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Once a year, publicly traded companies issue a comprehensive report of their business, called a 10-K. A component mandated in the 10-K is the ‘Risk Factors’ section, where companies disclose any major potential risks that they may face. This dashboard highlights all major changes and additions in new 10K reports, allowing investors to quickly identify new potential risks and opportunities.

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Risk Factors - TSN

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Item 1A. Risk Factors.

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS

These risks, which should be considered carefully with the information provided elsewhere in this report, could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently deem to be immaterial also may materially adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations.

BUSINESS & OPERATIONAL RISK FACTORS

Global pandemics have had, and may in the future have, an adverse impact on our business and operations.

Our business relies on the health and well-being of our employees who run the day-to-day operations of the Company. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many parts of our business and operations were negatively affected. Negative effects from a global pandemic could include an increase in operating costs in connection with higher costs associated with protecting the health and safety of team members. If there is a pandemic, we may also experience disruption and volatility in our supply chain, which could result in increased costs for certain raw materials, packaging materials and transportation costs.

We may not realize any or all of the anticipated benefits of our financial excellence programs, which may prove to be more difficult, costly or time consuming than expected.

The success of the financial excellence programs, or future financial excellence programs will depend in part on our ability to successfully implement the programs in an efficient and effective manner. If we are unable to implement the financial excellence programs smoothly or successfully, or we otherwise do not capture the anticipated savings, our business, results of operations and financial condition for future periods could be negatively impacted.

We are subject to risks associated with our international activities, which could negatively affect our sales to customers in foreign locations, as well as our operations and assets in such locations.

In fiscal 2024, we sold products to customers in approximately 140 countries. Major sales markets include Australia, Canada, Central America, Chile, China, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Japan, Mexico, Malaysia, the Middle East, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand. Our sales to customers in foreign countries for fiscal 2024 totaled $7.8 billion, of which $5.2 billion related to export sales from the United States. In addition, we had approximately $1.4 billion of long-lived assets located in foreign locations, primarily Brazil, China, the European Union, Malaysia, the Middle East and Thailand, at the end of fiscal 2024.

We are subject to various risks and uncertainties relating to international sales and operations, including: closing of borders by foreign countries to the import of beef, pork and poultry products due to animal disease or other perceived health or safety issues; the impact of currency exchange rate fluctuations between the United States dollar and foreign currencies, particularly the Australian dollar, the Brazilian real, the British pound sterling, the Canadian dollar, the Chinese renminbi, the European euro, the Malaysian ringgit, the Mexican peso, and the Thai baht; political and economic conditions, including ongoing conflicts and political tensions; and difficulties and costs of complying with different legal, tax and regulatory requirements impacting exports and other international activities.

Our business and reputation could suffer if we are unable to protect our information technology systems against, or effectively respond to, cyber attacks, other cyber incidents or security breaches or if our information technology systems are otherwise disrupted.

Information technology is key to our business operations, and we rely on information technology systems to, among other things, manage business data, increase efficiencies in our production and distribution facilities, manage sales and inventory, process financial information, and communicate with our facilities, personnel, customers and suppliers. Information communicated through our information technology systems include confidential information, such as personal health information, payment and financial information, intellectual property and customer information. Our information technology systems may be vulnerable to disruption, including as a result of upgrading, replacing or integrating software and databases, user errors, natural disasters, telecommunications failures, computer viruses, cyber attacks, disruptions of software-as-a-service and cloud hosting providers, unauthorized access attempts and other security issues.

We have in the past experienced, and may in the future face, cyber attacks, other cyber incidents, disruptions or security breaches, and there can be no assurance that we will always be able to sufficiently mitigate the impact to our business and operations. We have implemented and continue to evaluate cyber-security initiatives and business continuity and disaster recovery plans to mitigate our exposure to these risks, but these measures may not be adequate, as attempted cyber attacks or breaches become more sophisticated. In addition, new technologies, such as artificial intelligence, may present new technological risks or vulnerabilities. We may not be able to anticipate or react to new types of cyber attacks or vulnerabilities and we may face delays in our detection or remediation of security breaches and other security-related incidents or vulnerabilities.

