Poultry company 2 Sisters Food Group (2SFG) has said it will shift towards British-grown protein in poultry feed as part of its strategy to reach net zero by 2035.
The company has redeveloped its chicken feed to replace nearly one quarter (23%) of imported soyameal with British-grown oilseed rape and beans, purchasing 150,000 tonnes annually from British farmers. This investment will reportedly inject £50 million into the British agricultural economy and strengthen food security.
The ingredient replacement has already been “gradually reducing” the carbon footprint of a 2 Sisters’ chicken by 15% over the last 30 years, said 2 Sisters Food Group, compared to the same bird fed a standard soyameal inclusion diet. It went on to say that the switch would aim to improve soil health, reduce artificial fertiliser use, and support pollinators across 46,000 hectares of British farmland.
This move is expected to further reduce carbon emissions by almost 670,000t, representing a reduction of more than 20% in Scope 3 emissions for 2SFG.
By the end of 2027, 2SFG said it will additionally completely remove soyameal from the diet of chickens at its Coupar Angus facility in Scotland, replacing it with British-grown peas, seeds and beans.
Feed sourcing to reduce carbon footprint
The company said this formed part of its ‘NextGen’ strategy, as it also unveiled an expanded deforestation-free commitment. It said it will extend premium payments to South American soyameal farmers to cover all land conversion - not just deforestation - aiming to help protect ecosystems such as native grasslands and supporting biodiversity beyond standard industry pledges.
2 Sisters Food Group stated that sourcing from farms where deforestation and land conversion has not occurred for over 18 years would reduce the carbon footprint of soyameal for 2SFG chicken feed by up to 70% (based against a 2024 average farmed chicken performance), from July 2026.
Kate Stein, group director of quality, sustainability and agriculture at 2 Sisters Food Group, commented: “This is a transformation moment for British poultry. By going beyond deforestation-free standards and backing British farmers, we’re making a meaningful commitment to both the environment and animal welfare – building a sustainable, resilient food system for the future as part of our NextGen Strategy.”
Alex Freudmann, managing director of M&S Food, said: “M&S fresh chicken is 100% RSPCA Assured, and our Oakham Gold chicken is exclusively supplied by 2SFG: this latest move to more sustainable feed is a strong example of the innovative initiatives our supplier partners are rolling out to adapt farming practices to support the environment, whilst backing British farmers.
“The M&S Plan A for Farming supports long term resilience for farmers and switching to British-grown feed for chickens will support a wider network of growers in the UK as well as the journey to net zero.”
“British farmers are the backbone of the domestic food supply chain and, as an industry, it is imperative we build its resilience, alongside global supply chains, to maximise sustainability for now and the future.”
Matt Hood, Co-op Food
Matt Hood, group managing director at Co-op Food, commented: “Co-op only sells and uses 100% British chicken, and it’s good to see further investment from our long-term partner, 2SFG, into UK agriculture so together we can make meaningful change. British farmers are the backbone of the domestic food supply chain and, as an industry, it is imperative we build its resilience, alongside global supply chains, to maximise sustainability for now and the future.”
Teresa Garcia-Moore PhD, engagement manager at Accountability Framework initiative (AFi), said: “Aligning with the Accountability Framework, which is backed by the consensus of 20+ environment and human rights organisations, helps ensure that buying commodities sourced from sensitive ecosystems is not contributing to deforestation or land conversion.”
Global CEO of Compassion in World Farming, Philip Lymbery, stated: “Compassion in World Farming firmly believes in the rigorous pursuit of improvements to the welfare of farmed animals and the health of our planet. Never in our history has it been more urgent to build a resilient, sustainable food system with animal welfare at its heart.
“This is a great step forward by 2 Sisters Food Group and clearly shows that higher welfare and sustainability can go hand in hand. This demonstrates truly disruptive leadership, showing it is possible to make significant progress with speed.”
