock sector.77Hannah Ritchie. “You want to reduce the carbon footprint of your food? Focus on what you eat, not whether your food is local,” Our World in Data, January 24, 2020Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/jK4Se

‘We are producing green energy’

In 2019, Danish Crown argued that biogas produced from its slaughterhouses’ residual products provide “enough green energy to heat many homes.”78Our abattoirs are very energy-efficient and make optimum use of the pig,” Danish Crown. Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/p1sPm

Environmental campaigners have criticised manure management technologies such as biogas digesters for “helping to perpetuate large-scale factory farming under the guise of mitigating climate change.”79Gosia Wozniacka. “Are Dairy Digesters the Renewable Energy Answer or a ‘False Solution’ to Climate Change?,” Civil Eats, April 24, 2020. Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/q37P3 Campaigners have also argued that gas produced on factory farms does not qualify as clean energy because burning the gas releases carbon dioxide and other contaminants, while methane-capture technologies fail to address the majority of industrial livestock farming emissions.80Viveca Morris. “Why meat and dairy corporations are the Achilles’ heel of Biden’s climate plan,” LA Times, May 16, 2021. Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/SMMgN

Lobbying

In 2019, the Danish Ministry of Environment and Food invited Danish Crown’s CEO to chair a new climate partnership between the government and the food and agriculture sector,81Jais Valeur bliver formand for klimapartnerskab med regeringen,” Danish Crown, November 7, 2019. Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/lwke8 to help the Danish government reach its goal of reducing the country’s emissions by 70 percent by 2030.82Klimapartnerskaber,” ErhvervsministerietArchived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/znEsv After Danish Crown farmers criticised Valeur for accepting the position instead of focusing on meat sales, its press manager Jens Hansen stated: “In our view, it would be crazy to say no to leading the climate partnership, when there is an inquiry from the country’s Minister of Food and the Prime Minister. In the role of chairman, Jais Valeur and Danish Crown get the best possible opportunities to shape and contribute to a climate strategy that ensures we still have significant food production in 2050, which contributes to jobs and foreign exchange earnings in Denmark.”83Svineavlere går imod Danish Crowns klimaindsats,” Food Supply, November 28, 2019Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/BsYtT

The climate partnership chaired by Valeur submitted a report to the Danish government in 2020, suggesting steps towards a more sustainable and climate-friendly system of agriculture in Denmark.84Klimapartnerskabet for Fødevare- og Landbrugssektoren,” Klima-, Energi- og ForsyningsministerietArchived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/ghfIz The submission of the report coincided with the outbreak of COVID-19, and CEO Valeur stated that Danish Crown had decided to postpone discussions about the report with the Danish government and parliament.85Jais Valeur. “Klimapartnerskabet for Fødevare- og Landbrugssektoren,” LinkedIn, March 16, 2020Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/vbeWD

“Glad for gris,” a campaign launched in 2019, which aims “to strengthen the sale of pork in Denmark by contributing to an improvement in the perceived value of pork through a digital consumer campaign, targeted at young people,”86Alexandra O’Sullivan Freltoft. “Klimaaktivist: Jeg tror ikke længere, at alle landmænd er bagstræberiske bønder,” Information, June 13, 2020. Archived July 13, 2021. received €2.45 million in funding from the EU.87Sini Eräjää. “Marketing Meat: How EU promotional funds favour meat and dairy,” Greenpeace, April 2021. Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/2PmT5 The campaign was run by Landbrug & Fødevarer, an organisation representing Danish food and agricultural companies, including Danish Crown. It was also supported by the Danish Pig Tax Fund, overseen by the Danish Ministry of Food and Agriculture, working to “strengthen the development opportunities and competitiveness of the whole pork sector.”88Homepage,” Svineafgiftsfonden. Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/EeHvq

In 2018, Danish Crown reported that it had been collaborating with European food groups to develop the EU Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) standards for “documenting and communicating the environmental footprint of the production of red meat” since 2016.89CSR report 2017/18,” Danish Crown. Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL:

In 2017, Danish Crown’s Senior Sustainability Manager Charlotte Thy gave a presentation at a conference on developing EU PEF standards organised by the Danish Ministry of Environment and Food titled “Challenges in the development of PEFCR for meat. Market possibilities for Danish meat sector.”90Products Environmental Footprint,” Miljø- og FødevareministerietArchived July 13, 2021. Archive.pg URL: https://archive.ph/zR2IP.

When current Prime Minister of Denmark Mette Frederiksen, then chairman of Denmark’s Social Democratic Party, dismissed the discussion about the environmental impact of meat as hysterical in 2018, CEO of Danish Crown Beef Finn Klostermann reportedly replied: “If you do not become Prime Minister, then you can become a seller at Danish Crown.”91Frederik Siiger Hansen and Torben Worsøe. “S-formand: Debat om kød er hysterisk,” Landbrugs Avisen, November 22, 2018. Archived July 13, 2021

Bjarke Kamstrup, former press manager at the Danish Ministry of Food and Agriculture became Public Affairs Manager at Danish Crown in May 2021.92“Bjarke Kamstrup,” LinkedInArchived July 13, 2021.

