Grupo Dia moves forward in its commitment to animal welfare. The company publicly joins the European Chicken Commitment with a commitment to implement its welfare standards in chicken farming for meat production by the end of 2026.
The European Chicken Commitment is a voluntary membership initiative promoted by some thirty European organisations working on animal welfare with the aim of aligning all actors in the food industry to implement the necessary changes in production and consumption patterns in the poultry meat sector, with environmental improvements in the life of the animals, improvements in stunning methods and transparency in the fulfilment of commitments, among other aspects.
Dia’s decision to join the European Chicken Commitment is in line with its strategy to continuously improve its own-brand product offering and in response to growing consumer sensitivity to the living conditions of food animals and the health of the planet.
The company will work with its suppliers and other stakeholders to ensure that the requirements of the Commitment apply to fresh, frozen and processed products with more than 50% chicken as an ingredient that are marketed in Spain under its own brand. In the process of raising animal protection standards, it will be necessary for other actors to adhere to the Commitment as well.
The European Chicken Commitment is a pledge committing its signatories to introduce higher welfare standards for all the chickens in their supply by 2026, including:
- Better genetics for improved quality of life
- More space to live
- Natural light, perches and pecking substrates to stimulate behaviour
- Humane slaughter
- Compliance with a meaningful third party animal welfare certification and annual reporting
In Europe, over 350 companies have signed up for better chicken, including key brands like KFC, M&S, Unilever, Nestlé, Waitrose, Danone, Elior Group, Sodexo, and 99% of the retail market of France.
In the US, over 200 companies have agreed a similar ask to provide better welfare for broilers by 2024.
About
Distribuidora Internacional de Alimentación, S.A. (DIA) is a Spanish multinational hard-discount supermarket chain founded in 1979. DIA is the largest franchiser company in Spain and the fourth largest food sector franchiser in Europe. The Company operates under DIA brand in Spain, Argentina and Brazil and under Minipreço brand in Portugal. It has also operates 1.051 Clarel beauty stores in Spain.
At the end of 2021 it had 5.937 stores, of which 2,738 in Spain, 499 in Portugal, 912 in Argentina and 737 in Brazil, 46 distribution warehouses and approximately 38,573 employees, with a turnover of 6.6 billion Euros. Dia also markets up to 7,500 Dia branded products internationally.
Headquarters: Madrid community, Spain.
