Battery chickens on the Olympic agenda

Compassion in World Farming is campaigning The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG), to change the current proposal for the use of intensively farmed chickens and pigs in the ‘Food Vision’ for the 2012 Olympics.

LOCOG will publish it’s guidelines on food that will be served in the Olympic village next month, which will currently propose: “its baseline procurement standard as Red Tractor accreditation - a standard which allows pigs and chickens to be farmed intensively,” say Compassion in World Farming group Chicken Out!

Celebrity chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall commented on the campaign saying it’s inconceivable that sports people in the peak of their fitness be served “chicken by the Olympic Games catering service that not only has an arguably lower nutritional value, but has been produced in a system that causes lameness in over a quarter of the birds.”

Compassion in World Farming argue that LOCOG’s proposal lags behind current established good practice and trend in the market, towards RSPCA Freedom Foods standard responsibly farmed poultry and meat. Hugh Fernly-Whittingstall added “I believe that the 2012 Olympics has a role to play in showing leadership and responsibility in this issue".

For more information on the campaign visit www.chickenout.tv