Several restaurant chains, including KFC and the UK owners of Burger King and Nando’s, have withdrawn from a pledge to stop using fast-growing chicken breeds.
According to a BBC report, eight businesses, controlling or franchising 18 prominent chains, have withdrawn from the Better Chicken Commitment (BCC) and moved to a new industry-led framework that allows the continued use of rapid-growth “franken-chickens”.
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The BCC pledge required signatories to shift away from rapid-growth breeds in their sourcing policies.
These companies have now joined the Sustainable Chicken Forum (SCF), an initiative run by industry stakeholders.
Trade body UKHospitality, which represents some of the businesses leaving the BCC, said the new approach is intended to help operators manage rising demand for chicken, cut emissions and maintain secure supplies.
In a statement, the trade body said member companies “no longer believe the BCC is the right framework to drive the next phase of progress on welfare due to the requirement to source only slower-growing breeds”.
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By GlobalDataIt maintains that using slower-growing chickens results in higher greenhouse gas emissions than farming faster-growing birds.
UKHospitality chief executive Allen Simpson said: “Our restaurants and food-to-go brands are critical parts of the High Street and we know that consumer demand for chicken continues to soar.
“However, this demand comes at a time of acute chicken supply pressures, and operators rightly have to ensure consistent and secure supply chains, while continuing to improve welfare standards and cut their environmental impact.
“I’m pleased that businesses are committed to enhancing their ongoing work across welfare and the environment, and the Sustainable Chicken Forum will play a vital role in making even more progress, as well as overcoming this shared supply challenge.”
In 2024, KFC had already reversed its plan to phase out fast-growing breeds. The latest move confirms its full withdrawal from the BCC.
However, animal welfare group Anima International have sharply criticised the decision.
On the production side, the development has been welcomed. Richard Griffiths, head of the British Poultry Council, which represents poultry breeders and processors, told the BBC that the development was “most welcome”.
Earlier this month, KFC announced that it would increase its annual expenditure on British chicken to nearly £100m, as it steps up domestic sourcing for its UK and Ireland operations.
