By Richard Griffiths, chief executive, British Poultry Council
The high poultry mortality associated with the exceptional temperatures of July 2022 was a serious event and a clear warning for the industry. It prompted a fundamental review of how extreme heat is anticipated and managed.
A central part of the response has been significant investment in poultry-house cooling, particularly misting systems. Producers have also invested in additional fans, improved air inlets, environmental monitoring, high-temperature alarms, more resilient water supplies and back-up power.
The extreme heat experienced in 2026 has provided an important test of these measures. It has helped the industry identify what works well, including early activation of misting and ventilation, close monitoring of shed conditions, clear escalation procedures and effective coordination between farms, catching teams, hauliers and processors.
Alongside these immediate lessons, the industry is developing a longer-term response to climate change. New poultry buildings and major refurbishments will increasingly need to be designed for a wider range of climatic conditions than those experienced historically in the UK. This means considering insulation, air movement, water and power resilience, building orientation and future cooling capacity as parts of an integrated system.
There is value in learning from poultry industries in naturally hotter countries, where high-capacity ventilation and evaporative cooling are well established.
Delivering farms that are fit for the future will also require a planning system that enables timely investment.
This should be considered in the wider context of critical national infrastructure. Poultry is an important source of affordable protein, and its ability to withstand extreme weather should form part of national resilience planning. Climate adaptation on farms is therefore not only an animal-welfare or business issue; it is also a food-security issue.
The industry does not claim that the journey is complete or that all risk can be eliminated. Its responsibility is to learn from each event and act on the evidence. The progress made since 2022, the lessons emerging from 2026 and the commitment to longer-term innovation demonstrate a responsible and increasingly systematic approach to protecting poultry and strengthening the resilience of the UK food system.