The Pecking Order 2021

We've just launched our third global assessment and the 2021 results are shocking. Although there have been some improvements many brands show no ambition to improve standards, subjecting chickens to unnecessary suffering and cruelty.

Nearly 50 billion chickens are factory farmed for their meat. These lively and curious animals are grown intensively in barren, dark, and overcrowded sheds or cages.

Fast food companies are some of the biggest buyers of factory farmed chicken. Yet despite these farms mistreating animals, using up precious resources and even risking our health, too many brands keep buying from them.

Together we can tell them there is no future for factory farming.

Many brands show no ambition to improve standards

How the scores add up

The brands get points for what is in their policies, how quickly they plan to improve and how they are reporting on progress. Every brand is given a grade from failing up to very good.

The pecking order 2021 – leader board

Find out who the winners and losers are in this year’s report and how each brand scored.

KFC

Making progress (59%)

It's an improvement on last year but only 8 European countries have strong commitments. Tell KFC this isn't enough. Every KFC franchise needs a decent chicken welfare policy.

Tweet KFC

Pizza Hut

Getting started (42%)

Pizza Hut have gone up two grades this year. But they have only improved their policies in the UK and Europe. Tell Pizza Hut to make a global commitment to stop buying from factory farms.

Tweet Pizza Hut

Burger King

Getting started (41%)

'Getting Started' is a lot better grade than last year’s 'Very Poor' grade. They have a strong policy in the UK and some policies in the USA and Canada that could easily be improved. But in the rest of the world their policies are weak or barely exist. Tell Burger King to stop buying from factory farms.

Tweet Burger King

Nando's

Getting started (38%)

Nando's improved their score after thousands of people campaigned with us and got a promise from Nando’s UK to stop buying from factory farmed chicken. Tell Nando's they need to go further and make this worldwide promise.

Tweet Nando's

McDonald's

Getting started (37%)

‘Getting Started’ is a better grade than last year’s ‘Poor’. It is still not good enough and they refuse to commit to improving all their supply chain. Tell McDonald’s all their chicken needs to come from higher welfare farms.

Tweet McDonald's

Subway

Getting started (31%)

Bad news for Subway their score decreased this year. Good news they are talking about improving chicken welfare in the US. But this doesn't go far enough. Worse still their Canadian commitments have disappeared. Ask Subway to prioritise chicken welfare everywhere in the world.

Tweet Subway

Starbucks

Getting started (28%)

Scoring points for their strong policy in the US, Starbucks has never reported against their progress in the three years of the assessment. Ask Starbucks to act on chickens.

Tweet Starbucks

Domino's Pizza PLC

Very poor (12%)

Domino's PLC has been in the bottom for three years. This is unacceptable. Tell Domino's Pizza to stop buying from factory farms.

Tweet Domino's

Domino's Pizza Inc

Very poor (0%)

Barely believable but Domino's Pizza Inc have failed to get any points for the third year. Making this the worst score this year. This is unacceptable. Tell Domino's Pizza to stop buying from factory farms.

Tweet Domino's

Read the full report

Fast food companies must change

Two captive monkeys are hosted in a barren cage, one monkey lays limp on its side.

The 2021 results show that some of the biggest and most iconic food companies are starting to take chicken welfare seriously in parts of the world but are not applying their policies globally. This must change. Global food business principles and the lives of the animals on which their companies depend should be valued consistently, wherever you are in the world.

To stop the inexcusable suffering of billions of chickens a year, these brands must commit to:

higher-welfare farming methods using chicken breeds that grow at healthier rates
allow chickens to enjoy meaningful environments with more space, natural light, and enrichment to provide stimulation.

Read the full report