The UK poultry meat industry is at a crossroads, with three critical pressure points—place, people, and progress—determining its future stability and productivity. Any weakening in these areas could result in increased reliance on imported poultry, higher costs, and diminished local capacity.
In its recently released Annual Report for 2025, the British Poultry Council (BPC) outlined the essential operating conditions needed for the UK to sustain a secure and productive poultry sector, emphasizing its crucial role in national food security.
BPC CEO Richard Griffiths stated, “Food production is not a background function of the economy; it is foundational to our ability to thrive. However, the current operating conditions no longer align with the realities of modern food production.”
Place – Essential Economic Infrastructure
A significant issue concerning ‘place’ involves current planning decisions, which often consider sites as local inconveniences rather than vital national assets. The unpredictability of planning processes can deter investments, constrict capacity, and jeopardize the infrastructure necessary for feeding the populace.
As planning processes become inconsistent, productivity falters, making investments more precarious and raising overall costs. This shift inevitably leads the UK to rely more heavily on imports to fill domestic gaps.
The BPC report argues for the recognition of poultry production as Critical National Infrastructure, essential to economic stability and food security. To achieve this, the report proposes:
- Permitted development reform to facilitate critical upgrades like welfare improvements and energy efficiency.
- The creation of national planning guidelines for food production to secure consistent decision-making across local authorities.
The UK poultry sector currently supports 35,000 jobs, contributes £8.5 billion in Gross Value Added (GVA), and represents approximately 0.3% of the national GDP, providing a crucial source of affordable protein for millions.
People – A Workforce Framework
Poultry production is a high-skill sector dependent on a well-trained workforce. However, existing skills shortages, an inaccessible visa system, and insufficient recognition for specialized expertise jeopardize the supply chain.
The report indicates that without a skilled workforce, productivity wanes, and training opportunities diminish. Therefore, a robust workforce framework is necessary, emphasizing food workers’ critical role in the UK’s economic resilience. Key proposed actions include:
- Establishing an ‘agri-skills taskforce’ to align food production careers with national skills priorities.
- Reassessing the apprenticeship levy to focus on targeted skills development and attract new entrants to the agricultural sector.
- Creating an ‘AgriFood shortage occupation list’ to allow essential roles to transition from temporary to sustainable status through year-round visas.
Progress – A Level Playing Field
According to the BPC, lack of parity in UK-EU trade has hindered competitiveness, slowed exports, and complicated the logistics of goods movement. Currently, the UK shoulders the burden of compliance costs without reaping the benefits of an efficient trading system.
With trade lagging behind production cycles, costs are driven up, movement is hampered, food waste increases, and diplomatic relations with major trading partners suffer.
To address these challenges, the BPC advocates for a streamlined Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) agreement to ensure food safety while facilitating trade. Proposed solutions include:
- Establishing free trade and access to the customs union to ensure smooth food trade with the EU.
- Implementing digital-first border processes to replace outdated paper systems with real-time documentation.
- Adopting risk-based border management to focus checks where they are most necessary.
As Griffiths remarked, “Our report identifies the pressure points—Place, People, and Progress—that will dictate the future of UK poultry production. A decline in any of these areas could result in stagnation, diminished capacity, increased costs, and greater reliance on imports.”
Building for Growth
Recognizing food as Critical National Infrastructure is only the starting point. The real measure of national resilience lies in what actions we take next:
Will we create planning systems that stimulate innovation rather than hinder it? Will we invest in the workforce responsible for making food both available and affordable? Will we build connections that unify our standards with those of our trade partners? Griffiths concluded, “If the government is serious about stimulating growth, it must create the conditions necessary for essential economic infrastructure to flourish. This report outlines the actions required to enhance productivity, fortify resilience, and ensure the nation remains well-fed.”
