Sharing our progress with the Better Chicken Commitment

Sharing our progress with the Better Chicken Commitment

Open Farm was founded on rigorous ethical sourcing principles in 2014 when we realized through our own search for sustainable and ethically sourced pet food that this was a major gap. Since then, we have sourced all our meat in a way that is consistent with our belief that animals deserve to be treated with kindness and respect.

We admit it, we’re pretty intense about ethical sourcing. Every ingredient in each Open Farm bag is carefully sourced from the most humane and ethical farms and ranches. To do this we partner with progressive farmers who practice the highest standards of farm animal welfare and with certifications to audit our supply chain and ensure we’re sourcing the most ethically raised meat. This means healthier and happier animals and more nutritious ingredients for your pet.

In 2022, we adopted the Better Chicken Commitment policy, which unites producers, brands, and NGOs that are working to improve chicken welfare. Specifically, we are committed to Version 2 of the Better Chicken Commitment. The Better Chicken Commitment focuses on addressing issues in broiler chickens related to breeding for fast-growth, housing conditions, stocking density, and slaughter.

In the past year since adopting the Better Chicken Commitment Version 2, we have made tremendous progress in several key areas:

BCC attribute % of supply Date accomplished or target date
Slower growing breeds 25% 2026
Utilizing a multi-step controlled-atmosphere processing system 70% 2024
Ample room to roam inside chicken houses 100% 2014
Flooring substrate to enhance animal comfort and hygiene 100% 2014
Lighting program including continuous hours of darkness for rest 100% 2014
Environmental enrichments to encourage natural behavior 100% 2014
Third-party auditing to demonstrate compliance 100% 2014

We are excited to share the progress we’ve made but know we still have work to do to transition to slower-growing breeds by 2026 and to controlled atmosphere processing for 100% of our supply by 2024. The foundation of our brand was built on sourcing meat with the highest animal welfare standards available and we are proud of the progress we’ve made with our farmers and suppliers over the past year.