The Foundation for Nature and Man warns of the environmental consequences of increasing chicken production

Producing too much chicken risks harming the environment, warns the Foundation for Nature and Man in a report published at the beginning of November. Poultry is the most consumed meat in France: the French eat 25 kilos of chicken per year per capita, twice as much as 20 years ago. This is why French breeders want to considerably increase production within ten years, but this is not the right direction to take, according to the NGO.

To respond to the explosion in chicken consumption, France is increasing its purchases abroad, regrets Thomas Uthayakumar, of the Foundation for Nature and Man: "Half of what we consume is imported. The problem that we must have in mind is what direction does the sector want to take?"

The NGO calls for the development of more sustainable farming methods

French breeders want to build 2,200 more chicken coops by 2035, but this is not a good idea, warns the environmental NGO. “Producing a lot more chickens means more animal feed, more nitrogen fertilizers. For us, today, it is a decision which in no way concerns food sovereignty because it will accentuate our dependencies,” believes Thomas Uthayakumar.

On the contrary, it calls for developing more sustainable farming methods, such as organic or Label Rouge chickens, which represent a quarter of French production today, and for offering more to consumers. This is for example the case in collective catering. “Why don't large-scale distribution, food industries, fast-food restaurants have this obligation of sustainability? asks Thomas Uthayakumar. What we're asking is that it be the same thing. And that would allow breeders not to say to them: 'make an effort', if, in the end, there is no one to buy their sustainable production."

He also proposes forcing manufacturers to register the country of origin of chicken used in processed products, such as nuggets. This is not the case today, which favors imports, according to him.