The ECC contains six measures that address the major issues with chicken production. The overall aim is to urgently reduce the suffering of chickens reared for meat.
The measures include prohibiting the use of fast-growing breeds because it can cause bodily dysfunctions, reducing overcrowding and adding environmental enrichment to provide better conditions for chickens such as providing at least 50 lux of light.
Federico Tonetti, Compass Group safety and sustainability director, said: “The welfare of farm animals within our global supply chain is important to us and is a key element of our Sustainability strategy.
“As a founding member of the Global Coalition for Animal Welfare (GCAW), a global platform launched in October 2018 that unites seven major food businesses and animal welfare experts in advancing animal welfare globally, we identified improved broiler chicken welfare as a key priority for our business.
“Underpinning this commitment is the need for our farmers, processors and supply chain partners to mobilise as one with the wider industry, to drive these welfare improvements forward, and we look forward to working with them.”
In the UK there are over one billion chickens raised and killed for food every year. 95% of broiler chickens are reared on intensive factory farms.
Vicky Bond, managing director of The Humane League UK, said: “The Humane League is delighted to see Compass joining the ever-increasing list of companies signing up to the ECC.
“This commitment will benefit the lives of countless chickens throughout Compass’s supply chain, and this bold step shows that the welfare of animals raised for food is a high priority.”
The Humane League was founded in 2005 and it aims to end the worst abuses of factory farming. Last month global services company, Sodexo, announced its commitment to improving chicken welfare standards.
Bond concluded: “We would encourage the rest of the foodservice sector to swiftly follow in the footsteps of Compass and commit to improved welfare standards for chickens as a matter of urgency.”
For more information on the six clauses of the ECC, visit: https://www.compass-group.com/en/media/news/2019/compass-group-commits-to-sourcing-higher-welfare-chicken-across-.html