First European ChickenTrack report to observe progress of ‘Higher Rooster Dedication’

Posted on Apr 28, 2023

Compassion in World Farming has launched its first annual European ChickenTrack Report to measure firm progress in the direction of assembly the upper welfare necessities of the Higher Rooster Dedication (BCC).

The 2022 Report offers a baseline for monitoring year-on-year trade progress.

Over 350 firms in Europe and the UK have signed as much as the BCC up to now. The 2022 ChickenTrack stories on 73 commitments made by 60 firms chosen based mostly on their geographic relevance and dimension. It exhibits that 31 (42%) of the commitments (throughout 27 firms) have made progress with 12 commitments (16%) reporting 100% compliance with a minimum of one of many BCC standards. Nevertheless, it says extra than half of commitments (42) throughout 37 firms (58%) aren’t reporting progress in any respect.

Solely Norwegian producer Norsk Kylling is alleged to be 100% compliant throughout its total hen manufacturing and simply 4 firm commitments (5%) report progress towards full BCC compliance – REMA 1000 at 96%, Eroski at 39%, Elior at 22% and IKEA at 3%.

ChickenTrack particulars enhancements throughout the six particular BCC standards:

stocking density (essentially the most reported standards for 25 commitments), common transition 30%
breed change (reported for 21 commitments), common transition 21%
pure gentle provision (reported for 23 commitments), common transition 43%
enrichment provision (reported for twenty-four commitments), common transition 47%
managed atmospheric beautiful (CAS) (reported for 19 commitments), common transition 54%
auditing to BCC compliance – reported by one firm solely, M&S

Table of Contents

Backdrop

Given the worldwide backdrop of the continued affect of the Covid pandemic, the battle in Ukraine, rising inflation and the continued prevalence of extremely pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), Compassion in World Farm stated it’s encouraging that progress is being reported. Nevertheless, regardless of these challenges it stated it’s crucial that firms proceed to work on growing their implementation roadmaps and ongoing constructing blocks for achievement to allow a easy transition at scale when the financial setting improves.

There have been greater than 120 commitments from each nationwide and worldwide firms within the UK, the bulk coming from the out-of-home sector which incorporates contract caterers, Fast Service Eating places, and different meals retailers. Two of six UK producers, PD Hook (Hatcheries) Ltd and 2 Sisters Meals Group have pledged to provide hen to the BCC customary.

Nevertheless, solely two UK retailers have signed as much as the BCC: M&S and Waitrose. M&S is the primary firm within the UK to transition 100% of its recent hen efficiently, beneath the Oakham Gold, RSPCA Assured label.

Vivienne Harris, Agriculture supervisor, M&S stated: “At M&S, we’re completely dedicated to the Higher Rooster Dedication (BCC) and are delighted to be on this journey – the primary UK retailer to promote solely 100% BCC-compliant recent hen beneath our Oakham Gold model. We need to preserve elevating the bar to enhance hen welfare, and our slower-growing birds are actually extra energetic and resilient. For the reason that introduction of Oakham Gold, we’ve obtained plenty of optimistic suggestions from our clients.”

Different UK retailers have launched a BCC-compliant recent hen tier nevertheless, this makes up a small proportion of their full hen supply.

Tesco introduced in its ‘Room to Roam’ vary in April 2020 and Morrisons launched its ‘House to Roam’ vary in February 2021. Sainsbury’s introduced plans to cut back the stocking density of its own-brand hen to 30kg/m2 by March 2023, however is alleged to have but to decide to breed change.

Retailer commitments are important to assist construct provide at tempo and scale and to allow market entry for others, claims Compassion in World Farming. It due to this fact urges all UK retailers to enroll to the BCC to galvanise market transition and make larger welfare hen the trade norm.

This has already occurred in France the place since September 2021, all of the main French retailers have signed as much as the BCC, making a dynamic impetus available in the market there.

There are 27 commitments reporting progress towards particular standards, and these might be damaged down by sector:

12 are from retailers or meal package suppliers (transition ranges from common 37% for breed to 76% for CAS) and embrace firms like Auchan and Group On line casino in France which have 93% and 100% transition on breed throughout all their own-brand recent hen, respectively. Within the UK, M&S is 100% compliant on all their recent hen (30% of all hen they promote) and the rest is 100% compliant on pure gentle, enrichment and CAS slaughter. Waitrose & Companions is 100% compliant on pure gentle, enrichment, CAS slaughter and stocking density, however not breed change.
9 are from eating places (transition ranges from common 9% for breed to 51% for enrichment) and consists of Greggs which is 53% compliant for stocking density and 64% compliant for enrichment and Papa Johns which is 60% compliant for stocking density, 50% compliant for pure gentle and 56% compliant for enrichment.
2 are from foodservice and hospitality companies together with Compass Group which is 44% compliant on pure gentle, enrichment and third-party auditing and Sodexo which is 9% compliant on stocking density.
4 are from producers (transition ranges from common 7% for breed to 43% for CAS) together with Danone EU which is 70% compliant for stocking density, pure gentle and enrichment, 60% compliant for CAS techniques and 20% compliant on breed change.

Béatrice Javary, Accountability and Social Innovation director at Auchan Retail France, commented: “Since 2019, when Auchan France joined the BCC, we’ve been providing a spread of recent hen which contains a number of of the BCC standards – slower-growing breeds, diminished stocking density and pure gentle. Reporting on the progress we’re making in our transition to implementing the BCC is an important a part of our strategy, and this transparency is appreciated by everybody in our provide chain and our customers.”

Chris Wells, Sustainability and Farm Animal Welfare supervisor, Greggs stated: “We’re dedicated to selling animal welfare and are proud to take part within the 2022 ChickenTrack report. It offers an vital technique of monitoring and reporting progress and is in keeping with our dedication to enhancing the welfare of chickens and guaranteeing that every one hen stocking densities are not more than 38kg/M², as outlined in The Greggs Pledge. In 2023, 50% can be at a most of 30kg/M² and the rest, not more than 38kg/M². We’ve got carried out trials with the next welfare breed to check product high quality and to know value implications. We stay up for persevering with to work with Compassion in World Farming and the European Rooster Dedication working teams as we work in the direction of fulfilling their necessities to enhance the welfare of chickens.”

Dr Tracey Jones, international director for Meals Enterprise at Compassion, concluded: “Greater welfare hen must be a precedence for all meals firms. Chickens are sentient beings and deserve a very good high quality of life in addition to a humane finish. Through the use of extra sturdy breeds and offering them with higher residing situations they’ll dwell longer, more healthy and extra fulfilled lives. It is attainable and it’s what customers count on.

“When decisive commitments are taken with collective effort, alongside accountable funding, decided implementation and proactive advertising and marketing, these larger welfare requirements aren’t solely commercially viable however transformational for the entire sector.”

Compassion urges those that haven’t joined the BCC to enroll, and people which are but to report or start their implementations to behave now.