Any failure of our information technology systems could cause transaction errors, processing inefficiencies, loss of customers and sales, have negative consequences on our team members, business partners, and operations, and may expose us to liability, litigation and regulatory enforcement actions. If there is wide scale disruption to our systems, we may need to shut parts or all of our systems down to run tests and repairs.

In addition, such incidents could result in unauthorized or accidental disclosure of material confidential information or personally identifiable information. Similar risks exist with respect to the third-party vendors that we rely upon for aspects of our information technology support services and administrative functions, including health and benefit plan administration and certain finance and accounting functions, and systems managed, hosted, provided and/or used by third parties and their vendors. We have not experienced any significant cyber-related events in fiscal 2024.

We may not be able to successfully consummate favorable strategic acquisitions or divestitures or successfully integrate acquired businesses.

Acquisitions and joint ventures involve financial and operational risks and uncertainties, and there may be challenges in realizing the anticipated benefits of these transactions, or in the availability and terms of debt or equity financing for these transactions. If we are unable to do this, such expansion could adversely affect our financial results.

Additionally, from time to time, we may divest businesses that do not align with our strategic objectives or that do not meet our growth or profitability targets. We may not be able to complete desired or proposed divestitures on terms favorable to us. Gains or losses on the sales of, or lost operating income from, those businesses may affect our profitability and margins. Moreover, we may incur asset impairment charges related to divestitures that reduce our profitability.

Tyson Limited Partnership can exercise significant control.

As of September 28, 2024, through a series of trusts, Mr. John Tyson, Chairman of the Board of Directors, controls 44.445% of the general partner percentage interests, and Ms. Barbara Tyson, a director of the Company, controls 11.115% of the general partner percentage interests (the remaining general partnership interests are held by the Donald J. Tyson Revocable Trust (44.44%)). As a result of these holdings, positions and directorships, the partners in the TLP have the ability to exert substantial influence or actual control over our management and affairs and over substantially all matters requiring action by our stockholders, including amendments to our restated certificate of incorporation and by-laws, the election and removal of directors, any proposed merger, consolidation or sale of all or substantially all of our assets and other corporate transactions. This concentration of ownership may also delay or prevent a change in control otherwise favored by our other stockholders and could depress our stock price. Additionally, as a result of the TLP’s significant ownership of our outstanding voting stock, we are eligible for “controlled company” exemptions from certain corporate governance requirements of the New York Stock Exchange.

INDUSTRY RISK FACTORS

Fluctuations in commodity prices and in the availability of raw materials, especially feed grains, live cattle, live swine and other inputs could negatively impact our earnings.

Corn, soybean meal and other feed ingredients, for instance, represented roughly 56% of our cost of growing a live chicken in fiscal 2024.

Production and pricing of these commodities are determined by constantly changing market forces of supply and demand over which we have limited or no control. The Company’s objective continues to be to offset commodity price increases with pricing actions over time. However, we may not always be able to increase our product prices enough to sufficiently offset increased raw material costs due to consumer price sensitivity or the pricing postures of our competitors. In addition, if we increase prices to offset higher costs, we could experience lower demand for our products and sales volumes. Conversely, decreases in our commodity and other input costs may create pressure on us to decrease our prices. While we use derivative financial instruments, primarily futures and options, to reduce the effect of changing prices and as a mechanism to procure the underlying commodity, we do not fully hedge against changes in commodity prices.

Over time, if we are unable to price our products to cover increased costs, to offset operating cost increases with continuous improvement savings or are not successful in our commodity hedging program, then commodity and raw material price increases could materially and adversely affect our profitability, financial condition and results of operations.

The prices we receive for our products may fluctuate due to competition from other food producers and processors.

The food industry in general is intensely competitive. We face competition from other food producers and processors that have various product ranges and geographic reach. Such pressures also may restrict our ability to increase prices in response to raw material and other cost increases. Any reduction in prices as a result of competitive pressures, or any failure to increase prices to offset cost increases, could harm our profit margins. If we reduce prices but we cannot increase sales volumes to offset the price changes, then our financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected. Alternatively, if we do not reduce our prices and our competitors seek advantage through pricing or promotional changes, our revenues and market share could also be adversely affected.

