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Sub-sectoral Environmental and Social

Guideline: Poultry Farming

EBRD Sub Sector Environmental & Social Guideline 2016

Poultry Farming

Introduction

This guideline is designed to be used by EBRD Financial Intermediaries (FIs) to understand

the nature of environmental and social (E&S) risks associated with existing operations in this

sector and suggested actions for businesses to manage these E&S risks. It also provides

guidance for FIs on potential due diligence questions to raise with management to understand

how their business is managing these E&S risks. This guideline focuses on material E&S

risks; it is not an exhaustive list. In managing E&S risks, all businesses should be compliant

with relevant E&S laws and regulations.1 Where applicable, this includes European Union

legislation, which may also be taken as a benchmark for good practice.

This guideline focuses on Poultry Farming including chicken (laying hens and broilers),

turkeys, ducks and guinea fowls.

Reference NACE codes:

1.47 Raising of Poultry

Material risks

Below is an overview of the material risks present in poultry farming:

1 This guideline outlines some relevant legislation but does not provide an exhaustive list of applicable laws and regulations.




Poultry Farming

E&S Risk Category Environment

Health and

Safety

Labour

Community

Page

no.

Key E&S Risks2

Affect the natural

environment

Affect the

health or

safety of

employees

Affect

workplace

conditions

and the

treatment of

employees

Affect the health and

safety, livelihoods,

and environment of

the community and

wider public

Water Use √ √ 5

Wastewater √ √ 6

Contamination of Soil,

Surface Water &

Groundwater

√ √ 6

Waste √ √ 7

Storage & Spreading of

Farm Waste

√ √ 8

Air Emissions √ √ 9

Odour √ √ 10

Pesticide Resistance and

Bioaccumulation

√ √ 10

Spread of Disease and

Biosecurity

√ √ √ 11

Antibiotic Resistance √ √ 12

Animal Welfare √ 12

Product Hygiene √ 13

Working at Height √ 14

Noise √ √ √ 12

Slips, Trips & Falls √ 14

Manual Handling √ 14

Asbestos √ √ √ 14

Labour and Working

Conditions

√ 15

Child Labour √ √ 15

2 Note: this table provides an indicative list of the EHS risks associated with the sub-sector; it is not meant to be an exhaustive

list and EHS risks will depend on the specific setting and scale of the operation or facility.




Poultry Farming

Worker Accommodation √ 16

Community Relations √ 16

Contents

Section Page No.

1. Process description 4

2. Key E&S Risks 5

3. Financial implications 16

4. Suggested due diligence questions 17

5. References and additional sources 21




Poultry Farming

1. Process description

Poultry farming is the raising of

domesticated birds such as chickens,

turkeys, ducks, and geese, for the purpose

of farming meat or eggs for food.

The majority of poultry farms form part of

the production chain for chicken eggs or

for chicken broiler meat. Other species,

e.g. duck, goose and quail only form a very

small proportion of activities in

comparison.

Egg Production

Fig 1: Egg Production

The production chain involves a sequence

of activities (Fig 1), each taking place at

different sites and on different farms to

prevent the spread of disease. Farms often

include the grading and packing of eggs

and delivery directly to market (retail and

or wholesale).

The majority of laying hens are kept in

cages; in 1999, EU Directive 99/74/EC

banned the use of conventional battery

cages and replaced them with enriched

battery cages. Due to the cost relating to

the upgrade, the EU gave member states

until January 2012 to implement the

change, which is now in force across the

EU.

Non-cage production is gaining in

popularity with systems such as barn,

semi-intensive, free range and deep litter.

The number of laying hens per farm varies

between a few thousand to several hundred

thousand.

Broiler Production

Fig 2: Broiler Production

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poultry

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkey_(domesticated)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domesticated_duck

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domesticated_goose

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farming

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food




Poultry Farming

Broilers are those birds reared for their meat

rather than their eggs. The different steps in the

production are shown in Fig 2. Broilers are

generally not housed in cages. It is common for

farms to have over 40,000 birds at any one time.

