WORKING WITH THE FOOD INDUSTRY TO CREATE CHANGE
In September 2017, Compassion joined forces with a group of European NGO’s asking the food industry to commit to new welfare standards for broiler chickens.
The European Chicken Commitment is a pledge committing its signatories to introduce higher welfare standards for all the chickens in their supply by 2026, including:
• Better genetics for improved quality of life
• More space to live
• Natural light, perches and pecking substrates to stimulate behaviour
• Humane slaughter
• Compliance with a meaningful third-party animal welfare certification and annual reporting
In Europe, over 270 companies have signed up for better chicken, including key brands like KFC, M&S, Unilever, Nestlé, Waitrose, Danone, Elior Group, Sodexo, and 99% of the French retail market. Compassion has worked closely with some of these companies – see list below
In the US, over 200 companies have agreed a similar ask to provide better welfare for broilers by 2024.
Check out who has signed up to the European Chicken Commitment below
Check out who has signed up to the European Chicken Commitment below
Iconic chicken brand, KFC publicly committed to sourcing their chicken to higher welfare standards by 2026, in the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden and Germany. In March 2021, KFC France also signed-up to the Better Chicken Commitment.
High street bakery chain Greggs signed up to the Better Chicken Commitment in August 2020 to further strengthen their animal welfare credentials.
In July 2020, Nando’s formally released their public commitment to raise chicken standards across their UK and Ireland supply chains.
Pizza Express joined the growing number of companies in the restaurant sector to sign up to the Better Chicken Commitment in July 2020.
Waitrose & Partners already provides their chickens with more space, natural light and a rich environment and have committed to move to a more active, robust breed of chicken, as outlined in the European Chicken Commitment.
Unilever’s commitment covers all its bouillons and soups – a truly phenomenal commitment given that the chicken is for ingredients in products where its power in the supply chain is limited.
All Nestlé food products that use chicken as an ingredient in Europe will move to the new higher welfare standards by 2026. Read more here.
Global meal kit provider HelloFresh joined the industry move for higher welfare chicken in May 2020.
High street Japanese food chain, YO! Sushi signed up to the Better Chicken Commitment in January 2020.
Meal kit retailer Gousto signed up to the BCC at the end of September 2020.
The Big Table Group is a leading UK operator of the Las Iguanas, Bella Italia and Café Rouge restaurant brands. Previously part of the Casual Dining Group they publicly committed to introduce higher welfare standards for chickens across their entire business portfolio.
One of the largest global contract caterers, Compass Group, has signed up to meet the new welfare standards for chickens, in Europe by 2026, and in the US by 2024.
Sodexo has committed to source 100% of its chicken meat across all of their European operations, by 2026, and in the US by 2024.
Elior Group has committed to using only higher welfare chicken GLOBALLY by 2026.
By 2026, Aramark will require all of its European suppliers to meet the new requirements for 100% of their fresh, frozen, and processed chicken, extending its US commitment for the humane treatment of broilers chickens.
World leader in infant nutrition, Danone has committed to improve broiler welfare across their entire European supply chain by 2026.
Norwegian supermarket chain REMA 1000 Norge AS has successfully implemented the higher welfare requirements of the Better Chicken Commitment working closely with its chicken producer Norsk Kylling. Read the case study. Read the case study.
Norwegian chicken producer Norsk Kylling produces chicken for REMA 1000 and signed up to the Better Chicken Commitment as part of their partnership. Read the case study.
In August 2020, Aldi France pledged to meet the higher welfare requirements of the European Chicken Commitment for all their own brand fresh, frozen and processed products (containing more than 50% chicken) by 2026.
In September 2020, Lidl France committed to ensuring all its own label products containing more than 50% chicken will meet the Better Chicken criteria by 2026 at the latest.
Casino Group has pledged to meet the new higher welfare requirements across all their own label fresh, frozen and processed chicken (containing more than 50% chicken) by 2026.
Leading French supermarket chain E.Leclerc, which holds 21.4% of the retail market in France, signed up to the Better Chicken Commitment in September 2020.
Intermarché is the 3rd largest retailer in France with 15% market share. They have pledged to meet the higher welfare requirements for their Intermarché and Netto stores, across all fresh, frozen and processed chicken (containing over 50% of chicken meat) by 2026.
Auchan is the 6th largest retailer in France with 10% market share and has committed to introduce the new higher welfare requirements for their fresh, frozen and processed chicken (containing over 50% of chicken meat) by 2026. In February 2022, Auchan extended the scope of its European Chicken Commitment (ECC) to its operations in Poland and Spain.
Système U, the 5th largest retailer in France, has pledged to meet the higher welfare requirements of the European Chicken Commitment for all their own brand fresh, frozen and processed products (containing more than 50% chicken) by 2026.
Monoprix is the first French retailer to sign up to the European Chicken Commitment and aims to meet the criteria for their own-label fresh chicken, ahead of schedule, by 2024.
French retailer Franprix signed up to the Better Chicken Commitment in February 2020.
Groupe Holder who owns the popular PAUL and Ladurée brands announced it’s Better Chicken Commitment (BCC) in September 2020.
French restaurant chain Flunch, which serves 54 million meals a year, has announced that all its restaurants in France will use chicken that meets the requirements of the European Chicken Commitment by 2026.
API Restauration, the fourth largest catering company in France has signed up to meet the ECC criteria by 2026.
Bertrand Restauration is part of the Betrand Group – one of the leading catering groups in France – and joined the Better Chicken Commitment in May 2020.
Burger King in the UK signed up to the Better Chicken Commitment in March 2021.
Domino’s Pizza has publicly committed to sourcing their chicken to higher welfare standards by signing up to the Better Chicken Commitment in France, Germany, The Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium and Luxembourg. Domino’s Pizza Enterprises Ltd (Domino’s) signed up to the Better Chicken Commitment (BCC) in Australia and New Zealand in November 2021.
Sodebo, the No.1 manufacturer of ready meals and sandwiches in France, (with around 13% market share for their own brands) signed up to the European Chicken Commitment in November 2019.
Bofrost, market leader in the sale of frozen dishes in Italy, has signed up to the European Chicken Commitment, as part its German parent company commitment to comply with the higher welfare criteria for broilers by 2026.
Popular UK casual dining restaurant chain Fridays, signed up to the Better Chicken Commitment in April 2021.
The world’s largest quick-service restaurant chain, Subway, signed up to the 2026 European Chicken Commitment (ECC) for 100% of the chicken in its European managed supply chain in August 2021.
Leading poultry producer Fileni Group became the first Italian company in November 2021 to publicly commit to meet the higher welfare criteria of the European Chicken Commitment.
Eataly, the largest Italian food market and restaurant chain signed up to the ECC in February 2022 making them the first retailer in Italy to make the commitment
FOOD BUSINESSES
What can you do to improve the lives of the chickens in your supply chain?