Disease outbreaks can adversely impact our ability to conduct our operations and the supply and demand for our products.

In recent years, ASF has impacted hog herds in China, Asia, Europe, and the Caribbean, and if an outbreak of ASF were to occur in the United States, the Company’s supply of hogs and pork could be materially impacted. In 2024, HPAI was detected in the United States in dairy cattle, wild birds, mammals, and farm workers directly exposed to infected dairy or poultry. Efforts are taken to control disease risks by adherence to good production practices and extensive precautionary biosecurity measures designed to ensure the health of livestock and poultry. Furthermore, an outbreak of disease could result in governmental restrictions on the import and export of our products to or from our suppliers, facilities or customers. This could also result in negative publicity that may have an adverse effect on our ability to market our products successfully, and on our financial results.

Changes in consumer preference and failure to maintain favorable consumer perception of our brands and products could negatively impact our business.

The food industry in general is subject to changing consumer trends, demands and preferences. Trends within the food industry change often, and failure to identify and react to changes in these trends could lead to, among other things, reduced demand and price reductions for our brands and products. We strive to respond to consumer preferences and social expectations, but we may not be successful in our efforts.

We could be adversely affected if consumers lose confidence in the safety and quality of certain food products or ingredients, or the food safety system generally. Prolonged negative perceptions concerning the health implications of certain food products or ingredients or loss of confidence in the food safety system generally could influence consumer preferences and acceptance of some of our products and marketing programs. Continued negative perceptions and failure to satisfy consumer preferences could materially and adversely affect our product sales, financial condition and results of operations.

Failure to continually innovate and successfully launch new products and maintain our brand image through marketing investment could adversely impact our operating results.

Our financial success is dependent on anticipating changes in consumer preferences, purchasing behaviors and dietary habits and successfully developing and launching new products and product extensions that consumers want in the channels where they shop. We devote significant resources to new product development and product extensions; however, we may not be successful in developing innovative new products or our new products may not be commercially successful. To the extent we are not able to effectively gauge the direction of our key markets and successfully identify, develop, manufacture and market new or improved products in these changing markets, such as adapting to emerging e-commerce channels, our financial results and our competitive position will suffer. In addition, our introduction of new products or product extensions may generate litigation or other legal proceedings against us by competitors claiming infringement of their intellectual property or other rights, which could negatively impact our results of operations.

Maintaining and continually enhancing the value of these brands is critical to the success of our business. Brand value is based in large part on consumer perceptions. Success in promoting and enhancing brand value depends in large part on our ability to provide high-quality products. Due to inherent risks in the marketplace associated with advertising, promotions and new product introductions, including uncertainties about trade and consumer acceptance, our marketing investments may not prove successful in maintaining or increasing our market share and could result in lower sales and profits. Continuing global focus on health and wellness, including weight management, and increasing media attention to the role of food marketing could adversely affect our brand image or lead to stricter regulations and greater scrutiny of food marketing practices.

Our success in maintaining, extending and expanding our brand image also depends on our ability to adapt to a rapidly changing media environment, including our increasing reliance on social media and online dissemination of advertising campaigns. The growing use of social and digital media increases the speed and extent that information or misinformation and opinions can be shared. Negative posts or comments about us, our brands or our products on social or digital media could seriously damage our reputation and brand image.

We are subject to a variety of legal and regulatory restrictions on how and to whom we market our products, for instance marketing to children, which may limit our ability to maintain or extend our brand image. If we do not maintain or extend our brand image, then our product sales, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

The loss of one or more of our largest customers could negatively impact our business.

Our business could suffer significant setbacks in sales and operating income if our customers’ plans and/or markets change significantly or if we lost one or more of our largest customers, including, for example, Walmart Inc.

