Up to 400 million chickens are likely to benefit from this yearly. This is cause for celebration, and a great moment to congratulate L214's teams (Insta, LinkedIn)!
Here's an LLM-made translation of L214's press communique:
Historic breakthrough: poultry giant LDC scales back cruelty!
After more than three years of campaigning by L214, France's market leader, poultry group LDC, has agreed to significantly improve animal welfare standards—a landmark achievement demonstrating that sustained citizen mobilization can curb the cruelty of industrial farming.
Ending ultra‑fast‑growth chickens
For the hundreds of millions of chickens raised and slaughtered each year for brands such as Le Gaulois, Maître CoQ and other LDC clients, this commitment entails:
- Reducing stocking density from 20 to a maximum of 15 chickens per square meter;
- Phasing out ultra‑fast‑growth breeds, like the Ross 308, which cause severe health problems and acute suffering;
- Providing natural daylight, perches and pecking blocks in barns;
- Implementing slaughter methods that avoid hoisting conscious animals.
L214 will now monitor LDC and its retail and restaurant clients to ensure consistent progress by the target deadline of 2028.
The European Chicken Commitment: an effective baseline for reducing suffering
The European Chicken Commitment (ECC) draws on veterinary, ethological and poultry‑farming expertise, supported by about 40 European animal protection organizations. It sets minimum welfare standards where existing regulations have facilitated intensification at the expense of animal welfare.
In 2023, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recommended reforms in both rearing and slaughter methods, including reducing stocking densities and abandoning fast‑growth strains. And the Welfare Footprint Project estimated that meeting ECC criteria reduces the time chickens spend in intense, unbearable pain by 78%. However, these scientific findings have not stopped significant legal backsliding—such as regressions under France’s "Duplomb law".
LDC’s commitment represents a major step forward for alleviating the suffering of millions of chickens—both in scale and in severity of improvement.
No more excuses for other companies
With LDC on board, a significant portion of the agrifood industry now recognizes societal expectations regarding the living and death conditions of chickens. L214 is calling on companies that have not yet adopted the ECC’s baseline standards.
