【世界农场动物福利协会】2023年度美国非笼养肉鸡进程追踪报告_25页_8mb

2023 ChickenTrack Report Summary

Core Content

The 2023 ChickenTrack report by Compassion in World Farming highlights the progress and challenges in improving chicken welfare within the U.S. poultry industry. It underscores the growing consumer demand for transparency and humane treatment of animals, particularly chickens raised for meat. The report emphasizes the role of the Better Chicken Commitment (BCC) as a science-based policy aimed at addressing key welfare issues in broiler chickens.

Main Points

• Consumer Demand: There is increasing consumer pressure for transparency in how food is produced, especially concerning animal welfare.
• Welfare Issues: Chickens in the U.S. are often raised in inhumane conditions that prevent them from expressing natural behaviors such as perching and dust bathing.
• BCC Overview: The Better Chicken Commitment (BCC) is a set of minimum welfare standards designed to improve the lives of broiler chickens by promoting healthier breeds, better on-farm environments, and more humane slaughter practices.
• Compliance Progress: Over 52 companies have reported progress toward the BCC, with 2 companies achieving full compliance for the first time in U.S. history.
• Industry Trends: The number of companies publishing roadmaps has increased by 240% since the last report, indicating a growing commitment to transparency and improvement.
• Impact of BCC: The BCC aims to improve the quality of life for approximately 142 million chickens in the U.S., and its implementation is seen as a crucial step toward a more sustainable and ethical industry.

Key Information

BCC Commitments and Compliance

• Total Companies Committed: Over 230 companies in North America have committed to the BCC.
• Companies Reporting Progress: 52 companies have reported progress, with 16 making meaningful improvements.
• Full Compliance: 2 companies have fully implemented the BCC in U.S. history.
• Welfare Metrics:
  • Litter: 30% of companies have met or exceeded the BCC standard.
  • Lighting: 30% of companies have met or exceeded the BCC standard.
  • Enrichment: 10% of companies have met or exceeded the BCC standard.
  • Stocking Density: 20% of companies have met or exceeded the BCC standard.
  • Breed: 10% of companies have met or exceeded the BCC standard.
  • Controlled Atmosphere Stunning (CAS): 10% of companies have met or exceeded the BCC standard.
  • Third-Party Auditing: 0% of companies met the standard in 2023, with 25% in 2024 and 45% in 2025.

BCC Criteria

• Breed: Use of breeds with higher welfare outcomes approved by the RSPCA or Global Animal Partnership (G.A.P.).
• Space: Indoor stocking density ≤ 6 lbs/sq ft; no caged systems.
• Litter: ≥3 inches of friable litter covering the full floor, managed to prevent wet or caked areas.
• Lighting: Minimum 8 hours of continuous light (≥50 lux) and 6 hours of continuous darkness (<1 lux) daily.
• Enrichment: ≥1 functional enrichment per 1000 sq ft or 1000 birds, available by 10 days of age and maintained thereafter.
• Slaughter: Multi-step controlled atmosphere processing systems that induce an irreversible stun, avoiding pre-stun handling.
• Auditing: Third-party auditing to demonstrate compliance with all standards.

BCC Versions

• Version One: Requires sourcing from G.A.P.-certified farms, multi-step CAS processing, and annual public reporting.
• Version Two: Sets specific standards for litter, lighting, enrichment, and stocking density, with a focus on improved baseline environments.

Certifications and Guidelines

• Global Animal Partnership (G.A.P.): Prohibits caged systems, specifies litter depth, and requires multi-step CAS processing.
• Animal Welfare Approved (AWA): Encourages outdoor access, natural light, and functional enrichments.
• Certified Humane: Requires enrichments after 10 days of age and supports CAS as a humane method.
• Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC): Requires additional third-party animal welfare certification.
• American Humane: Has less stringent requirements, allowing for higher stocking densities.
• National Chicken Council (NCC): Does not address certain welfare criteria directly.

Roadmaps and Implementation

• Roadmaps: Companies are encouraged to develop and publish implementation roadmaps to show annual progress toward BCC compliance.
• Timeline: The report includes a sample timeline for achieving BCC tenets, with progress targets for each year.
• Support: Compassion in World Farming provides a Roadmap Guide to assist companies in developing realistic and meaningful plans.

Environmental Enrichments

• Perching Structures: Include perches and platforms, which help chickens express natural behaviors, improve health, and reduce aggression.
• Benefits of Enrichments:
  • Encourages natural behaviors.
  • Improves health and wellbeing.
  • Enhances meat quality.
  • Reduces fear and aggression.
  • Adds environmental complexity.

Industry Impact

• Working Group: The U.S. Working Group for Broiler Welfare includes 18 companies, with regular meetings to explore strategies for improving chicken welfare.
• Consumer Influence: The report highlights that consumer demand is driving meaningful change, with companies aligning their practices to meet these expectations.

Conclusion

The 2023 ChickenTrack report demonstrates that while significant progress has been made, there is still a long way to go. It encourages companies to continue their efforts toward full BCC compliance and to use roadmaps as a tool for transparency and improvement. The report also emphasizes the importance of environmental enrichments in enhancing chicken welfare and the role of third-party auditing in ensuring accountability.