Pasture Raised vs Organic vs Free Range Chicken, Which Is Best?
Purchasing animal-based products can be tricky because of their link to climate change and other ethical problems, and poultry is no exception here! Many of us have spent more time than we’d like to admit trying to decipher between all of the different eco-labels on poultry at the grocery store.
“Free range”, “organic”, “pasture-raised”, and “cage-free”... What is the difference, and which one is better to buy?
Knowing where our food comes from and what all these different labels and certifications mean (as well as which greenwashed ones to avoid) can allow us to make more informed decisions while we shop. Let’s get started!
What’s the problem with conventional chicken?
Before diving into what our options are when buying poultry, we first need to discuss why this matters in the first place. There are two main things to consider when talking about more eco-friendly poultry, the first is animal welfare.
PinThe ethics
In the 1920s, the average commercially farmed chicken weighed only 2.5 pounds and for context, we had to feed a U.S. population of 115 million people. Today the U.S. population has reached 320 million! People also consume much more meat in their diets than they used to. With these factors combined, farmers and producers have been feeling the pressure to keep up with the growing demand and remain competitive in the market.
This discrepancy has led farmers and producers to adopt new ways to raise more and larger animals and depending on who you ask, these methods haven't always been the most humane. For example, we started to introduce growth hormones to the birds (in areas outside of the US), we limited or took away their access to the outdoors, and placed them in more confined living spaces like battery cages. These battery cages are often only 67 square inches in size, and this is where the animal might spend its entire life…
When thinking about animal welfare and poultry, it’s important to remember that it really depends on where your chicken comes from. For example, 99% of all meat produced in the U.S. comes from factory farms, which are more likely to have poor living conditions. Smaller-scale local farms, which make up the remaining 1%, are known to be generally better.
The environment
The second thing to consider is how the methods by which conventional chickens are raised and transported might impact the environment and climate change.
Although chicken has a much lower carbon footprint than beef (by over 6 times in fact), it's still not amazing in terms of its environmental footprint. One serving of chicken, or four ounces, produces 1.39 kg of CO2e and 17.8 gallons of water. To put this into context, if you ate one serving of chicken every day for a year, that would be like using up 57 gallons of gas or taking a shower for 43 hours - and that is just for one person.
The impact becomes even larger when you consider that farmed chicken makes up 70% of all birds on earth! Asking consumers to shift a diet completely away from poultry simply isn’t logical or realistic. All this leaves us asking…
Pasture Raised vs Organic vs Free Range Chicken
What is organic chicken?
According to WholeFoods, chicken farms must meet four specific standards in order to be considered “organic”.
These farms must also be inspected on an annual basis by a third party to make sure these standards are continuously being met.
What certification(s) do I need to look for when shopping for organic chicken?
USDA Organic: this is one of the most common organic labels to look for when shopping. USDA Organic-certified poultry is only given antibiotics when sick and is never given hormones. They also have a vegetarian diet with no added preservatives, GMOs, or other chemicals.
However, USDA certification does not require pasture access or welfare considerations to be taken into account during slaughter.
But like all things eco-friendly, there are some pros and cons to consider:
PROS
CONS
What is pasture-raised chicken?
Like the name sounds, pasture-raised chicken is a chicken that was raised in a pasture covered with grass and other plants that is at least 108 sq feet of outdoor space. Pasture-raised chickens are able to bop around and peck the ground for seeds, worms, and other grains from the soil. Their waste is also able to fertilize the soil, rather than fall from one cage to another like we have seen many times with factory farming.
What certification(s) do I need to look for when shopping for pasture-raised chicken?
Certified Humane: Since there is no legal definition for either term in the U.S., Humane Farm Animal Care (HFAC) has standards for products that are labeled Certified Humane® “free range” or “pasture-raised”. For a product to be labeled HFAC’s Certified Humane® “Pasture Raised”, the requirement is 1000 birds per 2.5 acres (108 sq. ft. per bird) and the fields must be rotated.
The chickens must also be outdoors year round with mobile or fixed housing so they can protect themselves from bad weather or predators.
PROS
CONS
What is free-range chicken?
Free-range chicken is slightly different. Unlike Pasture-raised, “free-range” implies that while chickens have access to the outdoors, there are no regulations on how much access they have (their outdoor access could literally be through a hole in the wall).
