More than 230 companies have signed on to the Better Chicken Commitment (BCC), a set of practices that promote a higher standard of welfare for broiler chickens. At the same time, many firms have committed to reduce the carbon footprint of their supply chains. Some industry stakeholders have declared these two aspirations — higher-welfare chicken and supply chain decarbonization — as incompatible, given that certain BCC components call for larger amounts of resources per broiler.    

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This report challenges that premise. Drawing on peer-reviewed research, it argues that the BCC serves as an impetus and opportunity to reduce the environmental impacts of broiler production beyond the levels that conventional suppliers have achieved. While this task is difficult, it is not impossible. This report identifies nine interventions that can mitigate or offset the impacts of higher-welfare practices.