Even with a wealth of technology at their fingertips, some chicken producers may be rolling back production practices to meet the demands of companies hoping to build their brand by differentiating how animals are raised.

Whole Foods Market and other retailers have agreed to a set of principles from the Global Animal Partnership that includes replacing current fast-growing chickens with slower-growing chickens by 2024.

Is Slow Growing the Fast Lane to Success?

The fast-growing chicken phenomenon dates back to the 1940s. A recent article in National Geographic explains how the poultry industry changed the shape of the chicken, and subsequently the market for meat, through the “Chicken of Tomorrow” contest in 1946. It was a massive effort to grow bigger and better chickens. Most of the chickens grown for meat today (“broilers”) have been bred for rapid growth and increased breast meat yields.

But a segment of consumers isn’t buying into “bigger and better.” THey are primarily concerned about animal well-being. Critics contend chickens grow so fast they’re unable to support their own weight and are prevented from performing natural behaviors. Maryn McKenna, author of “Big Chicken,” a critical look at the history of chickens, told National Geographic the “Chicken of Tomorrow” contest wouldn’t fly today. Brands that want to appeal to this segment of consumers hope to capitalize on the higher-cost, slower-growing bird.

A Fast Track to Mistrust

Proponents of modern poultry production point to scientific research showing that chickens today, in addition to growing faster, are stronger and healthier than ever before. In addition, today’s breed of chicken has a much smaller environmental footprint.

Poultry farmers also cite, as an example, the common practice of selective breeding: think dogs being selectively bred for desirable traits. Science allows farmers to add attributes consumers want, and to produce the food we need using fewer natural resources.

Who Claims the Ethical High Ground?

Critics of conventional chicken production are concerned about ethical issues surrounding animal well-being and the technologydriving the change in production methods. Chicken farmers argue science is on their side. But while science validates that wecan do something, society is asking if we should.

In the age of climate change, the impact of a transition to slower growing birds is a critical ethical consideration that is frequently ignored. If only one-third of broiler chicken producers switched to a slower growing breed, nearly 1.5 billion more birds would be needed annually to produce the same amount of meat currently produced – requiring a tremendous increase in water, land and fuel consumption:

Additional feed: Enough to fill 670,000 additional tractor trailers on the road per year, using millions more gallons of fuel annually.
Additional land: Growing the feed (corn and soybeans) needed would require 7.6 million acres annually, roughly the size of Maryland.
Additional manure: Slower growing chickens stay on farms longer, producing 28.5 billion additional pounds of manure annually.
Additional water needed: 1 billion additional gallons of water per year for the chickens to drink

The Truth about Trust

The fast-growing chicken debate is just one of many examples where the chasm is clear – antibiotics, GMOs, chemicals in food – but where a willingness to engage in ethical values-based discussions can help close the gap.

Research from The Center for Food Integrity shows that earning trust means engaging with the public on values that are shared – care for animals, the environment and food safety – and being authentically transparent.

While the battle continues in the fast-growing chicken debate, there are areas of alignment between the two sides. For example, both care about the environment, yet rarely do consumers hear that quicker growth is better for the environment. Both care about ensuring a healthy, affordable food supply, yet there is little said about how the evolution of chicken farming made protein far more available and affordable.

Ultimately, whether the public is comfortable with modern production or prefers heritage breeds, the message from all those within the food system should be that chicken is a wholesome source of protein, and farmers care a great deal about the well-being of their birds.

On a broader scale, the food system must demonstrate to the rational majority of consumers that even though technology has changed food production, the commitment to do what's right is as strong as ever.

To learn more about earning trust, contact CFI at learnmore@foodintegrity.org or 816-880-5360.

Playing chicken with sustainability: the fast-growing chicken debate

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