Published 3/13/2018

At the end of 2016, food service titan Sodexo became one of the first companies to commit to higher welfare for chickens here in the States.

Now, they’ve given chickens in Canada something to celebrate, too!

Sodexo—which provides dining options for universities, entertainment venues, stadiums, and businesses around the world—has announced an expansion of their chicken welfare commitment to include our neighbor to the north, transitioning to healthier genetics and giving birds in their Canadian supply chain access to more room to roam, natural light, and critical enrichments that let them express natural behaviors.

Their announcement represents yet another significant blow to cruel factory farming in North America, which has produced chickens bred to grow unnaturally large, unnaturally fast—meaning they often suffer from respiratory problems, heart attacks, and painful leg injuries. These birds are usually crammed into dark, dirty sheds by the thousands, deprived of even the simple luxury of a perch to rest on.

But we’re in the midst of a watershed moment in the chicken industry.

Since Sodexo helped kick off the recent wave of change for chickens, over 90 major food companies have made similar commitments—including big names like Subway, Burger King, Jack in the Box, Chipotle, TGI Fridays, and more. These incredible accomplishments prove that when consumers raise their voices to demand better, companies listen…and animals benefit.

We commend Sodexo Canada for stepping up, and look forward to seeing more progress for chickens in the months ahead!