This trend towards alternative channels is expected to continue in the future. If we are not successful in expanding sales in alternative retail channels, our business or financial results may be adversely impacted. Many of our customers have consolidated in recent years, and consolidation is expected to continue throughout the United States and in other major markets. These consolidations have produced large, sophisticated customers with increased buying power who are more capable of operating with reduced inventories, opposing price increases, and demanding lower pricing, increased promotional programs and specifically tailored products. These customers also may use shelf space currently used for our products for their own private label products. Because of these trends, our volume growth could slow or we may need to lower prices or increase promotional spending for our products. Additionally, these large customers may demand more favorable terms that may expose us to greater risks, including uncapped indemnification and no limitation of liability provisions. Such terms may obligate us to pay significant amounts in connection with potential losses arising from claims and related legal proceedings, and any such claims could also affect our reputation and our relationship with customers. We generally attempt to limit the maximum amount of indemnification or liability that we could be exposed to under our contracts, but this is not always possible without risking the loss of a customer relationship, particularly with our more significant customers. The loss of a significant customer or a material reduction in sales to, or adverse change to trade terms with, a significant customer could materially and adversely affect our product sales, financial condition and results of operations.

Failure to leverage our brand value propositions to compete against private label products, especially during economic downturn, may adversely affect our profitability.

In many product categories, we compete not only with other widely advertised branded products, but also with private label products that generally are sold at lower prices. Consumers are more likely to purchase our products if they believe that our products provide a higher quality and greater value than less expensive alternatives. If the difference in quality between our brands and private label products narrows, or if there is a perception of such a narrowing, consumers may choose not to buy our products at prices that are profitable for us. In addition, in periods of economic uncertainty, consumers tend to purchase more lower-priced private label or other economy brands. To the extent this occurs, we could experience a reduction in the sales volume of our higher margin products or a shift in our product mix to lower margin offerings. In addition, in times of economic uncertainty, consumers reduce the amount of food that they consume away from home at our foodservice customers, which in turn reduces our product sales.

LABOR & EMPLOYMENT RISK FACTORS

Labor shortages and increased turnover or increases in employee and employee-related costs could have adverse effects on our profitability.

We depend on the availability of, and good relations with, our team members and their labor unions.

We have approximately 138,000 team members, approximately 36,000 of whom are covered by collective bargaining agreements or are members of labor unions. Our operations depend on the availability and relative costs of labor and maintaining good relations with team members and the labor unions. If we fail to maintain good relations with our team members or with the labor unions, we may experience labor strikes or work stoppages, which could adversely affect our financial results.

We compete to attract and hire highly skilled team members and our own team members are highly sought after by our competitors and other companies. Competition could cause us to lose talented team members, and unplanned turnover could deplete our institutional knowledge and result in increased costs due to increased competition for team members. In addition, our compensation arrangements may not always be successful in attracting new employees or retaining our existing team members.

We depend on contract farmers and independent producers to supply us with livestock.

We contract primarily with independent contract farmers to raise the live chickens and turkeys processed in our poultry operations. A majority of our cattle and hogs are purchased from independent producers who sell livestock to us under marketing contracts or on the open market. If we do not attract and maintain contracts with farmers or maintain marketing and purchasing relationships with independent producers, our production operations could be negatively affected. Certain of our competitors may also negotiate more favorable contract terms that could provide them with competitive advantages and affect our supply.

LEGAL & REGULATORY RISK FACTORS

Product liability claims could adversely affect our business operations and financial results, or damage our reputation.

We face a risk of product liability claims from potential contamination of our products by foreign materials, disease-producing organisms or pathogens, such as Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella, and E. coli, or exposure to chemicals of concern from packaging or environmental exposure. We have little, if any, control over handling procedures for raw materials used in our products occurring upstream in the value chain and handling procedures for our products after they have been shipped for distribution. Some of our commercial contracts with our customers have uncapped indemnification clauses or no limitation of liability provisions, so any of these occurrences could cause us to pay significant amounts in penalties and spend significant resources, which could have an adverse effect on our financial results. Such a product recall also could result in adverse publicity, damage to our reputation, and a loss of consumer confidence in our products, which could have an adverse effect on our business results and the value of our brands.

The Company is required to comply with stringent environmental laws and regulations.

Our past and present business operations and ownership and operation of our facilities are subject to stringent federal, state, local, and, in some cases, foreign, environmental laws and regulations relating to the protection of the environment. Some of our facilities have been in operation for many years, and, over time, we and other prior operators of these facilities may have incurred environmental liabilities, such as costs related to the disposal of wastes that are now deemed hazardous. Our products are similarly subject to many evolving environmental laws, such as labeling and disclosure requirements, packaging specifications, and waste reduction initiatives (including those related to single-use plastics and extended producer responsibility obligations).

New or more stringent domestic and international government regulations could impose material costs on us and could adversely affect our business.

Changes in laws or regulations that impose new or additional regulatory requirements on food products, such as new or evolving requirements for raw material sourcing, supply chain due diligence, and product labeling and disclosures could increase our cost of doing business or restrict our actions, causing our results of operations to be adversely affected.

Failure to comply with applicable legal standards or requirements could result in regulatory enforcement actions, legal claims or class actions lawsuits, or affect our product sales, reputation and profitability.

We operate in a highly regulated environment with constantly evolving legal and regulatory frameworks. Consequently, we are subject to heightened risk of legal claims or other regulatory enforcement actions. Although we have implemented policies and procedures designed to ensure compliance with existing laws and regulations, there can be no assurance that our team members, contractors, or agents will not violate our policies and procedures. Moreover, a failure to maintain effective control processes could lead to violations, unintentional or otherwise, of laws and regulations. Legal claims or regulatory enforcement actions arising out of our failure or alleged failure to comply with applicable laws and regulations, including those contained in Item 3, Legal Proceedings and Part II, Item 8, Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Note 20: Commitments and Contingencies in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, could subject us to civil and criminal penalties, including debarment from governmental contracts, that could adversely affect our product sales, reputation, financial condition and results of operations. Loss of or failure to obtain necessary permits and registrations could delay or prevent us from meeting current product demand, introducing new products, building new facilities or acquiring new businesses and could adversely affect operating results.

Climate change may have a long-term adverse impact on our business.

Climate change and rising global temperatures may contribute to changing weather patterns, elongated drought periods, heavier or more frequent storms and wildfires, and increased frequency and severity of natural disasters, and may limit the availability, or increase the cost, of key agricultural commodities and natural resource ingredients and manufacturing inputs, as well as raw materials such as beef, pork, poultry, corn, soybean meal and other feed ingredients. Increased frequency or severity of extreme weather conditions could also impair production capabilities, disrupt our supply chain or impact demand for our products, and could adversely affect operating results. In addition, climate change may require us to make additional unplanned capital expenditures.

Increasing concern over climate change also may adversely impact demand for our products due to changes in consumer preferences and result in additional legal or regulatory requirements designed to manage greenhouse gas emissions, climate risks, and resulting environmental impacts. Increased energy or compliance costs and expenses due to increased legal or regulatory requirements could be prohibitively costly and may cause disruptions in, or an increase in the costs associated with, the running of our production facilities. Furthermore, compliance with any such legal or regulatory requirements may require us to make significant changes to our business operations and strategy, which will likely incur substantial time, attention, and costs.

Finally, we currently provide certain climate-related disclosures. These disclosures may be based on evolving standards, controls, and internal processes, or connect to assumptions that are subject to change. There can be no assurance that our current disclosures and targets, and the methodologies that we currently use to support our disclosures and progress towards our targets, will satisfy any new or evolving regulations and legal requirements in the U.S. and abroad, and the costs of aligning our current disclosures to any new legal requirements may be significant.

FINANCIAL RISK FACTORS

Our level of indebtedness and the terms of our indebtedness could negatively impact our business and liquidity position.

Our revolving credit and term loan facilities contain affirmative and negative covenants that, among other things, may limit or restrict our ability to: create liens and encumbrances; incur debt; merge, dissolve, liquidate or consolidate; make acquisitions and investments; dispose of or transfer assets; change the nature of our business; engage in certain transactions with affiliates; and enter into hedging transactions, in each case, subject to certain qualifications and exceptions. In addition, we are required to maintain a minimum interest expense coverage ratio.

