Broiler welfare: the conversation you need to have

Activist groups have been extremely successful at securing future purchase pledges from major retail and foodservice poultry buyers for chicken meat from birds that have been either raised without antibiotics at all or without use of antibiotics that are designated as important in human medicine. A similar campaign has succeeded in securing future cage-free egg purchase pledges that may very well lead to a complete conversion of the U.S. egg industry to cage-free housing for pullets and layers. Now, a third campaign is being waged to secure future purchase pledges from chicken meat buyers that would set new standards for how U.S. broilers are raised, stunned and even the breed of the bird that is raised.

Okeefe T Headshot
(Yurii Bukhanovskyi| Bigstock)
(Yurii Bukhanovskyi| Bigstock)

Activist groups have been extremely successful at securing future purchase pledges from major retail and foodservice poultry buyers for chicken meat from birds that have been either raised without antibiotics at all or without use of antibiotics that are designated as important in human medicine. A similar campaign has succeeded in securing future cage-free egg purchase pledges that may very well lead to a complete conversion of the U.S. egg industry to cage-free housing for pullets and layers.

Now, a third campaign is being waged to secure future purchase pledges from chicken meat buyers that would set new standards for how U.S. broilers are raised, stunned and even the breed of the bird that is raised.

In spite of record live performance metrics, such as low farm mortality and low condemnation figures at the processing plant, the Global Animal Partnership welfare purchase pledge campaign is gaining traction. Some U.S. restaurant chains and foodservice distributors, including mainstream ones such as Subway, Burger King, Jack in the Box and Red Robbin, have already made pledges to purchase chicken in the future that complies with Global Animal Partnership welfare standards. These standards include possible breed changes, reduced stocking densities in the broiler house and controlled atmosphere stunning at the processing plant; it is time to have a conversation about broiler welfare.

The Chicken Marketing Summit will host a panel of experts with experience communicating with activists, buyers and consumers to discuss the issues and the types of conversations that poultry marketers need to be having with both consumers and poultry buyers.

 

Confirmed panelists include:

Sara Lilygren, formerly VP corporate affairs, Tyson Foods

Jack Hubbard, VP marketing, American Humane Association

Jerome Lyman, formerly VP global quality systems, McDonald’s

 

Sara-Lilygren

Sara Lilygren, formerly VP corporate affairs, Tyson Foods

Jack-Hubbard

Jack Hubbard, VP marketing, American Humane Association

Jerome-Lyman

Jerome Lyman, formerly VP global quality systems, McDonald’s

The Chicken Marketing Summit will be held July 16-18 at the Grove Park Inn, Asheville, North Carolina. For more details on the Chicken Marketing Summit, please visit www.wattglobalmedia.com/chickenmarketingsummit.

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