Aldi Pledge to End the Worst Abuses of millions of Chickens.

Aldi will also engage in regular dialogue with OWA organisations to work toward improving animal welfare for its stores in other countries, including the UK.

This is a watershed moment in the movement to end the abuse of animals raised for food, and one that will lead to less cruel living conditions for tens of millions of chickens.

By 2026, a chicken raised for Aldi in Germany and Spain will be less likely to struggle to stand, because they won't be bred to reach market weight at just five weeks old. They won't live their entire lives suffering in perpetual darkness. Tens of millions of lives will be dramatically less cruel.

Frankly, this is huge, and we couldn't have achieved this historic breakthrough without our supporters. The reason Aldi ultimately agreed to these terms is because our global network of advocates took action to educate consumers, and to show Aldi and other retailers that the general public supports major welfare improvements for animals raised for food. If you've ever donated, petitioned, volunteered, or otherwise championed our cause, this win belongs to you.

By applying pressure to the factory farm system, you've created monumental change for chickens and laid the groundwork for even more progress in the UK and abroad. Through continued dialogue, negotiation, advocacy, and activism, together we'll push Aldi and other retailers to adopt the Better Chicken Commitment (BCC) in the UK and in markets worldwide.

This triumph is proof that we are making real, tangible progress in this movement—that we are winning.

This massive commitment could have a ripple effect

With more than 11,000 stores worldwide, Aldi is one of the most influential supermarket chains in the world. Ending the worst abuses for chickens raised to supply all of the stores in Germany (its largest market) and Spain could trigger a cascade of progress for animal welfare.

That's because Aldi will embody a model that other retailers can follow. Its competitors will have no excuse not to follow Aldi's lead and treat the chickens in their supply chains better. This is especially true because Aldi is a discount supermarket that prioritises cost-efficiency, which puts other retailers in a weak negotiating position.

Aldi is also one of the fastest-growing grocery chains in the UK, so a similar commitment to improving chicken welfare in the UK could spur even more significant and widespread reforms, sparing millions or even billions of chickens a tortured existence.

We must hold Aldi to its promise

It's hard to fathom—and impossible to overstate—the scope of this achievement. This is among the biggest victories ever for chickens raised for food. In a year when we’ve each been isolated and locked down, it’s perhaps all the more significant that this was a united, global effort. Every single one of our supporters deserves credit for making this happen.

Aldi, too, deserves credit. It responded to the rising concern of customers and committed to meaningful change. But make no mistake: chickens still deserve better. Aldi says it will work toward improving conditions for chickens raised to supply its other 6,000 locations, including 890 UK stores. It will also negotiate with members of the Open Wing Alliance, like The Humane League UK, with the goal of adopting the Better Chicken Commitment (BCC), as well as expanding its European Chicken Commitment to countries beyond Germany. Together, we must hold Aldi to its word and make sure it delivers real, positive change—not just hollow promises.

We owe it to each and every chicken to keep applying pressure to Aldi, other retailers, and restaurants, until we fully end the abuse of animals raised for food.

If you share our vision of a world without animal abuse, and would like to be part of our campaigns, join us now.