Today, we are excited to be introducing Seezeit Studierendenwerk Bodensee as the tenth student service organization to join the European Chicken Commitment. The student services organize student affairs in Germany and, among other things, run the dining venue services of their cooperating universities.
Seezeit Studierendenwerk Bodensee caters for 27,000 students in and around Constance, Ludwigshafen and Ravensburg. It will have its suppliers implement the criteria of the European Chicken Commitment by 2026 at the latest and with that reduce the suffering of many chickens raised for meat. You can read the details of the commitment of the Studierendenwerk here.
Student service organizations against suffering of chickens
As public caterers, the student service organizations have a special exemplary function when it comes to nutrition and animal welfare. By showing an interest in whether their suppliers are following higher animal welfare standards, student service organizations can encourage suppliers to make the switch and are thus proving that more animal protection is possible.
The European Chicken Commitment requires the use of slower growing breeds and breeding lines. Further requirements provide for more space, light and possibilities for chickens to rest and keep busy inside the sheds as well as less stressful and error-prone stunning procedures prior to slaughter. This contributes to reducing the suffering of the animals.
The following ten student service organizations are already on board and we are looking forward to having more of them join in the future.
- Aachen (62,934 students in the winter semester 2019/2020)
- Augsburg (35,834 students in the winter semester 2019/2020)
- Erlangen-Nuremberg (69,292 students in the winter semester 2019/2020)
- Freiburg (48,177 students in the winter semester 2019/2020)
- Karlsruhe (47,154 students in the winter semester 2019/2020)
- Munich (131,589 students in the winter semester 2019/2020)
- Lower Bavaria/Upper Palatinate (57,209 students in the winter semester 2019/2020)
- Seezeit Bodensee (27,217 students in the winter semester 2019/2020)
- Siegen (19,147 students in the winter semester 2019/2020)
- Stuttgart (60,688 students in the winter semester 2019/2020)
About the European Chicken Commitment
The European Chicken Commitment was launched by the Albert Schweitzer Foundation and other European animal protection groups to tackle the worst problems in chicken farming. The animals are often suffering from the consequences of their monstrous growth, in crammed and desolate sheds, and have to endure brutal, insufficient stunning procedures prior to slaughter.
Worldwide, 450 companies have already committed themselves to raising animal welfare standards according to the European Chicken Commitment. Among them are food companies like Nestlé and Unilever, top caterers such as Sodexo, producers like Rügenwalder Mühle, and restaurant chains such as Subway and Kentucky Fried Chicken.