KFC backs away from chicken welfare pledge amid supply woes
KFC is stepping back from its 2019 commitment regarding chicken welfare and will not abandon selectively bred meat in the United Kingdom. The company had previously promised to source chickens raised in better conditions but faces challenges in meeting this goal.
In 2019, KFC, a leading fast-food chain, announced its intention to stop purchasing industrially bred chickens, often referred to as "Frankenchickens," due to concerns about chicken welfare. These birds grow up to four times faster than normal and often experience health issues like lameness, muscle diseases, and increased mortality rates.
At the time, KFC signed the Better Chicken Commitment, pledging to use only slow-growing birds from welfare-focused farms by 2026. However, progress has been slow. Currently, only one percent of chickens come from these environments, and this figure is unlikely to rise soon. The poultry industry struggles to supply enough chickens raised under appropriate conditions to meet KFC's standards.
According to dailymail.com, KFC locations in the UK, Ireland, Germany, Belgium, Sweden, and the Netherlands have made minimal headway in reducing reliance on Frankenchickens, despite their earlier promises. The company attributes this to farmers not switching to slower-growing breeds at a sufficient scale and reports efforts to source chickens from farms with lower animal density.
Ruth Edge, Head of Sustainability at KFC UK and Ireland, stated at the Egg and Poultry Industry Conference in Wales last week that reaching the 2026 target is unattainable.
Animal welfare organizations are dissatisfied with KFC's explanations and are gearing up for protests.
The use of Frankenchickens is the biggest animal welfare crisis of our time, and we will not tolerate companies breaking their promises to animals. We will not rest until KFC comes to the table and sets out a new timeline for adopting the [Better Chicken Commitment], commented an activist in an interview with The Observer.
