Lucy Pilgrim is an in-house writer for EME Outlook Magazine, where she is responsible for interviewing corporate executives and crafting original features for the magazine, corporate...
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2 Sisters Food Group has announced new sustainability measures that include stronger sourcing commitments and greater investment in British-grown poultry feed ingredients, representing a major step in its target towards net zero by 2035.
2 Sisters Food Group (2SFG) has unveiled a series of sustainability initiatives designed to reduce emissions across its poultry operations whilst supporting British agriculture and improving supply chain resilience.
The measures form part of the company’s wider NextGen Strategy, which targets net zero by 2035, and include an enhanced deforestation-free sourcing commitment alongside increased use of British-grown protein in chicken feed.
From July 2026, 2SFG will broaden its premium payment programme for South American Soyameal suppliers to cover all forms of land conversion rather than focusing solely on deforestation.
The company says it sources from farms where deforestation and land conversion have not taken place for more than 18 years, resulting in very low greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions linked to land use change. As a result, the carbon footprint of Soyameal used in 2SFG chicken feed is expected to fall by up to 70 percent.
SUPPORTING BRITISH FARMERS
The business has also reformulated its poultry feed by replacing almost one quarter (23 percent) of imported Soyameal with British-grown oilseed rape and beans.
This change will see 2SFG purchase 150,000 tonnes of crops from British farmers each year, representing a £50 million investment in the UK’s agricultural sector whilst strengthening domestic food security.
According to the company, replacing imported Soyameal has already contributed to a 15 percent reduction in the carbon footprint of a 2 Sisters chicken over the past 30 years, compared with birds fed a standard Soyameal diet.
The revised feed also supports improved soil health, reduces artificial fertiliser use, and benefits pollinators across 46,000 hectares of British farmland.
The latest initiative is expected to reduce carbon emissions by almost 670,000 tonnes, equating to a reduction of more than 20 percent in Scope 3 emissions.
By the end of 2027, the company also plans to remove Soyameal entirely from the diet of chickens at its Coupar Angus facility in Scotland, replacing it with British-grown peas, seeds, and beans.
ALIGNING WELFARE AND SUSTAINABILITY
2SFG says it is one of Europe’s largest producers of higher-welfare chicken. All chickens on its farms are reared to Red Tractor standards, with 80 percent kept at lower stocking densities, whilst a significant proportion are produced in line with Better Chicken Commitment (BCC) requirements, including the use of slower growing breeds.
The company believes its lower carbon Soyameal procurement will reduce the carbon footprint of all 2SFG chicken production whilst supporting the continued expansion of higher welfare farming.
Kate Stein, Group Director of Quality, Sustainability, and Agriculture at 2SFG, comments on how this is a transformation moment for British poultry.
Kate Stein, Group Director of Quality, Sustainability, and Agriculture, 2SFG
“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.”
Kate Stein, Group Director of Quality, Sustainability, and Agriculture, 2SFG
The announcement has also been welcomed by industry organisations and retail partners.
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 2SFG 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.”
Philip Lymbery, Global CEO of Compassion in World Farming
Teresa Garcia-Moore PhD, Engagement Manager at AFi, added: “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, also believes the new measures will have a major impact on poultry welfare, particularly for M&S.
“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 Managing Director, 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.”
This article was produced by the editorial team at EME Outlook and published as part of the Outlook Publishing global network of B2B industry magazines.
Outlook Publishing delivers industry insights, company stories, and sector coverage across manufacturing, mining, construction, healthcare, supply chains, food production, and sustainability.
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Lucy Pilgrim is an in-house writer for EME Outlook Magazine, where she is responsible for interviewing corporate executives and crafting original features for the magazine, corporate brochures, and the digital platform.
