Imported chicken sparks Welsh school meals row

Welsh farming parents have reacted angrily after an investigation revealed the vast majority of chicken served in some Welsh school meals is imported from as far away as Thailand, China and Brazil.

The findings come from a new Countryside Alliance investigation into chicken procurement across Welsh local authorities.

It found that, in several council areas, imported chicken accounted for more than 90% of the meat served to schoolchildren, despite Wales being a significant agricultural nation with high poultry welfare standards.

See also: Government failing to meet pledge on British food sourcing

• Merthyr Tydfil Council reported that 99.35% of the chicken used in its school meals came from Thailand and China.
• Conwy County Borough Council said 94% of its school chicken was sourced from outside both the UK and EU.
• Gwynedd Council reported that 87.62% came from Brazil, Thailand and China.
• Caerphilly Council reported 87.32% imported chicken.
• Out of 21 councils surveyed, only Anglesey and Bridgend sourced all school chicken from the UK.
• Not a single council could state what proportion of chicken was Welsh.

Farmer disappointed

Conwy farmer and father-of-three Hefin Jones said: “As a Welsh farmer, I’m deeply disappointed and frustrated to learn that 94% of the chicken Conwy County Borough Council use to feed all primary school kids is imported from places like Thailand and Brazil.

“At the same time as high-quality food production here in Wales is being reduced, we’re apparently expected to accept lower-quality food being shipped halfway around the world.

“That makes no sense for food security, animal welfare, or the climate.”

Rachel Evans, director of Countryside Alliance Wales, said the findings exposed a contradiction in Welsh government policy.

This was particularly so with the Sustainable Farming Scheme launched on 1 January 2026, which could reduce livestock numbers by 5% while public bodies import chicken from overseas.

The Countryside Alliance is calling on the Welsh government to reform procurement frameworks, prioritise Welsh and British produce, and introduce mandatory transparency on food provenance in public sector catering.

Welsh government response

Responding to the criticism, a Welsh government spokesman said: “We are committed to increasing the use of locally produced Welsh food in schools and have driven growth in local sourcing through Universal Primary Free School Meals and wider investments.

“Our ambition is to boost public sector spending on Welsh food by 50% by 2030.

“We are working with local authorities, producers and wholesalers to shorten supply chains, reduce food miles and support Welsh growers, farmers and manufacturers.”

The spokesman added: “We are dedicated to supporting sustainable livestock production through the Sustainable Farming Scheme [SFS], which aims to balance environmental outcomes with food production.

“As part of the SFS, we would encourage all farmers to consider the sustainable stocking levels on their farms to balance sustainable production of food, mitigating and adapting to climate change and maintaining and enhancing nature.”