What British Poultry Council does

The British Poultry Council (BPC) is the UK trade association representing producers across the entire poultry meat supply chain — covering chicken, turkey, duck, geese, and laying hens — and was established in 1967. Its members, which include approximately 18 full Members, 2 Associate Members, and 16 Seasonal Producers, account for an estimated 80% of UK poultry meat production. The sector they collectively produce contributes between £7.5bn and £8.5bn in GVA to the UK economy, supports more than 35,000 direct jobs, and accounts for roughly half of all meat consumed in the UK, with one billion birds reared annually.

BPC's core service is policy advocacy and industry coordination rather than technology delivery. Its 'products' are a portfolio of advocacy, research, and certification programmes: the five-part 'BPC Visions' strategic framework (covering food affordability, trade, AI management, welfare-environment balance, and workforce skills), periodic reports and publications (including the Oxford Economics economic impact report and the Antibiotic Stewardship report series), the Poultry Health & Welfare Group forum (formed 2013), and the DEFRA Compartments certification scheme for breeding poultry — a scheme the UK was first to apply internationally. Since 2012, the sector has achieved an 83.22% reduction in total antibiotic use and 99.34% reduction in use of Critically Important Antibiotics.

The association is funded by membership dues from its member organisations and generates no disclosed revenue from technology, software, or product sales. It is headquartered at 81-87 High Holborn in London, and its leadership comprises Chief Executive Richard Griffiths, Chair Martin Troop, Technical Director Máire Burnett, and Communications Manager Kerry Maxwell. BPC maintains institutional partnerships with DEFRA, the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), the International Poultry Council (IPC), and acts as secretariat for the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on UK Food Security.

Name

British Poultry Council

Legal name

British Poultry Council

Website

https://britishpoultry.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1967

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The British Poultry Council is the UK trade association founded in 1967 that represents producers across the entire poultry meat supply chain — from breeding through processing — with members accounting for approximately 80% of UK poultry production.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industry Trade Association Services

NAICS

Poultry Processing (311615), Broilers and Other Meat Type Chicken Production (112320), Poultry and Egg Production (1123), Animal Slaughtering and Processing (3116)

SIC

Poultry Slaughtering And Processing (2015), Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200), Meat Packing Plants (2011)

akta.pro primary industry

Poultry Processing & Packing (AFAKALAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Poultry & Avian Production Veterinary Services (HLAMABAC), Broiler Processing (Whole Bird, Parts, Further Processing) (AFANACAI), Poultry & Avian Veterinary Services (AFAEANAD)

Keywords

• Poultry meat trade association
• Industry advocacy
• Policy representation
• Membership services
• Food sector lobbying

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: As a trade association, BPC generates revenue through membership fees from BPC Members, Associate Members, and Seasonal Producers who represent the UK poultry meat industry.

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The British Poultry Council is a UK trade association representing poultry meat producers across the complete supply chain — from primary breeding, hatching, and growing farms through to processing and packaging. It provides policy advocacy, technical guidance on animal health, welfare, biosecurity and food safety, industry research and publications, and convenes sector-wide initiatives such as the Antibiotic Stewardship programme and the DEFRA Compartments certification scheme for breeding poultry.

Product overview

The British Poultry Council is a trade association for UK poultry meat producers (chicken, turkey, duck, geese, laying hens), founded in 1967. Rather than a unified software product, the organization offers a portfolio of advisory services including BPC Visions (five strategic visions guiding industry direction), Reports & Publications (annual reports on food infrastructure, antibiotic stewardship, and economic impact), the Poultry Health & Welfare Group (animal health policy forum), the DEFRA Compartments Scheme (disease-free certification for breeding poultry), BPC Annual Awards (industry recognition), and a Members Directory. The association does not offer a technology product; its services focus on advocacy, research publication, industry coordination, and policy representation for members producing approximately 80% of UK poultry meat.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• BPC Visions A five-vision strategic framework outlining the path forward for the British poultry meat sector, covering safe and affordable food, smooth and fair trade, avian influenza management, welfare-environment balance, and workforce skills development. Used by member companies, policymakers, and stakeholders as the sector's strategic positioning.
• Reports & Publications Annual and periodic industry reports including the Britain's Critical Food Infrastructure Annual Report, Oxford Economic Report on the economic impact of the poultry meat industry, BPC Antibiotic Stewardship Reports, and sector progress reports. Targeted at policymakers, members, and sector stakeholders.
• Poultry Health & Welfare Group Industry forum established in 2013 addressing animal health and welfare policy and delivery across the UK poultry sector. Provides biosecurity guidance, webinars, and resources for producers, in collaboration with BEIC, NFU, GFA, and BVPA.
• DEFRA Compartments Scheme UK government-approved certification scheme for breeding poultry ensuring freedom from Avian Influenza and Newcastle Disease, enabling continued international trade during outbreaks. The UK was the first country to apply the Compartment principle to breeding poultry under BPC leadership.
• BPC Annual Awards Annual awards programme recognising long and distinguished careers and individuals who have made significant impact on the British poultry meat industry, including Mid Career, Special Merit, and Distinguished Service awards.
• BPC Members Directory Public directory of BPC Members, Associate Members, and Seasonal Producers representing approximately 80% of UK poultry meat production. Provides visibility and discoverability of industry participants.
• Poultry Meat Supply Chain Information Educational resource explaining the seven-stage UK poultry meat supply chain: primary breeders, breeders and rearing farms, hatcheries, growing farms, catching and transport, processing, and consumers. Used for stakeholder education and public communication.

