As one of the world‘s largest retailers, Walmart is a grocery behemoth that sells massive amounts of chicken every day. In fact, according to estimates from the National Chicken Council, Walmart accounts for a staggering 25% of all chicken sales in the United States. With nearly 5,000 stores across the country, the company‘s scale gives it immense power to shape the poultry industry and the lives of billions of birds. But what do we really know about where all that Walmart chicken comes from? The answer, as it turns out, is not particularly appetizing.
The Disturbing Realities of Industrial Poultry Production
The overwhelming majority of chicken sold at Walmart and other major U.S. retailers comes from factory farms, also known as Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs). These massive, industrialized facilities bear little resemblance to the idyllic family farms of yesteryear. Instead, they are designed to maximize production and minimize costs by raising as many birds as possible in the smallest amount of space.
According to a report from the Sentience Institute, 99.9% of chickens raised for meat in the U.S. are raised in factory farms. That equates to around 9 billion birds per year confined to crowded, filthy, windowless warehouses. The vast majority of these chickens are bred to grow at an unnaturally rapid pace, reaching slaughter weight in just 6-7 weeks. This genetic manipulation can cause a host of painful health problems, including heart failure, leg deformities, and severe respiratory distress.
The conditions inside factory farms are nothing short of brutal. Each chicken is typically allotted less than one square foot of space, making it impossible for them to engage in any of their natural behaviors. Ammonia fumes from the birds‘ accumulated waste burn their eyes and throats, while constant light and noise deprivation prevent them from resting. Many birds die from stress, disease, or injury before even reaching the slaughterhouse.
When it comes time for slaughter, chickens are roughly grabbed by workers and shackled upside down on a conveyor belt. They are then dragged through an electrified water bath that is meant to stun them before their throats are cut. However, the fast-moving lines and imprecise stunning methods mean that many birds have their throats slit while still fully conscious. Some miss the killing blade entirely and end up being scalded alive in the defeathering tanks.
Walmart‘s Role in Perpetuating Factory Farming
As the largest grocer in the U.S., Walmart has the power to drive industry-wide changes in how chickens are raised. However, the company has consistently prioritized low prices over animal welfare, and its poultry suppliers have followed suit. Walmart‘s business model relies on sourcing large volumes of cheap chicken from companies like Tyson Foods, Pilgrim‘s Pride, and Perdue Farms, which operate some of the largest and most intensive factory farms in the country.
These big poultry companies wield immense control over the farmers who raise chickens for them, dictating everything from the feed and medications the birds receive to the equipment and facilities used. Farmers are required to take on large amounts of debt to build and maintain the expensive, specialized warehouses needed to meet the companies‘ strict demands. They are then paid based on how their birds perform compared to other farms in the area, a system that pits farmers against each other and incentivizes them to cut corners and prioritize output over welfare.
The economics of this system make it nearly impossible for most farmers to afford better facilities or more humane practices. Meanwhile, companies like Tyson and Pilgrim‘s Pride have been repeatedly cited for animal cruelty, labor abuses, and environmental violations. Yet Walmart continues to do business with them, putting pressure on its suppliers to keep prices low above all else.
In recent years, Walmart has made some public commitments to improving animal welfare in its supply chain. However, these pledges have been criticized as weak and limited in scope. For example, Walmart has said it will transition to buying only cage-free eggs by 2025, but this policy does nothing to address the suffering of chickens raised for meat. The company has also failed to sign on to the Better Chicken Commitment, a set of welfare standards endorsed by leading animal protection groups that would require suppliers to provide birds with more space, better living conditions, and less cruel slaughter methods.
The Human and Environmental Toll of Cheap Chicken
The hidden costs of Walmart‘s cheap chicken go beyond animal suffering. Factory farms are also notorious for exploiting workers, many of whom are immigrants and people of color. Poultry processing plants are some of the most dangerous workplaces in the country, with high rates of injury, illness, and sexual harassment. Workers are often forced to endure long hours, low pay, and hazardous conditions, with little recourse to address abuses.
In addition to harming workers, industrial poultry production takes a heavy toll on the environment and public health. Factory farms generate massive amounts of waste that can pollute air and water, harming local communities and ecosystems. The industry‘s reliance on antibiotics to prevent disease in overcrowded flocks also contributes to the rise of antibiotic-resistant superbugs that threaten human health. A report by the Natural Resources Defense Council found that around 5.6 million pounds of medically important antibiotics were sold for use in chicken production in 2017 – more than three times the amount used to treat human illness.
What Can Concerned Consumers Do?
For shoppers who want to avoid supporting the cruel and unsustainable practices of factory farming, it can be challenging to find truly humane options at Walmart. While the company does offer some organic and free-range chicken products, these labels alone do not guarantee good welfare standards. Farms can still be certified organic or free-range while confining birds indoors at high stocking densities and using fast-growing breeds that suffer from painful health problems.
To identify meaningfully higher-welfare chicken at Walmart, look for products with third-party animal welfare certifications like Global Animal Partnership (GAP), Certified Humane, or Animal Welfare Approved. These programs have more rigorous requirements for providing birds with space, enrichment, and outdoor access. However, it‘s important to note that even these certifications allow for some questionable practices, like the use of fast-growing breeds.
Your best bet for finding truly humane chicken is to seek out products from smaller, local farms that raise slower-growing birds on pasture. While Walmart generally doesn‘t carry chicken from small, independent farms, you can look for local options at farmers markets, food co-ops, and direct-to-consumer outlets like CSAs. Buying directly from farmers allows you to ask questions and learn more about their practices to ensure they align with your values.
Another impactful way to push back against factory farming is to simply eat less chicken and other industrially-produced meat. By reducing demand for these products, you can send a powerful signal that inhumane and unsustainable practices are unacceptable. When you do choose to buy chicken, be willing to spend a little more on products from higher-welfare farms to help support a more ethical and resilient food system.
Envisioning a Better Future
Ultimately, the problems with Walmart chicken are symptoms of a much larger issue: the consolidation and industrialization of our food system. As long as a handful of giant companies are allowed to dominate the market and prioritize profit over all else, animals, workers, consumers, and the environment will continue to suffer.
But it doesn‘t have to be this way. A growing movement of farmers, activists, and eaters are working to build a more just and sustainable food system from the ground up. By supporting local, regenerative farms and pushing for policies that level the playing field for independent producers, we can create a future where humane, healthy food is the norm, not the exception.
As the largest grocer in the country, Walmart has a moral obligation to be a leader in this transition. The company‘s immense power means that even small changes in its sourcing practices could have a huge ripple effect throughout the industry. By committing to higher welfare standards, investing in more humane and sustainable farming practices, and promoting greater transparency in its supply chain, Walmart could help chart a new course for the future of food.
But this change won‘t happen without pressure from consumers, advocates, and policymakers. As shoppers, we have the power to vote with our dollars and demand better from the companies we support. By educating ourselves, asking tough questions, and seeking out more ethical options, we can help create a market for food that truly nourishes both people and the planet.
The story of Walmart chicken is a microcosm of the larger failures of our industrial food system. But it‘s also an opportunity to envision a different way forward. By working together to build a more just, compassionate, and sustainable world, we can ensure that the food on our plates reflects the values we hold in our hearts. The choice is ours to make.
