Farmed chickens are a major concern for many animal advocates. According to this report, they represent the majority of land animals killed for food each year, on the scale of nine billion chickens in the U.S. alone. What’s more, 99.9% of these chickens are raised in horrific factory farm conditions, with nearly 500 million chickens dying before slaughter. Most “broiler” chickens (farmed for their meat) experience unnatural growth rates, making it difficult for them to walk without pain.

In response, the Better Chicken Commitment (BCC) was launched in 2016 to set standards for companies to commit to when raising farmed chickens. This includes giving chickens more space, environmental enrichment and better litter lighting conditions, switching to higher-welfare breeds, and replacing live-shackle slaughter methods with controlled-atmosphere stunning. Two hundred companies and four chicken producers in North America have committed to adopting BCC guidelines, with timelines ranging from 2024 to 2026. 

Mercy For Animals’ (MFA) 2023 “Count Your Chickens” report aims to hold these companies accountable in their progress toward meeting BCC guidelines. The report categorizes 77 food brands into different grades. Twelve “Grade A” companies (including Hellofresh and Sweetgreen) have demonstrated progress and published a roadmap to meet the remainder of their promised changes. Eighteen “Grade A-” companies (including Ikea and Whole Foods) have reported more than 50% progress on at least two BCC policy components but have not published clear roadmaps. Four “Grade B” companies (including Panera Bread) have reported more than 50% progress on at least one policy component. 

Not all companies have made as much progress. Five Grade C companies (including Chipotle and Unilever) have reported progress toward broiler welfare goals but have not achieved 50% progress for any BCC policies. Four “Grade D” companies (including McDonalds) have a policy that aligns with at least some component of the BCC and have made progress on broiler welfare goals. The largest group is 24 “Grade D-” companies with BCC policies that have yet to demonstrate progress (including Starbucks, TGI Fridays, and Subway). Lastly, 10 companies received a “Grade F” (including Dunkin’ and Denny’s) because they have not reported progress and have fully or partially withdrawn their public policy statements.

Additionally, the report claims that the U.S. has fallen behind the U.K. and Europe in progress on BCC policies. Some international companies have reported improvement in the U.K. and Europe while not providing transparency in the United States. Others have committed to BCC policies in the U.K and Europe but not the United States. According to the report, this is especially troubling as U.S. animal product consumers consistently support both welfare improvements and transparency.

MFA suggests practical steps for companies that have or are in the process of adopting BCC guidelines. The first is that companies should hold themselves accountable by publishing transition roadmaps with key milestones. As part of this, they should also publicly report annual progress. Brands can focus on “easier” BCC requirements like stocking density, enriched environments, and third-party auditing, which MFA suggests are typically lower-cost interventions. Other initiatives may be more expensive, so companies must increase investment in all BCC standards yearly. 

Additionally, brands should also collaborate with their suppliers to meet BCC standards or seek other suppliers willing to make those changes. Lastly, companies that are considering menu expansions should reconsider if they cannot source enough BCC-compliant chickens for that expansion.

This report is a crucial resource for animal advocates. The full report gives a specific analysis of each company, allowing animal advocates to tailor their strategy to particular situations and focus on the least transparent companies. MFA points out that many companies that made headlines for adopting the BCC guidelines have been the least transparent and have made the least progress. To help chickens in the agriculture industry, animal advocates must continue to hold food companies accountable.