The production cycle takes between 5 and 8

weeks depending on the species, slaughter

weight, feeding and condition of the birds. The

production system is normally operated on an

all-in all-out system to minimise the spread of

disease. After every cycle the houses are fully

cleaned and disinfected which can take from 1 to

3 weeks depending on national legislation.

2. Key E&S Risks

Below are the material E&S risks

associated with this sector and key

measures to manage them. Where gaps are

found in the management of key E&S

risks, the E&S risk management measures

may form part of a corrective E&S action

plan agreed with your customer.

Water Use

An adequate supply of water is required

for watering poultry, washing down and

cleaning. Water may be taken from surface

or ground water resources. Permits and

charges may be required for abstraction

and discharges to water resources.

How can a business manage this risk?

Obtain abstraction or water use permits which

detail the allowable volumes of water

abstraction/use. Where changes take place in

volumes, this should be reflected in the permit;

Evaluate water supply and water efficiency

measures (e.g. recycling, reuse, run-off

reduction, storage etc. ) to reduce impacts on

surrounding resources and community supplies;

Minimise water use in cleaning so as to keep

waste as dry as possible;

Reduce cleaning water needs by ensuring that

solid waste is removed before rinsing and

washing, e.g. using scrapers, brooms and

vacuum cleaners;

Use taps with automatic shutoff valves;

Use high pressure hoses and optimised nozzles

to minimise water usage;

Use hot water or steam as this can reduce water

requirements;

Reduce water use by preventing overflow of

animal watering devices and using self-watering

devices




Poultry Farming

Wastewater

Process wastewater is generated as runoff

from poultry housing, feeding and

watering, and from waste storage and

management facilities. This effluent has

the potential to contaminate surface and

groundwater.

Wastewater treatment will be required

either with an on-site wastewater treatment

plant or discharging to a municipal

wastewater treatment plant. In either case

a permit is likely to be required.

Some poultry farming operations may

require environmental permits under

national regulatory requirements. Certain

large-scale intensive operations, such as

the intensive rearing of poultry, operating

in the EU may be required to hold an

environmental permit under the Industrial

Emissions Directive (IED) (2010/75/EU).

The IED regulates the standards that apply

to airborne emissions as well as discharges

to land and water resulting from industrial

operations.

Best Available Techniques Reference

Documents (BREFs) are the supporting

documents for the IED containing the best

available techniques and technologies

(BAT) for different sectors, including

poultry farming.


Comply with BREF for ‘intensive’ facilities

failing under the IED (i.e. places with more than

40,000 poultry). Facilities that do not fall under

the ‘intensive’ definition in the IED guidance do

not have to comply with BREF but should

follow this guideline and the BREF

requirements.

Comply with national regulations for poultry

farming. Other smaller facilities within the EU

and operations outside the EU will still be

subject to local regulation but this will generally

set less stringent requirements on the techniques

to be adopted;

Install filters to collect sediment/debris before

wastewater discharge;

Install diversion drains to direct surface water

runoff away from waste areas.

Contamination of Soil, Surface Water &

Groundwater

The poultry farming process produces a

large volume of waste, including animal

wastes (e.g. slurry and manures), poultry

carcasses, agricultural fuels and oils, and

agrochemical wastes. There is a risk of

chemical and organic wastes entering and

polluting soil and water resources

including from:

Direct run-off;

Insufficient treatment of waste before

discharge / spreading on land;




Poultry Farming

Infiltration from unlined slurry/waste

storage areas;

Spillages and accidental releases.

Disposal of empty drums and packaging of

agrochemicals may also pose a

contamination risk.

Accidental releases and spillages of

agrochemicals and agricultural fuel oils

may also pose a contamination risk to soil

and water resources.

Hazardous materials are used throughout

the production cycle, e.g. pesticides,

cleaning products, antibiotics and

hormones.

Operations where pollution has occurred or

there is a threat of it occurring to water

resources, land and protected species and

habitats may be liable under national

legislation and EU legislation for

preventing and remedying environmental

damage. In the EU the Environmental

Liability Directive (ELD) (2004/35/EC)

established a framework of environmental

liability, based on the "polluter-pays"

principle, to prevent and remedy

environmental damage.


