A new Commentary published today in Nature Food evaluates the impacts of the European Chicken Commitment (ECC), an initiative calling on food companies to adopt slower-growing breeds and higher welfare standards. While concerns over increased costs and emissions have been barriers to adoption, the paper puts those concerns in perspective.
A new Commentary published today in Nature Food evaluates the impacts of the European Chicken Commitment (ECC), an initiative calling on food companies to adopt slower-growing breeds and higher welfare standards. While concerns over increased costs and emissions have been barriers to adoption, the paper puts those concerns in perspective.
For example, using EU carbon externality costs (the cost for companies to emit one ton of CO₂ under the EU Emissions Trading System), the work showed that it costs less than one-hundredth of a cent to prevent each hour of intense pain—equivalent to the emissions from driving a standard car for about 15 meters.
The paper also shows that switching from fast-growing to slower-growing chicken breeds, in line with the ECC, prevents at least 15 to 100 hours of intense pain per bird—at a cost of just US $1 more per kilogram of meat. The findings challenge assumptions that higher-welfare systems are too costly or inefficient, and offer a robust framework for weighing welfare, economic, and environmental considerations.
