As the poultry industry increasingly focuses on sustainability initiatives, companies are seeking practical approaches to transform ambitious goals into measurable results. Every company faces unique challenges based on their customers, technology and geographic locations.
"There's just a lot of different ways to approach sustainability in a practical application," explained Emily Battilega, director of sustainability, Versova.
At the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Poultry and Eggs (US-RSPE) annual meeting, Battilega will join Lankford Ruffin, director of environmental affairs and sustainability, Butterball and Andy Rojeski, head of strategy, investor relations and sustainability, Pilgrim’s Pride, for a panel discussion that will share how their organizations have created to move from data and vision to action.
On November 4-5, the US-RSPE Annual Meeting will unite stakeholders from across the supply chain to advance measurable sustainability outcomes in poultry and egg production. The educational program will be held in collaboration with the 2025 Poultry Tech Summit on November 3-5, 2025, at the Atlanta Airport Marriot in Atlanta, Georgia.
Registration for both events is now open. Early bird savings are available until September 30th.
Strategic prioritization framework
At Versova, deciding which sustainability goals to prioritize follow a structured hierarchy Battilega developed. While she initially focused primarily on customer needs, she now employs a more comprehensive framework that begins with regulatory requirements as the top priority.
"I've had to take a step back," she said. "I would first prioritize, like, what's a regulatory requirement? Do we have any of those?" Following regulatory compliance, Emily focuses on audit-related initiatives, recognizing that sustainability spans multiple departments and can serve as a supporting tool for compliance and ethical sourcing efforts.
Customer-specific requests occupy the third tier of her prioritization system, followed by continuous improvement projects that can "move the needle" within the company. This systematic approach ensures that sustainability efforts align with both external obligations and internal operational goals.
Data-driven management decisions
Initial sustainability efforts at Versova focused on gathering utility usage data — electricity, water and natural gas consumption, but Battilega now uses an approach that stresses efficiency metrics rather than absolute numbers.
By analyzing data on a per-egg or per-dozen basis, she can meaningfully compare operations of different sizes and identify improvement opportunities. This methodology enables site managers to make data-driven decisions and implement targeted efficiency projects.
Attend the 2025 Poultry Tech Summit
The Poultry Tech Summit will return as an in-person event on November 3-5, 2025, at the Atlanta Airport Marriott in Atlanta, Georgia. The Poultry Tech Summit brings together inventors, researchers, entrepreneurs, poultry industry professionals and established technology providers to discuss challenges and solutions for all aspects of the poultry supply chain. The event focuses on the transition of innovative technologies from researchers and entrepreneurs into commercial applications for the benefit of the poultry industry.
NEW in 2025, Poultry Tech Summit will be held in collaboration with the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Poultry and Eggs (US-RSPE) annual meeting held November 5, 2025.
Registration for the 2025 Poultry Tech Summit is now open. For more information, go to www.poultrytechsummit.com.
