 Organic and free-range poultry meat production is a particularly underdeveloped sector. This is mainly due to the significant challenges of rearing young poultry in a free range environment when compared to indoor production. The significant cost differential represents a real obstacle to the development of an alternative to intensively produced poultry.
Another major obstacle is the lack of local organic killing and processing facilities. But as public interest in poultry welfare and local food increases, so does the potential to develop organic poultry production.
Poultry will thrive in a free-range environment, provided they are managed well in a system that promotes their health. In a poorly designed or managed system a host of problems can arise which can lead to health and welfare problems, making the enterprise unviable and defeating a major part of the exercise – to improve poultry welfare by allowing more natural behaviour.
Organic chicken has been the key growth area in organic livestock, with production expanding more rapidly than red meat. Increasing consumer awareness of the negative health and animal welfare aspects of intensive poultry production have fuelled this growth. Despite relatively little promotion by multiple retailers, some processors have struggled to keep up with demand, indicating a significant latent market for organic poultry.
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