Animal Equality Joins 20 Other Organisations In A New Campaign Against Supermarket Giant Lidl
Animal Equality has joined 20 other European animal protection organisations in a campaign calling on Lidl to publicly adopt the ‘European Chicken Commitment (ECC)’, a commitment made up of a set of minimum requirements to eliminate some of the worst abuses for chickens exploited by the meat industry. Among the requirements, the commitment includes a reduction in the number of chickens raised per square metre, improvements in air quality and a shift from fast-growing breeds to slow-growing breeds.
The supermarket giant has not yet published a commitment to reduce the extreme suffering of the chickens used for its supply chain. Hundreds of companies around the world have already pledged to eliminate some of the worst sufferings for chickens by publicly adopting the ‘European Chicken Commitment’.
Collectively we are calling on Lidl to take this crucial step. If Lidl signs the ECC, it will impact millions of chickens every year. As Lidl is a multinational company this commitment could be felt all around the world, including here in the UK.
How Are Chickens Bred?
Chickens raised and killed for their flesh are among the most abused land animals on the planet. In the UK, over one billion of these birds are killed each year.
The vast majority of them are fast-growing chickens. These are chickens who have been selectively bred over generations to grow very big, very fast. Today, a chicken in factory farms reaches a weight far greater than he ever would in nature. In the UK, chickens in factory farms reach a weight of 2.2kg in just 35 days – almost a 400% increase compared to a century ago.
The same process has happened all across Europe and this has significant consequences for the chickens’ health. They suffer from a number of health issues including heart attacks, organ failure and debilitating leg deformities.
Animal Equality has investigated 19 chicken farms right here in the UK linked to major supermarkets – including Tesco and Asda – and major fast food chains, like Nando’s and McDonald’s, exposing the truth behind British chicken meat.
Read more about how chickens are raised in the UK at the link below:
