LANCASTER, Pa. – LaBelle Patrimoine, a top-quality provider of pasture-raised, heritage breed poultry, is the newest producer to join the Better Chicken Commitment (BCC), marking the fifth supplier to join this important initiative.
The BCC is a set of science-based standards developed by animal welfare scientists and organizations to improve the lives of chickens raised for meat. By joining the BCC, LaBelle Patrimoine displays its dedication to animal welfare, sustainability, and transparency. The BCC encompasses essential principles such as providing more space, better living conditions, and enhanced animal welfare measures.
LaBelle Patrimoine’s chickens are third-party certified by Earth Claims to meet Global Animal Partnership’s Step 4 rating. This ensures that chickens have access to pasture and exceed BCC requirements around space, enrichment, and lighting. The current implementation of multi-stage controlled stunning at its processing facility will meet BCC standards by 2027. Most importantly, LaBelle Patrimoine uses a higher-welfare breed with a slower growth cycle across its entire supply chain, which is crucial to ensure enhanced welfare for broiler chickens.
Modern industrial farming systems selectively breed chickens to grow rapidly, causing poor welfare outcomes and meat quality issues, among other concerns. By prioritizing using a higher-welfare bird, chickens live a healthier, longer life and produce better-tasting quality meat.
“LaBelle Patrimoine has always been committed to producing superior poultry products, and this next step is a testament to our ongoing pledge to always adhere to the highest sustainable and ethical practices in the industry,” said Mike Charles, farmer and founder of Labelle Patrimoine. “We believe raising chickens in an environment that prioritizes their welfare is not only the right thing to do, but it also results in a much higher quality product for our customers.”
Labelle Patrimoine’s Better Chicken Commitment reaffirms its dedication to delivering top-quality poultry products while prioritizing the welfare of the animals that make it all possible. The company is committed to continuous improvement in its practices and looks forward to a future where ethical and sustainable food production is the norm.
“Animal welfare remains a top concern for American consumers,” said Julia Johnson, US Head of Food Business at Compassion in World Farming. “By joining the Better Chicken Commitment, Labelle Patrimoine is responding to that consumer demand for more humane products. Through granting meaningful pasture access to higher-welfare birds, I am excited to see poultry production integrate sustainability as a core pillar for future operations.”
Cooks Venture, Perdue Farms, Pitman Farms and Wayne-Sanderson Farms are the other producers publicly committed to offering BCC chicken to customers. Other major producers have yet to publicly commit to offering higher welfare producers for their customers.
About Labelle Patrimoine:
Labelle Patrimoine is a Pennsylvania-based provider of premium poultry products, committed to delivering the highest quality while prioritizing animal welfare and sustainability. The company was founded by Mike Charles to provide consumers with delicious and ethically sourced poultry products, supporting a more humane and environmentally friendly product. Labelle Patrimoine chickens are available at Whole Foods Market stores in 24 states and are available for distribution to restaurants in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. For more information, please visit https://www.labelle-patrimoine.com/.
About Compassion in World Farming:
Compassion in World Farming is a global farm animal protection organization that campaigns peacefully to end industrialized agriculture and transition to a food system that is compassionate, fair, and sustainable for all. Compassion engages with the world’s leading food companies to create and adopt meaningful animal welfare policies while tracking progress against those commitments to ensure compliance. It works tirelessly towards a better future for animals, people, and the planet by educating concerned consumers and supporting meaningful public policy. With headquarters in the U.K., we have representatives to support in the U.S., Europe, the Asia-Pacific Region, and South Africa. To find out more about Compassion in World Farming or join the movement, visit: ciwf.com and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook.
