Meat Institute Releases New Report on How Animal Agriculture Supply Chains Are Calculating Scope 3 Emissions

The Meat Institute's "Greenhouse Gas Accounting: Emissions Factors Brief" examines one of the most complex challenges facing companies across the animal agriculture supply chain: how to measure and communicate upstream greenhouse gas emissions.

As companies increasingly establish sustainability targets and respond to customer requests for environmental data, the need for reliable, transparent, and comparable emissions information has grown. Scope 3 emissions—those generated throughout a company's broader value chain—are particularly challenging because they often depend on data originating outside a company's direct operational control.

The Meat Institute developed the brief as a practical resource for companies seeking to better understand how emissions factors are developed and applied. The report draws on input from Meat Institute packer and processor members through surveys, interviews, and industry roundtables, supplemented by independent expert review.

For meat and poultry companies, the report offers an important foundation for asking better questions about emissions data, understanding the assumptions behind calculations, and developing sustainability strategies that reflect the realities of agricultural supply chains.

The publication also identifies knowledge gaps where additional research, collaboration, and industry coordination could improve consistency and transparency. By focusing on practical implementation rather than theoretical targets alone, the resource aims to help companies navigate the evolving expectations surrounding climate reporting and supply chain sustainability.

The report is particularly relevant to sustainability leaders, procurement teams, environmental professionals, supply chain managers, and companies responding to customer or investor requests for Scope 3 information.

As sustainability reporting continues to evolve, understanding the quality and limitations of emissions data will be increasingly important. The Meat Institute's work provides a useful industry perspective on how companies can approach these challenges while continuing to improve measurement and reporting practices.