Archived News

13th January 2008

It has been a busy media week for farming with TV programmes focussing on production methods of the the poultry sector in particular. It was an interesting experiment on Hugh's Chicken Run which compared intensive chicken production with free range systems but unfortunately the disused chicken shed used was not representative of chicken farming in Britain.  The disused shed failed to obtain Assured Chicken Production (Red Tractor) certification and therefore the apparently poor welfare outcome is not to be unexpected.

I think Jamie Oliver gives a balanced view of the chicken and egg industry on Jamie's Fowl Dinners and appreciate his positive attitude towards British produce and British farmers.  It was startling to learn that under intensive chicken production, the farmer receives just 3p per bird.  The supermarkets are selling these birds for about £3 each or pushing their sale at two birds for £5 which is degrading the value of chicken production still further, in the minds of customers.

To give a true taste test at the end of Jamie's show, he should have used the same recipe for cooking the intensive and less intensive chicken, either the simple method of breast wrapped in bacon (as he did with intensive chicken) or with the rich flavours of added ingredients (as he did for the less intensive bird) .  It doesn't matter which recipe, but it should have been the same method for both chickens to give a fair representation of taste.

I stongly feel that supermarkets should be fiercely promoting British produce and the higher welfare standards that are expected in this country.  One farmer on Jamie's show was rearing birds under a higher welfare scheme but at present still has a barn with birds in an intensive system due to the requirements of supermarkets. The farmer much prefers the less intensive system.

If customers were to demand 'freedom food' chicken then the supermarkets would have to change their ways and ask the farmers to produce more of the higher welfare birds. 

We need to look at the value of food production in this country before more and more farmers go out of business, resulting in imported food which may not reach the current welfare standards expected here.

A realistic price needs to be paid to British farmers for the food they produce which in the case of poultry, would enable more Freedom Food chickens to be reared, and indeed to give the farmer some sort of living.

So if you can afford to, why not upgrade your chicken purchasing habits and pay the extra Pound for a Freedom Food chicken and keep asking for British produce in the supermarkets.