Launched this week, Better Chicken Australia campaign highlights the critical welfare issues caused by current chicken industry practices and showcases the pathway for change through uptake of the internationally recognised Better Chicken Commitment.
The campaign is backed by the Australian Alliance for Animals, World Animal Protection and Animals Aotearoa, which aim to lift the lid on the conditions faced by 700 million chickens farmed for meat in Australia every year.
Alliance for Animals’ Co-Founder and Strategy Director Dr Bidda Jones says the treatment of meat chickens is “one of the biggest but least recognised animal welfare problems in Australia today”.
“The scale of chicken production is mind-blowing, with nearly 2 million birds killed for their meat daily. Yet most Australian consumers are completely unaware of the widespread animal suffering which sits behind this industry,” she said.
Current conditions
Over 700 million chickens are raised and slaughtered for meat every year in Australia. Most of these are fast-growing breeds, genetically selected to grow at extreme rates to an unnatural size.
“These breeds are linked to a suite of serious welfare problems including leg deformities, lameness, skin infections, and heart conditions,” Dr Jones said.
“Packed at high stocking densities in sheds with tens of thousands of other birds, and with the continued use of outdated, inhumane slaughter methods, the life of an intensively farmed chicken is a pretty miserable one.
Committing to better
The Better Chicken Commitment is a global policy initiative committing food businesses to introduce higher welfare standards for all chickens in their supply chain, focusing on changing the breeds, living conditions and slaughter methods used in commercial chicken production.
“This solutions-focused campaign brings the plight of chickens to broader attention and calls on food businesses and producers to lead the charge in transforming chicken welfare,” Dr Jones said.
Better Chicken Commitment Campaigner April Broadbent says the Commitment has had significant uptake in the UK, Europe and North America.
“We’re calling on food businesses in Australia to step up and make this same commitment to better chicken welfare here,” she said.
“This campaign is about shedding light on the realities of the chicken industry and giving consumers and businesses alike a pathway to improve the lives of millions of Aussie chickens.”