Fast-food operators including KFC, Nandos and Popeyes withdrew their support for the Better Chicken Commitment in February 2026, choosing instead to join the industry-led Sustainable Chicken Forum. The decision has implications for Northern Ireland, where Moy Park produces more than six million chickens weekly and is a major supplier to the UK market.

The Better Chicken Commitment called for slower-growing breeds, improved lighting and enrichment in poultry houses. Animal welfare groups have long criticised the use of fast-growing broiler chickens, which can reach slaughter weight in just over a month. The Humane League says the animals' bodies cannot keep pace with their growth, leaving many unable to stand.

Industry leaders argue that slower-growing chickens consume more feed, require more water and emit more greenhouse gases over their longer lives. Allen Simpson, chief executive of UKHospitality, said soaring consumer demand and acute supply pressures force operators to balance welfare improvements with environmental and economic realities.

KFC, in a statement, acknowledged that slower-growing breeds have a higher environmental impact and would reduce supply. The chain said it helped establish the Sustainable Chicken Forum to pursue a system where welfare advances alongside environmental goals and reliable supply.

Moy Park told BBC News NI that it is the UK's largest producer of chicken meeting the Better Chicken Commitment standard, all of which comes from family-run farms in Northern Ireland. The company said the majority of its farmers operate two to three poultry sheds and produce to dedicated standards, allowing it to serve customers with both faster- and slower-growing breeds.

Campaigners accuse the Sustainable Chicken Forum of greenwashing. The Humane League said the group is composed of companies that have banded together to shed their responsibilities under the guise of sustainability. The poultry sector's deep roots in Northern Ireland are illustrated by the history of O'Kanes of Ballymena, which first imported broiler chickens from the United States in the 1950s. By 2009 the firm was producing nearly a million birds per week before being purchased by Moy Park in 2010. The region's appetite for chicken was also reflected in the success of the Herbert family, who built the UK's largest KFC franchise in Northern Ireland starting in the 1980s, selling it in 2020.