Our senior notes also contain affirmative and negative covenants that, among other things, may limit or restrict our ability to: create liens; engage in certain sale/leaseback transactions; and engage in certain consolidations, mergers and sales of assets.

An impairment in the carrying value of our goodwill or indefinite life intangible assets could negatively impact our consolidated results of operations and net worth.

Goodwill and indefinite life intangible assets are initially recorded at fair value and not amortized but are reviewed for impairment at least annually or more frequently if impairment indicators arise. In assessing the carrying value of goodwill and indefinite life intangible assets, we make estimates and assumptions about sales growth, operating margins, royalty rates, valuation multiples, and discount rates based on budgets, business plans, economic projections, anticipated future cash flows and marketplace data. There are inherent uncertainties related to these factors and management’s judgment in applying these factors. Goodwill valuations have been calculated principally using income and market approaches. The income approach is based on the present value of future cash flows of each reporting unit and are believed to reflect market participant views which would exist in an exit transaction. The market approach measures value based on what other purchasers in the market have paid for assets or business interests that can be considered reasonably similar to each reporting unit and are believed to reflect market participant views which would exist in an exit transaction. Indefinite life intangible asset valuations have been calculated principally using relief-from-royalty and excess earnings approaches and are believed to reflect market participant views which would exist in an exit transaction. Under these valuation approaches, we are required to make various judgmental assumptions about appropriate sales growth, operating margins, royalty rates and discount rates, amongst other assumptions. Disruptions in global credit and other financial markets and deterioration of economic conditions, including as a result of inflation, could, among other things, cause us to increase the discount rate used in the valuations. We could be required to evaluate the recoverability of goodwill and indefinite life intangible assets prior to the annual assessment if we experience disruptions to the business, unexpected significant declines in operating results, divestiture of a significant component of our business, increased discount rates or sustained market capitalization declines. These types of events and the resulting analyses could result in impairment charges in the future, which could be substantial. At September 28, 2024, we had $13.9 billion of goodwill and indefinite life intangible assets, which represented approximately 37% of total assets.

Participation in a Multiemployer Pension Plan could adversely affect our business.

We participate in a “multiemployer” pension plan that provides defined benefits to certain team members covered by collective bargaining agreements. This type of plan is typically administered by a board of trustees composed of the management of the participating companies and labor representatives. We are required to make periodic contributions to this plan to allow the plan to meet its pension benefit obligation to its participants. Our required contributions to this fund could increase because of a shrinking contribution base as a result of the insolvency or withdrawal of other companies that currently contribute to this fund, inability or failure of withdrawing companies to pay their withdrawal liability, lower than expected returns on pension fund assets or other funding deficiencies. In the event that we withdraw from participation in this plan, then applicable law could require us to make additional lump-sum contributions to the plan, and we would have to reflect that as an expense in our consolidated statement of operations and as a liability on our consolidated balance sheet. Our withdrawal liability would depend on the extent of the plan’s funding of vested benefits. The plan in which we participate is reported to have a significant underfunded liability. Such underfunding could increase the size of our potential withdrawal liability. In the event a withdrawal or partial withdrawal were to occur with respect to the multiemployer plan, the impact to our consolidated financial statements could be material.

Volatility in the capital markets or interest rates could adversely impact our pension costs and the funded status of our pension plans.

We sponsor a number of defined benefit plans for team members. The difference between plan obligations and assets, which signifies the funded status of the plans, is a significant factor in determining the net periodic benefit costs of the pension plans and our ongoing funding requirements. At September 28, 2024, the funded status of our defined benefit pension plans was an underfunded position of $158 million, as compared to an underfunded position of $149 million at the end of fiscal 2023. Changes in interest rates and the market value of plan assets can impact the funded status of the plans and cause volatility in the net periodic benefit cost and our future funding requirements. The exact amount of cash contributions made to pension plans in any year is dependent upon a number of factors, including minimum funding requirements.

Market fluctuations could negatively impact our operating results as we hedge certain transactions.