Comply with BREF for ‘intensive’ facilities

failing under the IED (i.e. places with more than

40,000 poultry). Facilities that do not fall under

the ‘intensive’ definition in the IED guidance do

not have to comply with BREF but should

follow this guideline and the BREF

requirements.

Maintain storage, transport and feeding systems

in good condition;

Protect feed from rain and wind to prevent

contaminated run-off and to minimise wastage;

Provide secondary containment for bulk

chemical storage areas to contain spills;

Conduct regular inspections of storage areas.

Waste

Solid wastes generated from poultry

farming include:

Waste feed: this may contain a range of

additives such as amino acids, enzymes,

vitamins, mineral supplements,

hormones, antibiotics and heavy metals;

Animal Waste: mainly manure but also

includes other materials such as bedding

and broken eggs. Waste management

options depend largely on the housing

system and type of litter used. Manure

from poultry farming is often

composted and is commonly used as a

fertilizer on agricultural land (see

Storage and Spreading of Farm Waste);

Poultry Carcasses: animals that die

prematurely of disease or other factors

can be a significant source of disease

and odours and can attract pests and

vermin.




Poultry Farming

Packaging Waste: eggs are typically

packaged in shaped cardboard, plastic

or a combination of both. Solid waste

will arise from the packaging process

primarily in the form of improperly

packaged and broken eggs. Companies

operating within the European Union

(either as a manufacturer or as a

supplier into European Union countries)

will be subject to the European Union

Packaging and Packaging Waste

Directive (94/62/EC), which aims to

reduce the amount of packaging that is

being introduced into the waste streams.

Animal wastes/manure etc. contain

nitrogen, phosphorous and other

substances which may result in emissions

of ammonia and other gases and may pose

a potential risk of contamination to surface

and ground water through leaching and

run-off.

Animal waste also contains bacteria,

pathogens, viruses, parasites etc. which

may potentially affect soil, water and plant

resources for human, livestock or wildlife

consumption.

Hazardous farm waste can cause serious

harm to people’s health and to the

environment.


Comply with national and EU regulations (as

applicable) for the safe disposal of waste;

Where possible and safe to do so, recycle

benign waste products; maintain an inventory of

wastes generated and minimise where possible;

For wastes that cannot be recycled due to

biosecurity issues, undertake disposal

according to the requirements of local health

authorities;

Maintaining records of poultry feed use – to

prevent surplus feed entering the waste stream,

matching feed content to the life stage

requirements of the birds;

Dispose of poultry carcasses in accordance with

regulations: there are strict requirements for the

storage, removal and disposal of poultry

carcasses within the EU and generally within

national regulations to limit such risks;

Institute a management programme to ensure

that diseased carcasses are properly and quickly

managed;

Companies operating in EU who fall under the

Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive may

implement a packaging waste management

system.

Storage and Spreading of Farm Waste

The use of chicken manure as a fertiliser in

agriculture is common and gives rise to

several risks.

Spreading manure at the right time helps to

maximise the efficient use of the valuable

nutrients. However spreading may present

pollution and health risks if not done

correctly.




Poultry Farming

Manure may contain micro-organisms

which cause food-borne illness, such as

Salmonella, Listeria, E. coli etc.


Comply with legal requirements and voluntary

codes of good agricultural practice for the

spreading and storage of manure;

Implement careful application, timing and

storage of slurry and manure to avoid

contamination of food crops, particularly for

ready-to-eat crops;

Prevent manure contamination of surface water

by improving construction of production, waste

management and manure storage facilities (e.g.

concrete floors, gutters, covered storage);

Increase manure storage facilities to a capacity

of 9-12 months so that the manure can be

applied to agricultural land at the correct time of

year;

Relocate manure storage away from water

bodies, floodplains, wellheads etc.;

Reduce the moisture content of dry poultry

excreta. Place dry manure in a covered area;

Regularly check manure storage tanks for

leakage and fit double valves on outlets to

prevent accidental release.

Air Emissions

Dust emitted during feed storage, loading

and unloading, and from waste

management activities contributes to odour

and potentially to the transport of diseases

and respiratory problems, and may cause

nuisance to neighbours during dry and

windy weather.

