Speaking at the British Poultry Council’s (BPC) annual conference today (Tuesday May 1), Dr James Northen from the Institute of Grocery Distribution (IGD) said the environment was “shooting up the agenda”.

“It’s not that welfare has fallen in importance but it has been on the agenda for ages and is taken as given. It is not the same with environment which is very much in the public spotlight at present,” he said.

The poultry sector was told it compared favourably in terms of its eco-impact with other meat sectors, especially livestock.

Statistics presented to delegates showed that the energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions from the production of a kilo of poultry meat was half that of a kilo of beef.