Slow groing birds increase water, feed, land and fuel use.

The idea of slower-growing broilers has caught on quickly in both food production and consumption circles as it appeals to consumers’ desire for “simpler,” old-fashioned means of food production. But the National Chicken Council is urging consumers, the foodservice and retail industries, and non-governmental organizations to invest in studying the environmental and financial impact of the growing market for “slower growing” broiler chickens" The industry group says in a news release that the trend promises to end up in a sharp increase in prices and an increase in the use of water, air, fuel and land. The association also isn’t convinced that slower-growing breeds of poultry are more healthy or treated more humanely than their fast-growing cousins.