As poultry consumption grows rapidly in Africa, Asia and Latin America, industrial production is expanding with minimal welfare regulation. The welfare gap between regions is widening.
The globalisation of intensive poultry farming is creating a welfare crisis of enormous scale in regions with minimal regulatory protection. The same welfare problems identified and partially addressed in European production - fast-growth genetics, lighting deprivation, litter management failures, CO2 stunning - are being deployed at massive scale in countries where no welfare requirements constrain practice. International welfare standards, enforced through trade requirements and supported by capacity building programmes, are the most powerful lever for improving welfare in these contexts. Consumer pressure in Global North markets for imported products also creates supply chain accountability.