Compassion in World Farming is deeply disappointed that eight companies responsible for 18 major hospitality brands — including Burger King UK, Nando’s UK & Ireland, The Big Table, The Restaurant Group and KFC UK & Ireland — have stepped back from their Better Chicken Commitments (BCC), citing environmental concerns and difficulty transitioning to slower-growing breeds.

This reversal comes at a time when real progress on broiler welfare is being made across the sector. Better Chicken production is expanding, farmers are embracing this way of farming, and consumers are buying it.

In response, Compassion in World Farming — alongside The Humane League UK and the RSPCA — has issued a joint open letter urging the companies to demonstrate ethical leadership by reinstating their Better Chicken Commitments.

Why the Better Chicken Commitment Matters

The BCC is a science-based framework designed to address the most serious welfare issues in conventional broiler production. When fully implemented, it delivers a significantly better lives for chickens through measures such as:

the use of slower-growing, healthier breeds
lower stocking densities
access to natural light and enriched environments
more humane slaughter methods

Crucially, the breed requirement is fundamental to chicken welfare as it underpins all other BCC criteria. Without transitioning from fast-growing breeds to more robust, slower-growing strains, chickens cannot fully benefit from improved housing and enrichment.

Fast-growing breeds often suffer from poor mobility, leg disorders, heart and lung problems and are unable to behave naturally – severely limiting their ability to move around, explore, perch, and engage with their environment.

Animal Welfare Is Integral to Sustainability

Claims that higher-welfare breeds compromise food security or environmental outcomes are misleading and transitioning to slower-growing breeds can bring wider sustainability benefits including:

Lower mortality rates
Fewer carcass downgrades, reducing food and feed waste
Reduced antibiotic use, supporting both animal welfare and public health

Companies delivering Better Chicken are successfully balancing cost, welfare and environmental considerations, while expanding capacity to meet consumer demand and fulfil customer expectations.

Recent Policy Signals Reinforce The Need For Progress

Policy momentum is moving towards higher welfare broiler production. In its Animal Welfare Strategy, the UK Government has committed to supporting voluntary efforts to transition away from fast-growing broiler breeds. Likewise, Norway has announced a phase out of fast-growing broiler strains, recognising the serious welfare implications of their continued use.

Against this backdrop — and with the UK food service sector already having made meaningful progress on several BCC criteria — the decision by these companies to step back represents an unnecessary regression. The direction of travel is clear: the future of poultry production lies in healthier breeds and higher-welfare systems.

Growing Reputational risks for businesses

Reversing course on the BCC carries serious reputational consequences, at a moment when public expectations around animal welfare, sustainability and corporate accountability are higher than ever, and consumers increasingly expect brands to honour their commitments rather than dropping them.

Forward-thinking businesses are leading the transition toward higher welfare chicken, successfully integrating genuine animal welfare improvements with their wider sustainability goals. The companies getting this right are the future.

Explore strategies to mitigate the economic and environmental impacts of higher‑welfare broiler production.

NGOs call out companies for backtracking on Better Chicken Commitments