"Back to School" in Romania

For the fifth consecutive year Smithfield Prod and Smithfield Ferme Timis, our subsidiaries in Romania, organized "Back to School," an initiative that seeks to support education and bolster school performance. Young students from local communities where Smithfield does business are stocked with important school supplies so they can kick off their new school year with confidence.

Everything from backpacks and penholders to books and writing utensils are donated by Smithfield so local children are equipped to tackle whatever comes their way. And to promote a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle, students were given schedules with daily tips and suggestions. All in all, the project helps put kids in a better position to achieve academic success.

This year the program began on September 13th in Masloc, one of 65 villages and cities where supplies would be provided over the course of several days. In total, over 3,500 kindergarten and school children (grades 1-8) were visited by Smithfield employees at 40 different schools throughout the rural communities of Arad and Timis Counties. The program also included the children of Agroalim employees from 11 towns across the country where the company, which is now part of the Smithfield family, operates.

To date, nearly 10,000 children have benefitted from the program and begun their school-year with positive momentum.