Tyson foods drops “climate smart” beef labels following greenwashing lawsuit

Major food producer Tyson Foods has agreed to stop marketing its beef products as “climate smart” and abandon claims about achieving net zero emissions by 2050, following a successful lawsuit by environmental advocates. The settlement, reached after the Environmental Working Group (EWG) challenged the company’s sustainability claims in court, represents a significant victory in the fight against greenwashing by industrial agriculture.

Under the five-year agreement, Tyson—which produces 20% of all beef, chicken, and pork in the United States—cannot make climate-related marketing claims unless they’re independently verified by third-party experts. The lawsuit alleged that Tyson never even defined what “climate smart beef” meant, despite using the term extensively in marketing materials. As lead attorney Carrie Apfel from Earthjustice noted, the term is essentially “an oxymoron” when applied to industrial beef production, given that beef generates more greenhouse gas emissions than any other major protein source.

This settlement follows a similar $1.1 million agreement with JBS Foods, the world’s largest meat processor, over misleading net zero emissions claims. These cases highlight the broader challenge of holding meat and dairy companies accountable for their environmental impact. The agriculture sector accounts for one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions, with beef production alone generating nearly nine times more emissions than chicken or fish.

Environmental advocates hope these legal victories will increase transparency in an industry that has historically operated with limited oversight, ultimately helping consumers make truly informed choices about sustainable food options.