Poultry industry responds to Pew environmental report

The U.S. poultry industry is committed to the responsible production of food that is safe, affordable and abundant, and is more diligent and innovative than ever in pursuing environmental improvements, according to the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association and the National Chicken Council in response to Pew's latest report, "Big Chicken: Pollution and Industrial Poultry Production in America."
The report focuses on the U.S. broiler industry's development over the last 50 to 60 years and its impact on the environment. “In just over 50 years, the broiler industry has been transformed from more than 1 million small farms spread across the country to a limited number of factory-style operations concentrated in 15 states,” said Karen Steuer with Pew. “This growth has harmed the environment, particularly water, because management programs for chicken waste have not kept pace with output.”
According to the poultry industry, the report fails to take into account the efforts of broiler companies to do their part to be good environmental stewards. "The 30,000 family farms and companies in the poultry community are involved in many different aspects of sustainability including animal welfare, recycling and waste reduction, worker safety and community concerns," said USPOULTRY and the NCC. "The Pew report fails to capture the true picture of the contributions we're committed to making today and in the future."