Dust can affect both the respiration of the

animals and the workers, such as in broiler

houses with high litter contents. Some

dusts may contain antigens which cause

irritation to the respiratory tract.


Install dust collection systems and employ dust

control measures such as good housekeeping,

regular sweeping/cleaning of walkways,

reducing feed drop heights, covering of

conveyors etc.;

Install dust extractors (e.g. cyclones and fabric

filters);

Improve ventilation within buildings;

Provide personal protective equipment (PPE)

that is fit for the task to prevent poultry dust

exposure/risk and maintain hygiene standards.

Provide respiratory protective equipment (RPE)

as a last resort after other abatement options are

considered;

Regular checks and maintenance on PPE;

Train staff in the correct selection, use and

maintenance of PPE.




Poultry Farming

Odour

Odour can be emitted from storage areas

and during land spreading, depending on

the spreading technique applied. The

impact increases with farm size and can

cause a nuisance to neighbouring

residential properties.

Ammonia gas (NH3) generated from

animal waste can cause acidification of

soils and water. Ammonia has a sharp and

pungent odour and in higher

concentrations can irritate the eyes, throat

and mucous membranes in humans and

farm animals. Factors such as the

temperature, ventilation rate, humidity,

stocking rate, litter quality and feed

composition (crude protein) can all affect

the ammonia levels;

High ammonia levels also affect working

conditions for workers and workplace

regulations may set upper limits for the

acceptable ammonia concentration in

working environments.


Measure ammonia levels in the workplace;

ensure compliance with regulations;

Adopt odour management measures to prevent

and minimise odour nuisance to communities;

Control temperature and humidity to reduce

odour emissions.

Pesticides Resistance and

Bioaccumulation

Chemicals including pesticides and

insecticides may be applied to birds and

physical structures to control pests and

predators. Pesticides are potential

pollutants which may cause environmental

and health impacts.

Over-application of pesticides, herbicides

and insecticides may lead to a build-up of

pest resistance. This can lead to a greater

reliance on pesticides.

Toxic pesticides which biodegrade slowly

can accumulate in body tissues and be

harmful to ecosystems and human health.

Pesticides may enter agricultural products,

including fodder crops, ground and surface

water and the human body via the food

chain;

Pesticides may enter water supplies

causing chronic or acute health hazards.

Accidental exposure to hazardous

substances (e.g. pesticides) can result in

dermal contact and inhalation. Contact can

lead to burns or inflammation of skin or

allergy. Inhalation can lead to respiratory

difficulties.




Poultry Farming



that is fit for the task to prevent exposure/risk

and maintain hygiene standards, e.g. gloves

overalls, respirators, aprons etc.;

Train staff in the correct selection, use and

maintenance of PPE;

Provide training in pesticide application and

storage and also training on the risks associated

with exposure to potential viruses, bacteria and

pathogens;

Implement worker management plans to ensure

workers with allergic reactions are not working

with substances that cause a reaction;

Conduct health screening of new staff and

regular health monitoring of existing staff

Maintain Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs)

for any hazardous materials held on site.

Spread of Disease and Biosecurity

Animal diseases can spread quickly in

poultry farming operations. They can be

transmitted from new animals, equipment

and via people.

Poultry manure and carcasses contain

pathogens that can infect humans, such as

Avian Influenza (H5N1 virus), fungi,

bacteria, parasites and mites. These can be

transmitted via live birds, excreta,

carcasses and parasites. Without adequate

control measures, diseases such as H5N1

can result in a health epidemic.


Measures to control the spread of disease vary

between countries but generally involve the

segregation and slaughter of infected birds where

this cannot be controlled through medicines or

vaccination.

Additional measures are as follows:

Provide training on correct bird handling

techniques to prevent disease;

Look for signs of any diseased animals and

immediately remove and isolate sick animals or

animal carcasses;

Inform the animal health authorities as soon as

there is a concern;

Improve the maintenance of structures to ensure

that pests are excluded from housing and other

facilities;

Conduct health screening of new staff and

regular health monitoring of existing staff;

Maintain emergency response and preparedness

plans for outbreaks of diseases and community

H&S safety incidents;

Implement sound biosecurity protocols such as

controlled access, quarantine periods, washing

and disinfecting equipment, showering,

clothing, footwear, exclusion of animal vectors,

tyre and footwear disinfection;

Install appropriate signage warning users of

public rights of way through areas where

poultry are housed and/or graze;

Prepare a contingency plan for the use of




Poultry Farming

antibiotics or mass cull in the event of a disease

outbreak.