Our business is exposed to fluctuating market conditions. We use derivative financial instruments to reduce our exposure to various market risks including changes in commodity prices, interest rates and foreign exchange rates. We hold certain positions, primarily in grain and livestock futures, that are not hedges for financial reporting purposes. These positions are marked to fair value, and the unrealized gains and losses are reported in earnings at each reporting date. Therefore, losses on these contracts will adversely affect our reported operating results. While these contracts reduce our exposure to changes in prices for commodity products, the use of such instruments may ultimately limit our ability to benefit from favorable commodity prices.

GENERAL RISK FACTORS

Deterioration of economic conditions could negatively impact our business.

Our business may be adversely affected by changes in economic conditions, including inflation, interest rates, access to capital markets, consumer spending rates, energy availability and costs (including fuel surcharges) and the effects of governmental initiatives to manage economic conditions.

Disruptions in global credit and other financial markets and deterioration of economic conditions could, among other things, make it more difficult or costly for us to obtain financing for our operations or investments or to refinance our debt in the future; impair the financial condition of some of our customers and suppliers, thereby increasing customer bad debts or non-performance by suppliers; negatively impact global demand for protein products, which could result in a reduction of sales, operating income and cash flows; decrease the value of our investments in equity and debt securities; or negatively impact our commodity purchasing activities if we are required to record losses related to derivative financial instruments.

In addition, consumer spending may decline at any time for reasons beyond our control, and the risks associated with our businesses may become more acute in periods of a slowing economy or recession, which may reduce consumer confidence and result in a decrease in consumer demand for our products. Furthermore, inflation, which has significantly risen, has and may continue to increase our operational costs, including labor costs and grain and feed ingredient costs, and continued increases in interest rates in response to concerns about inflation may have the effect of further increasing economic uncertainty and heightening these risks.

Extreme factors or forces beyond our control could negatively impact our business.

Our ability to make, move and sell products is critical to our success. Any of these factors could have an adverse effect on our financial results.

Failure to maximize or to successfully assert our intellectual property rights could impact our competitiveness.

We consider our intellectual property rights, particularly and most notably our trademarks, but also our trade secrets, patents and copyrights, to be a significant and valuable aspect of our business. We cannot be sure that these intellectual property rights will be maximized or that they can be successfully asserted. There is a risk that we will not be able to obtain and perfect our own or, where appropriate, license intellectual property rights necessary to support new product introductions.

We cannot be sure that these rights, if obtained, will not be invalidated, circumvented or challenged in the future. In addition, even if such rights are obtained in the United States, the laws of some of the other countries in which our products are or may be sold do not protect our intellectual property rights to the same extent as the laws of the United States. Our failure to perfect or successfully assert our intellectual property rights could make us less competitive and could have an adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial condition.

We may incur additional tax expense or become subject to additional tax liabilities.

We are subject to taxes in the United States and numerous foreign jurisdictions. Significant judgment is required in determining our provision for income taxes. Our total income tax expense could be affected by changes in tax rates in various jurisdictions, changes in the valuation of deferred tax assets and liabilities or changes in tax laws or their interpretation. We are also subject to the examination of our tax returns and other tax matters by the Internal Revenue Service and other tax authorities. There can be no assurance as to the outcome of these examinations. If a taxing authority disagrees with the positions we have taken, we could face additional tax liability, including interest and penalties, which could adversely affect our financial results. For more information, refer to Part II, Item 8. Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements, Note 10: Income Tax.

ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

None.

CYBERSECURITY DISCLOSURE

RISK MANAGEMENT AND STRATEGY

Governance

As part of our overall risk management program, we run and maintain a formal information security, cybersecurity, and privacy program led by our Chief Information Security Officer (“CISO”) that uses a risk-based approach to evaluate new technology, third parties, and changes to the technology landscape. The program is assessed using multiple industry frameworks including the National Institute of Standards and Technology Cybersecurity Framework (NIST-CSF Version 2.0). We engage with industry partners, assessment firms and advisors, law enforcement, and others to periodically assess our cybersecurity capabilities, and utilize a defense-in-depth approach to protect our systems and services.

