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Chicken in many school dinners imported from China and Thailand
| USA | general

Chicken in many school dinners imported from China and Thailand

#Wales #School Dinners #Chicken Import #China #Thailand #Supply Chain #Local Sourcing #Food Sustainability

📌 Key Takeaways

  • Large quantities of chicken in Welsh school meals are being sourced from China and Thailand instead of local farms.
  • The practice is driven by the need to manage limited education budgets amidst rising food costs.
  • Specific regions, including Pembrokeshire and Conwy, have been identified as high importers of these poultry products.
  • Critics and environmentalists have raised concerns regarding the carbon footprint and lack of support for UK agriculture.

📖 Full Retelling

Education authorities and catering departments across several Welsh counties have come under scrutiny this week following revelations that significant quantities of chicken served in school dinners are being imported from China and Thailand. Local government reports indicate that schools in regions such as Pembrokeshire, Conwy, and Gwynedd are sourcing poultry from Asia primarily to navigate tightening budgetary constraints and rising food inflation while maintaining nutritional requirements. This logistical strategy has sparked a debate regarding the environmental footprint of importing meat from thousands of miles away and the transparency of food supply chains within the United Kingdom’s public sector. The prevalence of Asian-imported poultry is particularly high in specific Welsh councils, where complex procurement contracts prioritize cost-efficiency over local sourcing. While the meat meets the required UK safety standards, critics argue that the practice contradicts government pledges to support local farmers and reduce carbon emissions associated with long-distance food transportation. Investigative findings show that while some councils aim for British-reared meat, the reality of 'frozen-at-source' imports remains a staple for many primary and secondary school kitchens that struggle with limited funding. Agricultural organizations and parents' groups have expressed concern over the discrepancy between healthy eating initiatives and the environmental reality of these global supply routes. They argue that the carbon cost of transporting chicken from Thailand and China undermines the sustainability goals taught in classrooms. In response, some local authorities have promised to review their procurement policies, though they remain cautious, noting that a complete shift to 100% British poultry would require a significant increase in the annual school meal budget provided by the Welsh government.

🐦 Character Reactions (Tweets)

Dai The Carbon-Footprint

Glad to see our kids are learning geography by consuming its carbon footprint. Today’s lesson: 'How many fuel-stops does a chicken nugget make before hitting a tray in Pembrokeshire?'

Dr. Aris Throttleneck

Incredible efficiency! We have successfully engineered a timeline where it is cheaper to ship a dead bird 6,000 miles across an ocean than to walk one across a field in Conwy. Progress is truly weightless.

Sustainability Sheila

Schools: 'Please bring a reusable water bottle to save the planet!' Also Schools: 'The chicken in your curry has a higher frequent flyer status than the entire teaching staff.'

Corporate Catering Bot 9

By sourcing poultry from alternate hemispheres, we ensure the chickens are always in a state of jet lag, making them much easier to capture and process. Budgeting is the highest form of nutrition.

💬 Character Dialogue

kaneki_ken: Humans are a strange species; they teach their children about a beautiful world while feeding them frozen flesh shipped across half the planet.
sub_zero: It is a matter of dishonor. To outsource the hunt to a foreign land because of 'budgetary constraints' is the path of a coward, not a provider.
kaneki_ken: I know what it feels like to have no choice in what you eat, but at least I am honest about the tragedy on my plate.
sub_zero: By the time the bird reaches the Welsh students, it has felt more winter in the cargo hold than I have ever summoned in the Lin Kuei temple.
kaneki_ken: Exactly. They aren't just eating chicken; they are swallowing the cold, lonely distance of a broken supply chain.

🏷️ Themes

Education, Environment, Agriculture, Public Procurement

📚 Related People & Topics

Wales

Wales

Country within the United Kingdom

Wales (Welsh: Cymru [ˈkəmrɨ] ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Located on the island of Great Britain, it is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic Sea to the south-west. As of 2021, it had a population ...

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China

China

Country in East Asia

China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the second-most populous country after India, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, representing 17% of the world's population. China borders fourteen countries by land across an area of 9.6 million square ki...

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Thailand

Thailand

Country in Southeast Asia

Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand, and formerly known as Siam until 1939, is a country located in mainland Southeast Asia. It shares land borders with Myanmar to the west and northwest, Laos to the east and northeast, Cambodia to the southeast, and Malaysia to the south. Its maritime boun...

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🔗 Entity Intersection Graph

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📄 Original Source Content
Chicken in many school dinners imported from China and Thailand 1 day ago Share Save Gwyn Loader , Chief correspondent, Newyddion S4C and Leigh Boobyer , BBC Wales Share Save Chicken from as far away as China and Thailand is being served to hundreds of children in Welsh schools, data has revealed. Poultry from countries thousands of miles away is particularly prevalent in some local authority areas, including Merthyr Tydfil where 99% of chicken served originates from outside the EU. The statistics, released by the Countryside Alliance and shared with BBC-produced Newyddion S4C, include the proportion of chicken used in products such as nuggets and burgers. The Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) said all chicken served in schools - whether sourced from the UK or overseas - had to meet strict UK food safety and hygiene standards. But parents of schoolchildren expressed their shock at the findings, with one saying: "Our country should be providing the school meals from Wales. I don't think they should be coming from abroad." Councils in Wales procure food for school meals through formal public sector contracts. Roberta Sonnino, professor of sustainable food systems at the University of Surrey and a former Cardiff University professor, called the sourcing of overseas chicken for school canteens "common across the UK", adding it was "really difficult to prove" how prevalent it is in other public canteens. Fruit juice 'not fruit' in school food shakeup plan Phone and shouting ban 'transforms' school plagued by fights The Countryside Alliance sent Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to Wales' 22 local authorities asking what proportion of chicken used in their school meals was produced and reared in Wales, the UK, EU, and outside the EU. The query requested data for the most recent academic year in which statistics were available and for all chicken products served in schools. Of the 20 responses received, three local authorities said more than 85% of chicken serv...

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