No more factory farm chickens in Dutch supermarkets by end 2023

By the end of 2023, all fresh chicken sold in Dutch supermarkets will have at least a 1 star Beter Leven rating. Boni was the last supermarket chain to promise to stop selling factory farm chicken, animal welfare organization Wakker Dier announced, NU.nl reports.

Chickens with a 1 star Beter Leven rating are healthier, grow more slowly and at a healthier pace, are allowed daylight in the barn, more space, and a covered outdoor area. Wakker Dier is pleased that all Dutch supermarkets are now committed to better welfare for chickens.

Boni director Frank Kloren said that the supermarket chain was just waiting for confirmation that its suppliers can deliver 1 star Beter Leven chicken. "We attach great importance to doing what we say to our customers and have been waiting for that confirmation."

He added that this is not all good news. "The 1 star label mainly focuses on animal welfare. Two weeks longer life for the chicken, however good it may be, also means extra use of water, extra CO2 emissions, extra manure production, extra use of space, more stables, and where no stable space may be available, even extra food miles," Kloren said.