Because of this, “free-range” is one of the most greenwashed labels out there! Many companies label their chickens as free-range when in reality, they rarely go outside.
What certification(s) do I need to look for when shopping for free-range chicken?
Certified Humane: For a product to be labeled HFAC’s Certified Humane® “Free Range”, the space requirement is 2 sq. ft. per bird and they must be outdoors for at least 6 hours a day.
Free-range chicken also has some pros and cons:
PROS
CONS
What is cage-free chicken?
Cage-free chicken (oftentimes used interchangeably with “free roaming chicken”) is probably the broadest term on this list. “Cage-free” implies that the chickens do not live in cages and likely have access to perches or dust-bathing areas.
But this doesn't mean there is high animal welfare in its place since most “cage-free” flocks still never see the light of day.
What certification(s) do I need to look for when shopping for cage-free chicken?
Certified Humane: HFAC also has set standards on products labeled “cage-free”. Under this label, all chickens must have access to all levels of their housing system at all times, and battery cages and any other form of confinement is prohibited.
Cage-free chicken has more cons than pros:
PROS
CONS
Tips for shopping for healthier chicken
Last but not least, we need to talk about tips for shopping for poultry at farmers' markets and conventional grocery stores.
1. It's all about labeling!
Now that you know what each kind of label means and what certifications to look for, you can make better choices next time you shop for chicken.
Remember, cage-free does not mean cruelty-free. And just because chickens might be labeled “organic” that doesn’t mean they have access to the outdoors in any capacity worth getting excited about.
Pro tip: “all-natural” does not mean organic! This label is very vague and simply means the chicken was minimally processed (with no dyes, coloring, or flavoring). That is ALL.
2. “Fresh” is best
“Fresh” poultry might seem a bit weird to see at the grocery store, isn’t it all fresh? Well, “fresh” means that the chicken has never been frozen or refrigerated below 26 degrees Fahrenheit. This chicken will generally taste better and won’t have the contamination risks that come with defrosting.
Pro tip: Always eat your “fresh” poultry within a day or two of purchasing it. And be sure to pass on the chicken nuggets and patties in the freezer aisle!
3. Grocery stores vs. farm markets vs. butcher shops
Where you decide to buy your poultry matters too! Butcher shops tend to know more about where the product comes from and can help you break down the labeling if you can’t remember the difference between them all.
Farm markets and healthy chains like WholeFoods are also good options since they are known for better business practices when it comes to the environment and animal welfare.
Pro tip: I also have a sustainable egg buying guide (you know, if you are shopping anyways).
Where to buy organic, free-range chicken?
Crowd Cow
Crowd Cow handpicks and test-tests all of thier meats. All of the chicken is sourced from farmers who are serious about regenerative agriculture and don't use any antibiotics either. When you shop, you even have the choice of choosing the farm you want to support.
Thier website makes it super easy to shop local and includes farmers in the USA, Japan, and New Zealand. You can also choose from grass-fed beef, lamb, and even fish. Not only are they carbon neutral, but they also ship in eco-friendly boxes, made from recyclable and compostable materials.
You can choose individual cuts you can sign up for a membership, choose your own custom box or pick one of their boxes for $149.
Cooks Venture
Cooks Venture has three main objectives:
- Healthy chickens and beef raised without antibiotics
- Ample space to roam and forage on natural pasture
- Creating biodiverse, fertile soil through regenerative rotational grazing
They do this by adopting the Better Chicken Commitment. This means thier birds have access to diversified pasture - this exceeds the baseline chicken housing requirements on lighting, litter, enrichment, and space allowance.
Regenerative agriculture is at the heart of everything they do. You will not find GM)-feed here either and no antibiotics ever!
It's super easy to shop, just choose the box and the meat you want, and they will deliver it to your door, all you have to do it cook it up!
Price: You can choose 6 items to a box for $159.99 or 12 items for $289.99.
Final thoughts
In order to combat climate change and meet our global targets, we need to cut down our dairy and meat consumption as a whole (by 50% by 2030), not shift from one bad product to a slightly worse one.
This doesn’t mean you can’t eat chicken, sustainable living is a journey after all. But when you can, consider other protein options like hemp hearts or lentils and try to purchase chicken that has been raised more humanely and has certifications like the ones we talked about today to back it up.
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