Additionally, we assess data risks using privacy impact assessments and manage these risks in close alignment with data governance, operations, and analytics teams. We identify assets and their criticality to business operations and provide reasonable protection, threat detection, response and recovery capabilities.

We address third-party cybersecurity risks presented by our use of third-party software, service, data and technology providers, including cloud-based services, and proactively evaluate the cybersecurity risk of third parties using multiple evaluation factors which are aligned with our contracting and vendor selection processes. We actively work with internal partners to assess and implement methods of transferring risk to appropriate parties.

Identification

We assess our technology assets and their vulnerabilities, including risks from our suppliers and vendors, to prioritize and improve program efforts consistent with our risk management strategy. We engage in the periodic assessment and testing of our program. These include tabletop exercises, vulnerability testing and other methods focused on evaluating the effectiveness of our cybersecurity measures and planning. We actively engage third parties to assist with our assessments and testing processes. We adjust our cybersecurity policies, standards, processes and practices, where appropriate, based on internal and external assessments and testing results.

Protection

We provide technical safeguards that are designed to provide commercially reasonable protection of our technology and information systems. We actively monitor and assess the impact of potential cybersecurity threats to our technology systems. We partner with public and private organizations, such as the Food and Agriculture Information Sharing and Analysis Center (Food and Ag-ISAC), to understand and modify our programs to respond to an ever-evolving threat landscape. We implement training and awareness practices to mitigate human risk, including regular phishing awareness campaigns, mandatory computer-based training and internal communications.

Detection, Response and Recovery

We employ threat monitoring and detection capabilities intended to identify active attackers and threats to our technology systems. We have established a defined incident response plan to assess, respond and recover from cybersecurity incidents, including cyberattacks and other non-cybersecurity related business technology outages. The plan includes the coordination of activities that include an evaluation of materiality and facilitation of any required notifications, regulatory obligations and disclosures.

We are not aware of any risks from cybersecurity threats, including as a result of previous cybersecurity incidents, which have materially affected us or are reasonably likely to materially affect us, including our business strategy, results of operations, or financial condition. However, the cybersecurity threat environment is increasingly challenging, and we constantly face risks from cybersecurity threats. There can be no assurance that we, or the third parties with which we interact, will not experience a cybersecurity incident in the future that could materially affect us. Additional information about the cybersecurity risks we face is discussed in Item 1A. Risk Factors, which should be read in conjunction with the information above.

GOVERNANCE

The Board of Directors and management work together to manage cybersecurity risk as part of our broader enterprise risk management approach.

Our Board of Directors has delegated risk management oversight responsibility for information security, which includes data privacy and cybersecurity, to the Governance and Nominating Committee. Certain of our board members, including certain members of our Governance and Nominating Committee, have backgrounds or experience in risk management and/or information technology. On at least an annual basis, the Governance and Nominating Committee receives updates from our CISO, Chief Information & Technology Officer (“CITO”) and other members of management on risks related to information systems, information security, data privacy and cybersecurity. The Board of Directors also receives regular reports from the Governance and Nominating Committee on these and other risk-related matters as necessary. Our CISO provides information to the Governance and Nominating Committee pursuant to risk-based escalation protocols for cybersecurity incidents that exceed designated thresholds.

MANAGEMENT'S ROLE IN CYBERSECURITY RISK MANAGEMENT

Our CISO leads the Information Security team and has global responsibility for overseeing our information security, data privacy and cybersecurity program. The program is operationalized through use of multi-disciplinary teams including governance, risk and compliance; identity and access management; cloud and infrastructure security; data security; application security; vulnerability and threat management; and security detection and response operations.

Additionally, our CISO monitors the prevention, detection, mitigation and remediation of cybersecurity incidents and reports cybersecurity incidents that reach designated thresholds to senior management and, if necessary, to the Governance and Nominating committee. Our CISO has been with the Company since 1997, has held numerous roles in information technology and has led the information security program since 2016. Our CITO, to whom the CISO reports, has been with the company since 2017 and has served as the Company’s CITO since 2023.

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