Chicken Farmers Deliver on Animal Care

Canadian consumers want Canadian chicken.

The “go local” movement has been a consumer trend for some time, and while the benefits of sourcing local ingredients for your foodservice business include more sustainable practice and improving your bottom line, when it comes to poultry, the benefits extend even further. In fact, did you know that the Canadian chicken industry works to some of the highest international standards of animal welfare and food safety?

That’s not a phrase thrown around lightly – there are comprehensive, national programs that ensure this.

If you’ve ever been approached on issues of animal welfare, you’ll be familiar with the uncertainty, questions, and concerns that some approaches can raise.

You don’t need to re-invent the wheel because Chicken Farmers of Canada (CFC) has already done the heavy lifting to develop and implement a mandatory Animal Care Program that you can count on and defend. 

The program includes:

• A national set of standards based on the Code of Practice to ensure consistency from coast to coast
• Annual audits, ensuring accountability from every farm
• Regulations making the program mandatory, ensuring participation and compliance from all farmers
• A transparent system to ensure the whole industry is informed and involved
• Strict enforcement measures in place to offer additional assurance
• Support for the program from stakeholders, from gate to plate
• A commitment to continuous improvement and to evolve as we learn

It was developed using a solid, credible, and science-based process through the National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC). NFACC is a world leader in bringing together stakeholders with different perspectives – farmers, scientists, veterinarians, processors, retail and restaurant associations, transporters, animal welfare associations, researchers, and provincial/federal governments – to develop robust and sound Codes of Practice. This is the solid foundation that the Animal Care Program is built upon. 

CFC is actively promoting the many positive attributes of the Canadian chicken industry, with the view of maintaining the trust of consumers by being transparent about industry practices. This is reflected in our strong traditional, digital and social marketing, and outreach to health professionals, core consumers and millennials. CFC can help you by providing materials and references to answer your consumers’ concerns, from communications with farmers to third party experts to special content addressing specific issues and more.

Animal care, food safety and sustainability are just some of the assurances that also come with the Raised by a Canadian Farmer brand. The mark, being actively marketed and supported by many retail and foodservice companies, shows consumers that Canadian chicken is a delicious and nutritious choice and that it’s raised by farmers they can trust.

You can rely on this program to meet your needs and rely on Chicken Farmers of Canada to support you.