Fast food, slow progress: A World Animal Protection report on fast food restaurants and their chicken welfare standards
World Animal Protection was the first organisation to begin campaigning for the Better Chicken Commitment in Australia.
They’ve been tracking the progress of companies towards higher welfare standards for chickens raised for meat.
You can read the full report on World Animal Protection’s website here, but we’ve highlighted the most important messages of the report below.
1) Switching breeds is the #1 welfare change chickens need
Image: World Animal Protection
The breed of a chicken has the most impact on what their quality of life will look like. Changing from a fast-growing to a slower growing breed would significantly reduce rates of suffering and premature death of chickens raised for meat.
The breeds of chickens currently raised for meat in Australia weigh 3.5 times more when fully grown than they did in the 1950s. As a result, it’s common for them to suffer lameness and leg injuries, and have an overworked heart and lungs.
Even a small decrease in the speed of their growth will make a huge difference for chickens’ welfare.
2) Australian fast-food businesses are falling behind
Right now, companies are failing to respond to Australian chicken welfare concerns.
While hundreds of restaurants and retailers around the world have signed the Better Chicken Commitment and are on their journeys to implementing higher welfare standards for chickens in their supply chains, Australia sits stagnant.
Only three businesses have signed the BCC in Australia, and just one of them is a fast food restaurant. Domino’s has signed the BCC in both Australia and New Zealand. The other signatories are Marley Spoon (meal kit delivery) and Open Farm (pet food).
Image: World Animal Protection
3) The potential for change is massive
Many of Australia’s biggest fast-food chains have already signed the BCC in other regions. Hungry Jack’s (known as Burger King overseas), Subway and Starbucks have signed the BCC in both the UK and the US. KFC has signed in the UK and six other European countries. Nando’s and Pizza Hut have signed in the UK.
We know Australians’ expectations for animal welfare are similar to European, British and American expectations. So why haven’t the above businesses signed the BCC in Australia as well? We think it’s because Australians have been kept in the dark about what life is really like for chickens raised for meat. Without this knowledge, there’s been no incentive to act.
That’s why it’s so important to share the story of the Better Chicken Commitment and add your name to the BCC pledge – because when consumers are aware and speak up, businesses change their practices.
It’s working in other countries, so it’s time to bring that success here to Australia.
If you haven’t already, add your name to support the Better Chicken Commitment here.