Every Day is World Poultry Day
Today, May 10, 2024, is designated World Poultry Day and at ONCE by Signify, we couldn’t be prouder to honor it. But we also want to recognize what many know to be a pretty open secret: Every day is World Poultry Day.
Poultry’s significant role in food security
The numbers are staggering. According to the 2023 edition of the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report, 2.4 billion people experienced moderate or severe food insecurity and 900 million people faced severe food insecurity. More than three billion people can’t afford a healthy diet, and many children under five suffer from malnutrition.
Fortunately, poultry contributes to global economic development and helps alleviate food insecurity in several ways. For starters, poultry offers a significant source of protein and nutrition security, which supports the overall health and well-being of a population. Local and international humanitarian organizations recognize that poultry production has the potential to benefit the poorest and most disadvantaged people in developing nations. In addition, poultry farming can contribute to a country’s stability and social equitability and impacts both domestic and international trade, influencing export and import values. The poultry segment also has the lowest carbon footprint and requires fewer resources, making it a more sustainable option.
Ensuring the widespread availability of poultry as a sustainable and valuable food source
The demand for poultry is only expected to increase in the near future. According to FAO and OECD projections, poultry meat consumption is estimated to grow by 15% in the next decade. These projections also note that this consumption will reach 91 million tons by 2032, given poultry’s positive social perception, lower price compared to other types of meat, and that it contains a healthy combination of protein and low fat.
Given its affordability and versatility, the consumption of chicken in particular is expected to double compared to the amount consumed in 1999. The Food and Agriculture Organization forecasts that by 2030, chicken will account for 4% of all meat consumed globally.
Those of us in the agriculture industry need to continually apply innovative strategies and partner as an international community to ensure the continued widespread availability of poultry as a sustainable and valuable food source.
Optimizing animal health and productivity to transform the poultry industry
Ensuring innovative strategies become actionable is a driving force at ONCE, and our latest products are designed to improve overall farm sustainability, advance animal welfare, and increase poultry, as well as swine production. We recently launched Optient, a revolutionary lighting solution focused on optimizing animal health and productivity, which is set to transform the poultry industry. Developed in collaboration with one of the world’s largest food companies and industry-leading poultry producer, Tyson Foods, Optient offers multiple unique advantages to poultry farmers. Benefits range from improved animal welfare and feed conversion to reduced energy usage.
Optient uses non-uniform or gradient lighting to mimic the varied lighting environments found in the wild, promoting the natural behavior of chickens, keeping flocks calm and stress-free and resulting in improved animal welfare. By utilizing energy-efficient LED technology, Optient can also reduce energy usage by up to 70%, making it a greener choice for poultry farmers.
We’re pleased to report that we’ve been carrying out commercial trials of the gradient lighting system with promising results and a full scientific report on the benefits of Optient will be shared as more data is gathered and analyzed.
Let’s talk poultry
We’d love to continue the discussion about the key role we can all play in ensuring the ongoing availability of poultry in ways that benefit animals, farmers, and consumers.
