A leading representative of the 2023 international poultry sector has said that non governmental organisations (NGOs) are now extremely influential in determining the farming policy followed at an international level.
According to Aviagen director, Tim Burnside, NGOs are now directly impacting on farm-related decisions taken by both the European Union (EU) and the United Nations (UN).
He spoke at the recent Poultry Industry Education Trust annual conference in Northern Ireland.
Making much of this happen, according to Burnside is the ‘not-for-profit funding body’, Open Philanthropy (OP). The founders of the organisation include Dustin Moskovitz, of Facebook fame, and his wife Cari Tuna.
Over the past seven years OP has made available grants totalling $300 million to fund NGOs addressing issues that relate to animal welfare and other aspects of farm management.
Specifically, 39% of this money has been used to investigate matters that impact directly on the poultry sector with a further 11% used to fund projects relating to the development of meat alternatives.
“Open Philanthropy has directed 22% of these monies towards the European Union. This amounts to $63 million,” Burnside stated.
“In contrast, the European poultry sector has directed $600,000 in funding related activities. NGOs are pushing the international debate on farming systems. Meanwhile, the poultry sector is playing catch up.”
Policy and perception
Burnside referenced the disconnect that currently exists between production agriculture and the general consumer.
“The reality is that the poultry sector has a positive story to tell. And all of this is science-based. But the general public are not getting to hear it,” he explained.
“This situation must be actively addressed by the poultry industry.”
According to the Aviagen representative, the international poultry industry is managing to effectively address its welfare and environmental obligations on the back of what he called a “balanced breeding” strategy.
Burnside confirmed that chicken is now the most popular meat consumed around the world.
Looking to the future, the poultry sector has a number of key sustainability challenges to meet. Fundamentally, these include the need to produce more chicken form less feed and less water.
“Taking such an approach ensures that farmers can produce more food while also protecting the environment,” he continued.
The carbon footprint associated with chicken production has fallen by almost 50% on a per bird basis over the past 50 years. Burnside expects these figures to improve significantly again during the period ahead.