Antibiotic Resistance

Antibiotics are routinely used to prevent

and treat bacterial disease within poultry

populations. Bacteria gradually develop

resistance to antibiotics to which they were

previously susceptible, making these

antibiotics ineffective in treating bacterial

infection in humans over time.

Additionally, direct consumption of

antibiotics by humans as residue in poultry

meat can lead to anaemia and other

illnesses.


Follow EU guidelines (1831/2003/EC) which

prohibit the use of antibiotics as a growth

promoter within EU member states, (although

they are still permitted for the control of

disease).

Animal Welfare

Welfare issues associated with poultry

farming are becoming of increasing legal,

financial and reputational risk relevance.

Owners and keepers of poultry are

responsible for ensuring that the welfare

needs of their animals are met. There are

EU legal requirements and minimum

welfare standards in place for poultry

together with national requirements and

codes of practice within many

jurisdictions.

Regulations may include:

Housing capacity and hygiene

standards;

Diet of poultry, particularly where

medicines or hormones are used;

Method of transport;

Behavioural requirements of poultry;

Protection from pain, injury, suffering

and disease.

Animals that are treated well and protected

from stress grow in better physical and

mental condition and will tend to provide a

better quality product.

In many countries, animal welfare has an

important cultural component as well and

these requirements may need to be

accommodated. Cultural requirements

(social expectations and beliefs in relation

to animal welfare and treatment) will need

to be balanced with market requirements.

In some instances EU Member States

implement stricter animal controls than

stipulated in EU legislation. For example

the EU broiler chickens Directive

(2007/43/CE) aims to reduce overcrowding

of chicken holdings by setting a maximum




Poultry Farming

stocking density. UK legislation, in

existence prior to the EU directive, sets out

stricter limits on stocking density and is

not superseded by the EU legislation.


Establish an animal health programme including

veterinary and laboratory capability and

procedures for the management of sick and dead

birds;

Conduct improvements in the housing of

poultry to meet animal welfare legal and

industry standards.

Product Hygiene

Poor hygiene can result in food safety and

animal welfare issues.

Micro-organisms can be present in manure

which can be harmful to health (e.g.

Salmonella, E. Coli; etc.). One route of

potential infection of humans may be the

consumption of meat, water or food

contaminated by such animal waste.


Identify any sick or diseased animals through

routine veterinary inspection;

Maintain high standards of food hygiene to

reduce the risk of microbiological

contamination;

Conduct regular and rigorous hygiene

monitoring; all surfaces and equipment should

be cleaned regularly to prevent the build-up of

contaminates and to reduce risk of health

hazards;

Separate any sick animals or animals that die to

external facilities in containers for treatment and

disposal;

Consider implementing product traceability

systems that facilitate tracing of products once

released for sale;

Put in place procedures to prevent the

processing of waste materials for same species

feeding.

Noise

Some farming activities (e.g. feeding,

housing or slaughtering poultry) and

machinery (e.g. tractors, slaughtering

equipment) generate noise and can result in

hearing impacts on workers and nuisance

to local residents.


Locate and design facilities to avoid sensitive

receptors to noise;

Isolate noisy equipment to reduce the risk of

noise exposure;


where workers and visitors have to enter noisy

areas.




Poultry Farming

Working at Height

Poultry operations may involve working at

height to access roofing or lighting areas

and/or equipment.


Conduct a job risk assessment;

Restrict access to working at height;

Install correct fall arrest systems where

necessary (guarding and harnesses etc.).

Slips, Trips and Falls

Slips trips and falls are regular occurrences

in farming environments and result in

many injuries. Typically these are because

of uneven ground and poor housekeeping.


Install escape routes in poultry handling areas;

Keep walking and working surfaces clean and

dry and provide workers with anti-slip footwear;

Restrict access to areas being cleaned or where

spillages have occurred;

Schedule floor cleaning for a time when work is

not in progress or has finished for the day and

floors have dried as much as possible.

