Born into a short life, full of suffering, chickens raised for meat grow so big, so fast, that many cannot stand. They can suffer from a wide range of health issues including heart attacks, organ failure, lameness, bone deformities, muscle diseases, and burns. That’s why we call them Frankenchickens.
And it’s these birds, crammed into sheds on factory farms, that end up on the shelves of supermarkets like the Co-op.
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These animals are living lives of squalor and horror on a scale that most people choose never to think about, because if they did they would barely believe it possible.
~ Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, The Guardian.
We know that, when they learn the truth, shoppers don’t want to buy meat from chickens that have suffered like this. That’s why Co-op members and The Humane League UK have been working hard to get their supermarket to do better.
Earlier this year, they put forward a motion for the supermarket to adopt the Better Chicken Commitment (BCC). This would mean stopping the use of Frankenchickens and giving its chickens more space and enrichment.
We know this is the right thing to do for chickens in Co-op’s supply chain. And the other 32,000 members agreed, with 96% of them voting in favour of the motion at this weekend’s AGM.
An estimated 50 million birds supplied to the Co-op each year would have benefitted from these improvements. But the good news stops there. Co-op’s Board have already refused to stop selling Frankenchickens. They have only agreed to give chickens more space, but this doesn’t prevent the main cause of chickens suffering - the fact they have suffering coded into their DNA.
This isn’t good enough. For a company that touts its commitment to democracy, not to mention a guarantee that its produce is ‘ethical’, the Co-op need to do better.
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It is inspirational that tens of thousands of members across the country have decided that the cruel use and abuse of Frankenchickens is outright wrong. But the Co-op leadership has betrayed its ethical and democratic values by clinging on to using Frankenchickens. The Co-op exists for its members - their democratic will must not be ignored by those at the top.
~ Aaron Parr, Senior Campaigner at The Humane League UK and member of the Co-op
You can see the recording of the AGM here.
We’ll be continuing to ensure that the Co-op implements the BCC in full and makes impactful, positive change for chickens. But we can’t do it alone. To get involved in our campaigns for chickens, sign up to receive our emails.
Cordelia Britton
