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Fed: Big chicken

Dr Chris van Tulleken ponders the global cost of keeping the world in wings.

We're a planet addicted to chicken and our appetites fuel a massive global industry, but is it one we should support?

While some cite it as a shining example of a super-efficient food production system, one that could help drive food security around the world, others say it is a cruel, destructive and outdated structure that makes a few people richer while exploiting others – along with animals and the environment.

In Brazil, one of the world’s biggest chicken and soya producers, our reporter Leonardo Milano hears accusations of threats and pollution relating to the feed sector; while in Africa, Dr Chris van Tulleken learns about poultry-farming initiatives helping to make struggling nations more food-secure.

There are also other challenges that the industry is wrestling with: from antimicrobial resistance to the threat of another major global pandemic - bird flu. So is there a β€˜big business bad guy’ to blame – or does responsibility lie closer to home, with unquestioning consumers like Chris?

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26 minutes

Last on

Mon 12 Aug 2024 00:32GMT

Broadcasts

  • Mon 5 Aug 2024 19:32GMT
  • Tue 6 Aug 2024 04:32GMT
  • Tue 6 Aug 2024 12:32GMT
  • Mon 12 Aug 2024 00:32GMT

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