2 Sisters Food Group (2SFG) recently announced a major step forward in its sustainability journey, unveiling an expanded deforestation-free commitment and a significant shift toward British-grown protein in poultry feed. These initiatives form part of the company’s wider “NextGen” Strategy, aimed at achieving Net Zero by 2035.
Expanded Deforestation-Free Commitment
2SFG will extend premium payments to South American Soyameal farmers to cover all land conversion – not just deforestation – helping protect vital ecosystems such as native grasslands and supporting biodiversity beyond standard industry pledges.
Sourcing from farms where deforestation and land conversion has not occurred for over 18 years, meaning there are very low greenhouse gas emissions associated with land use change, reduces the carbon footprint of Soyameal for 2SFG chicken feed by up to 70%, from July 2026.
Increased Use of British-Grown Protein and removal of Soyameal in Scotland
The company has redeveloped its chicken feed to replace nearly one quarter (23%) of imported Soyameal with British-grown oilseed rape and beans, purchasing 150,000 tonnes annually from British farmers. This investment injects £50 million into the British agricultural economy and strengthens food security.
This ingredient replacement has already been gradually reducing the carbon footprint of a 2 Sisters’ chicken by 15% over the last 30 years, compared to the same bird fed a standard Soyameal inclusion diet*; while improving soil health, reducing artificial fertiliser use, and supporting pollinators across 46,000 hectares of British farmland. This latest move is expected to further reduce carbon emissions by almost 670,000t, representing a reduction of more than 20% in Scope 3 emissions for 2SFG.
By the end of 2027, 2SFG will additionally completely remove Soyameal from the diet of chickens at its Coupar Angus facility in Scotland, replacing it with British-grown peas, seeds and beans.***
Leading the industry in higher welfare chicken
2SFG is one of the largest producers of higher welfare chicken in Europe. Chickens on 2SFG farms are all grown to Red Tractor standards, with 80% at lower stocking densities and a significant amount grown to Better Chicken Commitment (BCC) requirements, which includes the use of a slower growing breed. Today’s announcement on the procurement of low carbon Soyameal for chicken feed will significantly lower the carbon footprint of all 2SFG chicken. This move will align welfare and sustainability goals, enabling the business to scale up higher welfare production whilst also reducing carbon emissions.
Kate Stein, Group Director of Quality, Sustainability and Agriculture at 2 Sisters Food Group, said: “This is a transformation moment for British poultry. By going beyond deforestation-free standards and backing British farmers, we’re making a meaningful commitment to both the environment and animal welfare – building a sustainable, resilient food system for the future as part of our NextGen Strategy.”
Global CEO of Compassion in World Farming, Philip Lymbery, commented: “Compassion in World Farming firmly believes in the rigorous pursuit of improvements to the welfare of farmed animals and the health of our planet. Never in our history has it been more urgent to build a resilient, sustainable food system with animal welfare at its heart. This is a great step forward by 2 Sisters Food Group and clearly shows that higher welfare and sustainability can go hand in hand. This demonstrates truly disruptive leadership, showing it is possible to make significant progress with speed.”
This industry-leading development is also aligned with the Accountability Framework initiative (AFi). Teresa Garcia-Moore PhD, Engagement Manager at AFi, said: “Aligning with the Accountability Framework, which is backed by the consensus of 20+ environment and human rights organisations, helps ensure that buying commodities sourced from sensitive ecosystems is not contributing to deforestation or land conversion.”
Alex Freudmann, Managing Director of M&S Food, said: “M&S fresh chicken is 100% RSPCA Assured, and our Oakham Gold chicken is exclusively supplied by 2SFG: this latest move to more sustainable feed is a strong example of the innovative initiatives our supplier partners are rolling out to adapt farming practices to support the environment, whilst backing British farmers. The M&S Plan A for Farming supports long term resilience for farmers and switching to British-grown feed for chickens will support a wider network of growers in the UK as well as the journey to net zero.”
Matt Hood, Group MD, Co-op Food, commented: “Co-op only sells and uses 100% British chicken, and it’s good to see further investment from our long-term partner, 2SFG, into UK agriculture so together we can make meaningful change. British farmers are the backbone of the domestic food supply chain and, as an industry, it is imperative we build its resilience, alongside global supply chains, to maximise sustainability for now and the future.”
