Poultry Welfare in Developing Countries

Poultry production is growing rapidly in developing regions, creating both welfare challenges in intensive systems and opportunities to build welfare into expanding industries from the outset.

Key Facts

Poultry production in Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia is growing at 5-7% annually.
Traditional village poultry systems involve scavenging chickens with significant predation and disease mortality.
Intensive commercial systems introduced in developing countries often replicate welfare problems seen in the West.
Welfare science capacity and veterinary infrastructure are limited in many rapidly expanding poultry sectors.
Consumer preferences for cheap protein often price welfare considerations out of purchase decisions.

Welfare Considerations

Poultry welfare in developing countries requires context-sensitive approaches that recognise different baseline systems, economic constraints, and cultural contexts. Building welfare considerations into rapidly expanding intensive systems before they become entrenched is significantly more cost-effective than retrofitting welfare improvements later. International development organisations, welfare NGOs, and industry bodies working together can establish minimum standards and incentives for welfare improvement. Local welfare scientist capacity building is a critical long-term investment.

What You Can Do

Support international animal welfare organisations working to build welfare capacity in developing regions.
Advocate for aid and development organisations to integrate livestock welfare into their programmes.
Choose global food company certifications that extend welfare standards across supply chains internationally.
Support academic partnerships building welfare science capacity in veterinary schools in developing countries.
Engage with international policy processes establishing global animal welfare standards.