PARIS- Pasture-raised, heritage chicken company LaBelle Patrimoine received the Good Chicken Award from the international animal welfare organization Compassion in World Farming (CIWF), recognizing its dedication to enhancing animal welfare within the food and agriculture industry. LaBelle Patrimoine is the only chicken producer honored globally at this year’s Good Farm Animal Welfare Awards.
CIWF presented LaBelle Patrimoine’s founder and CEO, Mike Charles, with the award at its Good Farm Animal Welfare Awards Ceremony in Paris, France, last evening.
Since 2007, the prestigious Good Chicken Award has recognized companies’ commitment to making genuine and meaningful improvements to the lives of broiler chickens and the sustainability of their supply chains. Specifically, it acknowledges brands that use or are committing to using (within five years) higher-welfare chicken, addressing the environment, having birds with higher welfare genetics, and adhering to more humane processing for broiler chickens. LaBelle Patrimoine is the only chicken producer in the world to receive this year’s award.
“LaBelle Patrimoine and our network of small family farms have always been committed to the highest animal welfare practices in the industry as we believe that raising our chickens in an environment that prioritizes their welfare is the right thing to do,” said Mike Charles, founder and CEO, Labelle Patrimoine. “This prestigious award reaffirms our dedication to prioritizing and continuously evolving our practices to help lead the way to a place where ethical and sustainable food production is the norm.”
LaBelle Patrimoine is the most recent U.S. producer to sign up for the Better Chicken Commitment (BCC) and is working to fulfill the processing criteria of Controlled Atmospheric Stunning by 2027. The BCC encompasses essential principles such as providing more space, better living conditions, and enhanced animal welfare measures. Over 230 companies have committed to the BCC in the United States, and their progress is tracked annually in CIWF’s ChickenTrack report. LaBelle Patrimoine’s chickens are third-party certified by Earth Claims to meet Global Animal Partnership’s Step 4 rating. This ensures chickens have access to pasture and exceed the BCC’s requirements around space, enrichment, and lighting. 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.
“LaBelle Patrimoine’s model proves that fulfilling the Better Chicken Commitment is achievable,” says Julia Johnson, U.S. head of food business, Compassion in World Farming. “Their dedication to animal welfare and support for independent farmers sets an example for the entire broiler chicken industry. Compassion in World Farming is honored to showcase this company globally and hopes other producers will follow Labelle Patrimoine’s leadership.”
Grown on family farms in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, LaBelle Patrimoine’s exclusive heritage chickens are grown as promised to meet the highest animal welfare standards in the industry. They freely roam in pastures and are raised at a slower pace. The company air-chills its all-natural chickens instead of chilling them in water with added chemicals. These levels of care and attention to every detail guarantee that LaBelle Patrimoine’s chickens are “grown as promised.”
Awarded the Whole Foods Market All*Star supplier of the year twice since the brand’s inception in 2020, LaBelle Patrimoine’s products –including whole chickens, half chickens, spatchcock, breasts, thighs, wings, and drumsticks– are available in 250+ Whole Foods Market stores across the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Mid-West, North Atlantic, and Florida regions, at various regional grocers, and on online at www.labelle-patrimoine.com.
About Labelle Patrimoine:
LaBelle Patrimoine is a Lancaster County, Pennsylvania-based provider of premium poultry products. It is committed to delivering the highest quality and best taste while prioritizing animal welfare and sustainability. CEO Mike Charles founded the company to provide consumers with delicious and ethically sourced poultry products, including heritage air-chilled chickens, turkeys, and organic eggs “grown at promised.” For more information, please visit https://www.labelle-patrimoine.com/.
About Compassion in World Farming:
Compassion in World Farming is the leading international farm animal welfare charity, campaigning to improve the lives of millions of farm animals through advocacy, lobbying for legislative change and positive engagement with the global food industry. Our established international Food Business program aims to achieve a holistic approach to sustainable food production by driving transformational change for farm animals, reducing our reliance on animal-sourced foods and moving the food industry towards more regenerative, nature-friendly farming. CIWF Media Contact: Madison.Longenecker@ciwf.org.
