Press release
Success for the Albert Schweitzer Foundation: The catering company Sodexo has announced that it will implement the criteria of the European Chicken Commitment by 2026. The foundation, along with around ten other animal welfare organizations, called on the company to take this step in a Europe-wide campaign. A petition for this purpose was signed by 16,000 people within four days.
The criteria of the European Chicken Commitment include the restriction on overbreeding as well as more space and natural light in the stables. From 2026, Sodexo will meet all the criteria of the Commitment throughout Europe. This period seems long at first, but it must be measured against the fact that a large-scale change of breeding lines will take several years.
»We are delighted that Sodexo has agreed to support the European Chicken Commitment only four days after the start of our campaign,« says Mahi Klosterhalfen, President of the Albert Schweitzer Foundation. »In doing so, Europe’s largest catering company is following other players in the industry such as Procuratio and the Elior Group.«
Shortly after Sodexo, Europe’s second largest caterer Compass Group also joined the Commitment after talking to our corporate outreach team and other member organizations of the Open WIng Alliance (OWA).
In order to reduce the worst problems in the broiler chicken industry, the Albert Schweitzer Foundation and about 30 further animal welfare organizations formulated the criteria of the European Chicken Commitment. A total of 250 companies from the USA and Europe, including Danone, Nestlé and Unilever, have already committed themselves to meeting the criteria.
You can find out more about the European Chicken Commitment here. Sodexo’s official commitment can be found here.