Quantifiable outcome

• 83.22% reduction in total antibiotic use since 2012
• +5 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• UK Poultry Health and Welfare Group (PHWG)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013The UK Poultry Health and Welfare Group was formed in 2013 as a forum for issues relating to animal health and welfare policy and delivery. BPC is an active member along with British Egg Industry Council, National Farmers Union, Game Farmers Association, and British Veterinary Poultry Association. The group aims to drive continuous improvement in the national flock and protect the health of poultry and the wider rural economy.
• DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBPC works closely with DEFRA on the UK Compartment scheme for breeding poultry, enabling international trade to continue without spreading disease. The UK was the first country to apply the Compartment principle to breeding poultry. BPC also collaborates on avian influenza policy, biosecurity standards, and the joint industry-government AI vaccination taskforce.
• International Poultry Council (IPC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBPC participates in the International Poultry Council, hosting the 2025 Annual Meeting with nearly 250 delegates from over 40 countries. IPC focuses on global coordination on trade, avian influenza, and antimicrobial resistance.
• APPG on UK Food SecuritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBPC acts as secretariat for the All-Party Parliamentary Group on UK Food Security, established in September 2024 alongside BEIC, NFU, and NPA colleagues. The group provides parliamentary engagement on food security issues.
• ELPHA (European Livestock and Poultry Processing Association)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerELPHA celebrated its 10-year anniversary in June 2025. BPC involvement is crucial for staying informed about EU legislation changes as UK-EU SPS Agreement negotiations begin.
• Poultry Business (Industry Publication)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerBPC partnered with Poultry Business to host the 'What if we...' webinar series exploring topics like land use in poultry production and food waste as a symptom of inefficiency.
• APHA (Animal and Plant Health Agency)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAPHA collaborates with BPC and the Poultry Health and Welfare Group on avian influenza response, outbreak management, and vaccination trials. APHA requires support and investment to adjust its operational approach to disease management.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• British Egg Industry Council (BEIC): UK trade body for the egg industry. Sister association to BPC within UK protein production; co-founded the APPG on UK Food Security with BPC in 2024.
• International Poultry Council (IPC): Global umbrella body for poultry industry associations. Directly comparable as a peer-level trade association; BPC is an active IPC member and hosted the 2025 IPC Annual Meeting.
• European Livestock and Poultry Processing Association (ELPHA): European poultry processing trade body celebrating its 10-year anniversary in 2025. BPC is an active partner; ELPHA's EU regulatory focus makes it a direct functional peer on policy advocacy.
• U.S. Poultry & Egg Association: US poultry and egg industry trade association serving producers and processors. Closely mirrors BPC's whole-supply-chain membership and research-publication remit.
• National Chicken Council (US): US trade association representing broiler chicken producers. Closest functional peer to BPC, operating the same membership-funded advocacy model for a national poultry meat sector.
• Brazilian Animal Protein Association (ABPA): Brazilian trade association representing poultry and pork producers. Comparable trade-body model for a major poultry-exporting nation; relevant peer given UK breeding-stock footprint in Brazil.
• Australian Chicken Meat Federation (ACMF): Australian peak body for the chicken meat industry. Direct national poultry-meat trade-association peer operating a similar advocacy and standards mandate.
• USA Poultry & Egg Export Council (USAPEEC): US poultry and egg export trade association. Directly comparable trade-body model focused on international market access — the same trade-barrier remit BPC engages on with the EU.

Others

• Compassion in World Farming (CIWF): UK-based international animal-welfare NGO engaging with the poultry sector on welfare standards. Comparable as an industry-engagement stakeholder rather than a trade body — useful counter-positioning reference for BPC's welfare advocacy.

Regional players

• Chicken Farmers of Canada: Canadian national chicken-producer body operating under supply-management. Comparable national poultry-meat trade-association model, though serving a different geography with a distinct regulatory regime.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/britishpoultry
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/britishpoultrycouncil

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about British Poultry Council