KFC faces backlash for abandoning Better Chicken Commitment

Fast-food chicken outlet KFC has been targeted by animal rights groups after it abandoned its previous pledge to meet the so-called Better Chicken Commitment (BCC) by 2026.

The BCC calls for a number of welfare targets to be met, including improved lighting and air quality, lower stocking densities of 30kg/sq m, and a move to slower-growing breeds.

More than 300 companies have signed up to the commitment and, while most have already managed to implement many of the changes, a lack of availability of the required “higher welfare” slower-growing birds has created challenges for some.

See also: What the ‘Better Chicken Commitment’ means for farmers

At the Egg and Poultry Industry Conference on 11 November, Ruth Edge, head of sustainability at KFC, told Farmers Weekly’s sister magazine Poultry Business that, while the fast food chain still had ambitions of moving towards the BCC, it would not be able to do it within the timeline it had previously committed to.

Ms Edge said: “Availability is a massive issue for us. Because retailers en masse haven’t moved towards slower-growing birds, we essentially can’t access it. We will deliver lower stocking density by 2026 for UK and Ireland chicken.

“For the rest of our supply, we don’t have a timeline at the moment.”

Demonstration

Protesters from the Humane League held a demonstration outside KFC’s UK head office in Woking on 28 November, following the announcement.

Sean Gifford, managing director at the Humane League, said: “We praised KFC as a pioneer in animal welfare for their early adoption of the Better Chicken Commitment.

“Now KFC say they won’t meet the 2026 deadline, leaving tens of millions of birds in agony.

“A promise to improve chickens’ lives is meaningless if there is no timeline attached to it. We urge KFC to publish a timeline for change, which is the very least these animals deserve.”