Affiliations

Jais Valeur, CEO of Danish Crown, chaired a climate partnership in 2019 consisting of 14 Danish business leaders invited by the Danish Ministry of Environment and Food to help the government reach its 2030 emissions goals.93Jais Valeur bliver formand for klimapartnerskab med regeringen,” Danish Crown, November 7, 2019. Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/lwke8 The 14 members included representatives of other high-emitting sectors, including from aviation (SAS Danmark), shipping (Mærsk), and transport (DSV Panalpina).9413 climate partnerships will support the Danish government in reaching the green targets,” State of Green, November 13, 2019. Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/MuHbG

In September 2018, Danish Crown hosted a conference titled “MEAT2030.” Speakers included the then Danish Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen; Lisa Sweet, Head of Agriculture, Food and Beverage Industries at the World Economic Forum; Michael La Cour, Managing Director of IKEA Food Services; Stephanie Draper, Chief Change Officer at Forum for the Future; Anne Mottet, Livestock Officer at FAO; and food entrepreneur Claus Meyer Nielsen.95Let’s Meat 2030 Together,” Danish Crown, September 19, 2018. Archived June 14, 2021.  The presentations covered the ecological footprint of livestock farming, changing consumer preferences, and the potential of technological innovations, including plant-based and lab-grown meat alternatives.96Jais Valeur. “Meat 2030: Action for a sustainable future,” Danish Crown. Archived June 14, 2021.

Karl Christian Møller, Chief Analyst at Danish Crown, is on the board of directors of Dansk Protein Innovation, which supplies grass protein to animal feed producer Vestjyllands Andel.97Bestyrelsen,” Dansk Protein InnovationArchived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/kXHWU

Research Collaborations

As part of the company’s sustainability messaging, Danish Crown uses a life cycle assessment model developed as part of the “Pork 4.0” project,98Anette Eckholt. “Fremtidens grønne grise,” JA Aktuelt, January 15, 2020. Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/rWail. a project initiated by Danish Crown and carried out in collaboration with Aarhus University, Danish health authority Statens Serum Institut, and consulting firm SEGES, an offshoot of Landbrug & Fødevarer. The “Pork 4.0” assessment model does not consider the emissions caused, and carbon sequestration prevented by, land use and is only used by Aarhus University in the context of the “Pork 4.0” project.99CSR report 2016/17,” Danish Crown. Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/EKPu1.

In 2019, Aarhus University withdrew a report from Aarhus University’s Danish Centre For Food And Agriculture (DCA) and the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) about the climate impact of beef and veal100Henriette Stevnhøj. “Kødsagen – få overblikket her,” Aarhus Universitet, November 15, 2019Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/dIVCh. when an investigation by the newspaper Information revealed that Danish Crown and the Danish agricultural association Landbrug & Fødevarer had influenced101Aarhus Universitet erkender at have tilbageholdt dokumenter,” Jyllands-Posten, December 1, 2020. Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/RdAe0 and co-written the report, as well as subsequent press releases.102Lasse Skou Andersen, Lise Richter, and Martin Bahn. “Efter oksekødsrapport: Landbrug & Fødevarer erkender ’graverende fejl’ i andre sager,” Informatíon, September 21, 2019Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/3QeHR

Danish Crown confirmed that the company should have been listed as a co-author of the report103Kammeradvokaten: Danish Crown skulle have stået som medforfatter på oksekødsrapporten,” Danish Crown, October 1, 2019. Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/nVrIg and announced it would be working with Danish law firm Kammeradvokaten/Poul Schmith “to assess our collaboration with research institutes, – especially regarding the beef report from 2019 but also in relation to reports from previous years.”104Sustainability report 2018-2019,” Danish Crown. Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/M5NMx

Further investigations uncovered errors and omissions105Intern undersøgelse på Aarhus Universitet finder fejl og mangler i 34 ud af 55 rapporter,” Information, November 5 2019. Archived July 13 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/eWV0U in 34 out of 55 DCA reports produced by Aarhus University that involved collaboration with private companies and interested groups.106Henriette Stevnhøj. “Kødsagen – få overblikket her,” Aarhus Universitet, November 15, 2019Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/dIVCh. The university decided not to withdraw these additional reports.107Oksekødsrapport var ikke alene: Aarhus Universitet finder mangler i flere rapporter,” DR, November 4, 2019. Archived July 13 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/DF5dc

In 2019, Aarhus University partnered with Danish Crown, among other Danish retail companies, to develop a Master’s degree programme in Commercial and Retail Management.108Annual Report 2019,” Aarhus Universitet, April 1, 2019Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/0CDss In 2020, Danish Crown partnered with Aarhus University and consulting firm SEGES for “Pork 4.0,” a research project on sustainable pork production.109Anette Eckholt. “Fremtidens grønne grise,” JA Aktuelt, January 15, 2020. Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/rWail.

Copenhagen University’s Department of Food Science works with Danish Crown, among other meat producers, to help the company “with the challenges the meat industry is facing.”110René Lametsch. “UCPH FOOD’s research in meat,” University of CopenhagenArchived July 2013, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/5eund In 2020, Copenhagen University’s Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences invited Danish Crown to speak at a conference titled “Transforming global food systems under climate change: Achieving zero emissions”.111Transforming global food systems under climate change: Achieving zero emissions,” University of Copenhagen, February 25, 2020. Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/II8ZW

Since 2017, Copenhagen University and Aarhus University have been collaborating with Danish Crown on the “SuperGrassPork” project, an initiative working to supplement pig feed with locally grown grass protein funded by the Danish Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries-backed Green Development and Demonstration Program (GUDP). Other partners in the project include Friland A/S, a Danish Crown supplier, animal feed and crop producer Vestjyllands Andel, and the Institute for Food Studies, a non-profit organization working to improve human and planetary health through food-based solutions.112Jane Byrne. “Trial: Locally produced grass protein in organic pig diets does not compromise quality, productivity or taste,” Feed Navigator, February 25, 2020. Archived July 13, 2021. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/qecoI.

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