One-star chicken, a unique opportunity for the Polish poultry sector

By the end of 2023 at the latest, fresh chicken will have at least one Beter Leven star in all Dutch supermarkets. A worldwide first, cheers Awake animal† If the Dutch permit policy for the conversion of stables does not move forward, it is not inconceivable that our Dutch welfare chicken will soon come from Poland or Romania, while our country will produce broiler chicken for abroad.

Supermarket chain Boni is the last to cancel the sale of fresh chicken without at least one Beter Leven star. With this, Boni follows as closing in on Albert Heijn, Lidl, Jumbo, Plus, Aldi, Picnic, Coop, Dirk, Vomar, MCD, Boon's Markt, DekaMarkt, Spar and Hoogvliet, who have already tacked on - whether or not after considerable pressure from Wakker Dier. went.

Wakker Dier calls the end of the exploding chicken a "huge milestone". Since 2012, the animal welfare organization has been campaigning against broiler chickens - broilers that grow to the desired slaughter weight in 6 weeks - and strives for chickens with at least one star of the Animal Protection's Beter Leven quality mark.

Retail Intermediate Solutions
The interim solution that the supermarkets created, the Chicken of Tomorrow and then everyone's own brand when that Kip van Morgen was not accepted by the competition authority, in the eyes of Wakker Dier was also unacceptable. In 2014, the NGO gave its support to the New Standard Chicken from Jumbobut in 2018 she withdrew that support again because it was not good enough for the welfare of the broiler.

The slightly slower growing chickens with slightly more space were dismissed as 'flop chicken' by Wakker Dier and are now disappearing from the shelves. "Soon, more than a hundred million chickens will have a better life every year. This will change many farms. For example, hundreds of stables will have a covered outdoor area. After being hidden from view for decades, broiler chickens are returning to the landscape," says Wakker Dier. Wakker Dier exaggerates that visibility. Broilers with 1 star can only go outside in a covered and closed-mesh aviary built directly next to the house (see photo above). There is no room in the Netherlands for 100 million real outdoor chickens. Yet so many animals are needed to provide every Dutch person - including children - with 1 chicken fillet per month.

Depreciation not an issue
The turnaround means that the barns that chicken farmers have adapted for their 'intermediate chickens' have to be partly written off and require new investments, but that is not an issue for Wakker Dier. Nor is the fact that more sustainable barns have been developed in the Netherlands that serve other aspects of animal welfare. Last year, Wakker Dier even suggested the brave chicken, a concept with an extra low CO₂footprint, high biosecurity and very low transport and slaughter stress, exposed as Liegebeest. Owner Marcel Kuipers showed himself there stunned about.

The reaction from the Dutch Poultry Farmers Union is lukewarm. "According to this interest group, nitrogen emissions will increase due to the ban on the broiler chicken," writes The Financial Times.

Great opportunities for foreign producers
Sounds from the market make it clear that it will be impossible to supply all Dutch supermarkets with Dutch 1-star chicken. At the moment, almost 600 million chickens are slaughtered in the Netherlands every year. Because a large number of components are not eaten in the Netherlands, they are sold on foreign markets. The Dutch eat about 20 kilos of chicken every year (at home, but just outside the door, chicken meat is popular because it is easy to prepare). In order to produce chicken for Dutch supermarkets in sheds that meet the requirements of the first star of the Animal Protection, they must be provided with a run that cannot be realized in a large number of places or for which permits can take years.

For these 2 reasons, chicken volume that is currently produced in the Netherlands will be imported from abroad. Wise entrepreneurs - including Dutch ones - can quickly realize these stables there. In addition, the establishment and operational costs are much lower than in the Netherlands. However, the transport costs of the product increase somewhat. The Green Deal can also ensure that these are taxed extra.

4Competitive offering 
The Dutch market offers suppliers from former Eastern Bloc countries (including Romania, which is very attractive in terms of price and Poland, which is already a bit more expensive), a guaranteed niche, which they can serve extremely competitively due to their lower cost price than Dutch poultry farmers. It is therefore not inconceivable that the supply of these foreign chickens has a chance to conquer the Dutch shelves.

If this trend actually sets in, supermarkets will ask themselves whether for 'Dutch chicken' - with a price disadvantage, but a 'local' trust advantage - they will go for 1-star Polish or Romanian chicken with a price advantage, or for expensive and affordable 1 star chicken at a time to serve their customers according to their wishes. It makes little difference to the chicken.

It should also be noted that the Netherlands still has a considerable infrastructure of 'float chicken' houses and slaughterhouses, which - another effect of the success of Wakker Dier - will only work for foreign buyers and industrial processors of chicken. It is not without reason that there has been a strong concentration of the number of poultry slaughterers in the past year.

This article is part of the content collaboration between Foodbusiness, Boerenbusiness en foodlog.

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