The Better Chicken Commitment is a set of welfare standards adopted by major food companies that addresses the most significant welfare problems in commercial broiler production through breed changes, enrichment, and improved slaughter methods.
The Better Chicken Commitment represents one of the most significant welfare improvements achievable at scale in animal agriculture. The welfare problems in standard broiler production are systemic — genetic selection for rapid growth has created birds whose bodies develop faster than their cardiovascular and skeletal systems can support. Birds suffer from chronic pain, lameness, and in severe cases cardiac arrest before reaching slaughter weight. BCC standards address these problems at source by requiring slower-growing genetics, alongside improved housing, enrichment, and slaughter methods. Implementation by major buyers creates market-level pressure that shifts production practices more effectively than regulation alone in many jurisdictions.