2 December 2025
Britain’s Critical Food Infrastructure: Annual Report 2025
The British Poultry Council calls for a CNI-aligned approach to food production.
The British Poultry Council (BPC) today launches its 2025 Annual Report, setting out the minimum operating conditions required for the UK to maintain a secure, productive, and resilient poultry meat sector.
Representing around three quarters of the UK poultry meat industry, BPC member businesses produce half the meat the nation eats. Poultry production is a cornerstone of national food security.
BPC Chief Executive, Richard Griffiths, said: “Food production is not a background function of the economy; it is foundational to our ability to thrive. But the operating conditions we rely on no longer reflect the realities of modern food production.”
A sector of critical national importance
The UK poultry meat sector directly supports 35,000 jobs, contributes £8.5bn in GVA, and represents 0.3% of total GDP. It delivers a high-volume, high-standard source of affordable protein relied upon by millions of households.
The operating conditions that define production are not abstract. They are the foundations of stability and growth.
Mr Griffiths continued: “Our report identifies three pressure points – Place, People, and Progress – that determine whether UK poultry meat production holds or fractures.
If one weakens, productivity stalls, capacity shrinks, costs rise, and dependence on overseas production grows.”
Building for growth
Recognising food as Critical National Infrastructure is only the beginning. The real measure of national strength is what follows:
- Do we create planning systems that unlock innovation rather than stall it?
- Do we invest in people who make food not just available, but affordable and sustainable?
- Do we build trade pathways that connect our standards with our partners, not isolate them?
Mr Griffiths said: “If Government are serious about kick-starting growth, we must build the conditions that allow essential economic infrastructure to thrive. This report sets out the steps needed to boost our productivity, strengthen our resilience, and keep the nation fed.”