The Pecking Order

Since 2023, Humane World for Animals has been publishing The Pecking Order reports, evaluating the chicken welfare policies and progress of major fast-food brands in Poland and Romania. The report highlights an urgent need for Poland's and Romania’s fast-food industry to accelerate its efforts to adopt higher welfare standards for chickens raised for meat—especially given growing consumer demand for more humane food production. Additionally, the report outlines actionable steps for the industry, lawmakers and consumers to drive meaningful change.

Humane World for Animals

Addressing urgent welfare issues

The report relies on the science-based criteria of the European Chicken Commitment agreed to by 38 animal welfare organizations worldwide. These criteria set minimum standards for addressing the most urgent welfare issues in the production of chickens kept and killed for meat, such as overcrowding, unhealthy breeding, cramped cages, barren environments and inhumane slaughter methods.

Fast-food companies should do better

In the 2025 Pecking Order report in Poland, IKEA, Domino’s and Pizza Hut lead the rankings, while in Romania, IKEA, Pizza Hut and Subway top the list. These companies have publicly stated chicken welfare policies that align with ECC standards, except for Subway. However, they still need to improve their substantive reporting on progress, timeline and specific steps they will take to show customers that they are improving chicken welfare in their supply chains.

In contrast, Subway, KFC and McDonald’s in Poland, as well as KFC in Romania, lag behind with incomplete policies without deadlines or failing to address key welfare issues. Meanwhile, Burger King, Popeyes, Pasibus, Salad Story, Starbucks and Zahir Kebab in Poland, along with 5 to go, Burger King, Popeyes, Domino’s, McDonald's, Salad Box, Spartan, and Starbucks in Romania, received the lowest scores for not publishing an ECC commitment. Consequently, consumers may assume that these companies are not taking any action to address critical chicken welfare concern.

Humane World for Animals Europe

Poland’s and Romania’s performances are the weakest in the EU

Across the EU, 81 fast-food chains were evaluated in seven countries. Company scores within a country reflect the state of broiler chicken welfare in a country’s fast-food industry. All countries together reflect the state of affairs in the EU.

Romania has the lowest score among all countries, with an average industry score of 11% in 2025—down from 17% in 2023—highlighting both the urgency and the opportunity for action. Poland has the second-lowest score, with an average industry score of 16% in 2025—down from 18% in 2023—reinforcing the need for accelerated progress.

Lukas Vincour / Zvirata Nejime/We Animals

Ways forward

The Pecking Order report urges fast-food companies to take concrete steps to improve chicken welfare by adopting ECC standards and creating clear road maps to achieve their goals. It also highlights the need for stronger collaboration between fast-food chains and chicken producers to implement a transition to higher welfare farming models, which can also help reduce reliance on antibiotics. Producers need dedicated buyers to justify investments in higher welfare, while fast-food chains rely on these producers for a steady supply of higher-welfare chicken.

In addition to corporate action, lawmakers are critical to driving the transition to higher welfare for chickens, especially regarding stocking density and promoting slower-growing genetic lines. Legislators can protect animal welfare through policy development and enforcement while keeping the industry competitive in national and European markets.

The European 2025 edition of The Pecking Order is a project by World Animal Protection, together with Humane World for Animals, Essere Animali and Obranci Zvirat. A total of 81 companies were assessed in 2025 covering the markets of Czechia, Denmark, France, Italy, Poland, Romania and Sweden.