Eight leading hospitality businesses including Burger King and KFC have announced the launch of the Sustainable Chicken Forum and said that they will be withdrawing from the Better Chicken Commitment.
A group of eight hospitality businesses, which own or franchise 18 brands including Burger King, KFC and Nando’s, have announced the formation of the Sustainable Chicken Forum (SCF), in an initiative that they have said is designed to “drive further improvements in chicken welfare while balancing sustainability, net zero ambitions and long-term supply resilience”.
SFC members
Businesses and brands:
- BKUK Group Limited (Burger King UK)
- Lemon Pepper Holdings (the UK franchisee of Wingstop)
- Loungers UK Limited (Brightside Roadside Dining, Cosy Club, Lounge Café Bars)
- Nando’s UK & IRE
- PLK Chicken UK Ltd (Popeyes)
- The Big Table Group (Banana Tree, Bella Italia, Las Iguanas, Frankie & Benny’s)
- The Restaurant Group (Bar Burrito, Brunning & Price, Wagamama, trgc)
- Yum! Brands (KFC UK & Ireland, Pizza Hut UK, Taco Bell UK)
The SCF has said that its focus will be on:
- Advancing chicken welfare across each business’s supply chain, led by science-based welfare outcomes.
- Using reporting mechanisms to demonstrate progress across the hospitality sector.
- Championing continuous improvements in chicken welfare.
- Exploring opportunities for further research into the challenges facing the poultry sector in balancing welfare improvements with environmental impact and consistent supply.
- Engaging in policy development that supports the British supply to grow as part of the European and global poultry supply chain. In the UK, advocating for a joined-up approach to poultry policy that overcomes restrictive planning rules and aligns animal welfare and farming priorities.
In a statement, the group commented: “The SCF represents a collective commitment from hospitality businesses to take a more holistic view of chicken production, recognising that welfare, environmental impact and food security must be addressed together.” It also announced that the businesses will be withdrawing from the Better Chicken Commitment (BCC) and stated that the businesses “no longer believe the BCC is the right framework to drive the next phase of progress on welfare” because of its requirement to source only slower-growing breeds.
The move has prompted criticism from some welfare groups, including the RSPCA and Compassion in World Farming, which called the step back from the BCC “deeply disappointing”.
Industry response
Allen Simpson, chief executive of trade body UKHospitality, which represents some of the businesses, commented: “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 to make even more progress, as well as overcoming this shared supply challenge.”
“British poultry meat businesses are balancing welfare, environmental stewardship, and food security at a time of huge uncertainty, rising production costs, and planning barriers.”
Richard Griffiths, BPC
British Poultry Council (BPC) chief executive Richard Griffiths said: “The announcement of a Sustainable Chicken Forum is most welcome. Not only does it recognise that sustainability must be grounded in practical delivery, but it also reflects a growing consensus that frameworks must be workable if they are to endure.
“British poultry meat businesses are balancing welfare, environmental stewardship, and food security at a time of huge uncertainty, rising production costs, and planning barriers. If we want to move faster and go further, we need to support investment; not layer on costs and expectations that make progress impossible.
“Industry has proven time and again that when solutions are developed in partnership with those who have to deliver them, progress follows. Whether it be on a welfare footing or an environmental one, sustainability cannot be declared into existence; it has to be built on foundations that last.”
National Farmers’ Union Poultry Board chair Will Raw stated: “Animal welfare is a key priority for poultry producers and here in the UK we have some of the highest welfare standards in the world.
“As a sector, we are always striving for improvement and welcome collaboration across the supply chain in doing so. It’s vital that any changes to standards are underpinned by scientific evidence and developed in partnership with poultry producers to ensure there is a demonstrable benefit to bird welfare.”
