The British Poultry Council (BPC) has launched its 2025 Annual Report, setting out the minimum operating conditions required for the UK to maintain a secure, productive, and resilient poultry meat sector.
The report sets out how BPC members representing around three quarters of the UK poultry meat industry, and that the poultry industry produces half the meat the nation eats. It describes poultry production as a cornerstone of national food security.
The UK poultry meat sector directly supports 35,000 jobs, contributes £8.5bn in GVA, and represents 0.3% of total GDP. It delivers a high-volume, high-standard source of affordable protein relied upon by millions of households.
BPC chief executive, Richard Griffiths, said: “Food production is not a background function of the economy; it is foundational to our ability to thrive. But the operating conditions we rely on no longer reflect the realities of modern food production.
“Our report identifies three pressure points – place, people, and progress – that determine whether UK poultry meat production holds or fractures,” said Griffiths. “If one weakens, productivity stalls, capacity shrinks, costs rise, and dependence on overseas production grows.”
The report calls for food to be recognised as critical national infrastructure. It also calls on government to make planning easier and build better trading relationships based on shared standards.
“If Government are serious about kick-starting growth, we must build the conditions that allow essential economic infrastructure to thrive,” said Griffiths.