Micheal Clements, NAFB News Service

Through sustainability practices, U.S. chicken producers have significantly reduced the use of water, farmland, electricity, greenhouse gas emissions, and other valuable natural resources, according to the National Chicken Council. The organization in a new report says producing the same amount of chicken today as 1965 has 50 percent less impact on the environment. However, knowledge of the environmental impact of chicken among consumers is low. Only half of respondents to an NCC survey are moderately knowledgeable about chicken’s impact on the environment and the strides the industry has made. To help bridge the gap, answer questions and address misperceptions, NCC is unveiling several new resources related to environmental sustainability, including videos, infographics, farmer testimonials, FAQs, social squares, blog posts and more. The consumer resources are available online at www.chickencheck.in. The survey found the environmental impact of chicken is statistically as important as animal welfare in purchasing decisions by consumers. Half of the survey participants indicated a willingness to eat more chicken if they learned it is more sustainable than other protein sources.