Chicken Not So Little

Two English counties (Hereford and Shropshire) plus a neighbouring one in Wales (Powys), now produce more than 25% of the chickens eaten in the UK (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jun/14/bird-costs-less-than-pint-welcome-to-britains-poultry-capital-hereford-shropshire-powys). The UK produced 1.7 million tonnes of chicken meat in 2020. The meat is cheap (a bird costs less than a pint of beer in a supermarket). The birds are, however, produced under very crowded conditions and are associated with environmental pollution (especially of rivers). In Hereford and Shropshire, there are 70 times more chickens than people. Consumers seem to be currently moving away from eating red meat and taking more chicken. Some people are concerned about chicken welfare. Producers claim, however, that reducing crowding will a) result in more and bigger chicken sheds and b) make chicken more expensive. Perhaps we can get by with fewer chickens and could pay a bit more?