Tyson Foods reached a settlement with the Environmental Working Group (EWG) on November 17, 2025, agreeing to stop marketing its beef as “climate‑friendly” and to discontinue its pledge to achieve net‑zero greenhouse‑gas emissions by 2050. The agreement was reached after a lawsuit filed in September 2024 alleged that Tyson’s sustainability statements were unsupported by credible data.
Tyson has stated that the settlement does not constitute an admission of wrongdoing. The company also highlighted that it has invested more than $65 million in projects aimed at reducing emissions from its beef production, including feed‑efficiency improvements and methane‑capture technologies. The settlement allows Tyson to continue those investments while clarifying that its public claims must be verifiable.
The lawsuit focused on Tyson’s “Brazen Beef” brand, which carried a “climate‑friendly” label that EWG argued was misleading because the company’s intensive cattle operations produce significant methane and nitrous oxide emissions that are difficult to eliminate with current technology. The court found that Tyson’s claims were not supported by independent verification, prompting the settlement.
Under the terms of the settlement, Tyson will refrain from making any net‑zero or climate‑friendly claims for five years. The company also agrees that any new environmental claims must be vetted by an expert panel that both parties agree upon, ensuring that future marketing statements are backed by credible evidence.
The settlement follows a similar agreement reached by JBS USA, which paid $1.1 million and committed to fund climate‑smart agriculture programs. Together, Tyson and JBS represent roughly half of U.S. beef production, making these settlements a significant step in tightening the regulatory environment around corporate environmental marketing in the food industry.
For Tyson, the settlement signals a shift toward greater transparency and a potential recalibration of its sustainability strategy. Removing the net‑zero and climate‑friendly labels may temporarily dampen consumer enthusiasm for its beef, but the company’s ongoing investment in emissions reduction and the new verification requirement could help rebuild trust over the long term. The agreement also underscores the growing legal scrutiny of greenwashing claims, encouraging Tyson to align its public statements with verifiable performance metrics.
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