The National Chicken Council today released the following statement in response to a New York Times Opinion video attacking U.S. chicken production and advocating for increased food costs:
“The New York Times Opinion video, “The True Cost of Cheap Chicken,” is a vegan propaganda piece whose goal is to make meat more expensive, as clearly articulated in the final line of the video, “Chicken should be $6 a pound, not $1 a pound.” The activist group behind the video, Mercy for Animals, spends tens of millions of dollars a year imposing their agenda on consumers –which is eliminating animal agriculture and meat – and ultimately encouraging a vegan lifestyle.
“The fact that the New York Times is promoting a video that advocates for a 500 percent increase in the cost of food shows just how out of touch they are with most Americans, who are already living with the highest inflation in 40 years. The latest Consumer Price Index released today marked the biggest gain since February 1982 and was even higher than the Wall Street estimate. And at the same time, the Biden administration is discussing additional regulatory burdens that would only add more costs to chicken producers and more costs to already soaring grocery bills for Americans.
“The health and proper treatment of our chickens is not only an ethical obligation, it makes good business sense. Companies do everything possible to help the farmers raise the best, healthiest chickens. The ultimate success of the company depends on the success of the farmer. Choosing to enter into a partnership with a chicken company helps farmers manage their risk, share costs and earn a guaranteed and steady source of income. The system has helped tens of thousands of families on small farms stay on the farm, who otherwise may have had to get out of agriculture altogether.
“We take pride in the care of our chickens, but we know it’s on us as an industry to do a better job of providing more information on how our food gets from farm to table. Food is an emotionally-charged topic, and with conflicting information readily available online and on social media, it’s understandable people have questions. That’s why the National Chicken Council created Chicken Check In, our digital hub and way of inviting consumers to take a look at how we’re progressing as an industry in providing safe, healthy and affordable food.”