Install covers, fences and fall prevention

methods to prevent falls into tanks and other

confined spaces.

Manual Handling

Many injuries from farming are associated

with handling, lifting and carrying of

heavy or unconventional shaped objects.


Redesign manual processes to avoid heavy

lifting/repetitive activities;

Install mechanical lifting aids where possible

and rotate work tasks to reduce repetitive

activities;

Redesign of manual processes to avoid heavy

lifting/repetitive activities.

Asbestos

Asbestos has been used on a large scale for

many years as fire proofing and insulation

material and may be encountered in a wide

range of forms including asbestos cement

boards, as fire retardant gaskets in pipe




Poultry Farming

work and as fire retardant insulation

around boilers and furnaces.


Particular attention should be paid to farm

buildings constructed prior to the 1990s.

Conduct/commission an asbestos survey (by

qualified personnel);

If asbestos exists, establish an asbestos

management plan.

Labour and Working Conditions

Poultry farming operations may use casual

and contract labour. Poor working

conditions for casual labourers in the

agribusiness sector is a key labour risk.


Ensure that labour standards, contracting and

remuneration are in line with national law and

are consistent with the average for the sector

and apply to permanent employees and casual

and contract labour;

Undertake checks on workers right to work

(including work permits, age etc.);

Undertake checks on treatment of

subcontractor labour.

Child Labour

Child labour is a prevalent risk particularly

in relation to smaller-scale family run

operations. Sometimes family related

domestic chores are carried out by

children, which may not necessarily be

classed as Child Labour on the smaller

family run operations.

Children are particularly vulnerable to on-

farm hazards due to lack of experience and

knowledge, especially in relation to farm

vehicles and machinery.


Undertake checks on worker’s age and prohibit

any employment under the minimum age as

stipulated by the International Labour

organization (ILO) or national legislation

(whichever is more stringent);

Adopt clear policies for recruitment consistent

with international good practice for the

prevention of child labour in agricultural (e.g.

from the ILO);

Where children are on-farm health and safety

provisions need particular attention to protect

them from hazards.




Poultry Farming

Worker Accommodation

Worker accommodation standards,

particularly for temporary/casual labourers

may not reach the standard required for

permanent employees.


Provide worker accommodation which meets, at

a minimum, basic needs of workers, national

legislation and industry good practice (e.g. see

guidance note from IFC & EBRD3).

Community Relations

Having good relationships with

neighbouring communities reduces the risk

of local opposition to the poultry farming

activities.


Review socio-economic baseline conditions to

identify local, community-based agricultural

enterprises and/or use of water resources and to

3

http://www.ebrd.com/downloads/about/history/w

orkers.pdf

assess any impacts on these;

Assessing opportunities for the involvement of

the local community in direct employment or in

the provision of goods and services;

Engage with the local community and other

interested and/or affected stakeholders to

maintain good social relations. For large-scale

intensive poultry operations or in areas of high

population density or high community interest,

it is recommended that a Stakeholder

Engagement Plan (SEP) be prepared and

implemented by the company.

3. Financial Implications

Outlined below are key financial

implications of ineffective management of

E&S risks related to poultry farming.

The health and well-being of farm

animals can have a direct impact on

growth, reproduction or meat quality.

Adherence to animal welfare guidelines

and standards can increase business

profitability by improving productivity

and efficiency;

Animal diseases are frequently

controlled by killing all infected

animals and their cohorts within a

specified area. In some countries, the

farmers are compensated to some extent

for the value of the birds, but this does

not normally cover any consequent

losses such as lost contracts, reputation

etc.;




Poultry Farming

Public reaction to the news of animal

diseases can temporarily lead to a

reduction in the consumption of that

food type. This may result in

unaffected businesses being unable to

sell their poultry products;

Significant capital expenditure might be

required to maintain animal welfare,

biosecurity, health, safety and hygiene

standards;

Capital and operational investments to

obtain and maintain industrial emissions

permits and, where applicable, achieve

compliance with Best Available

Techniques (BAT);

Capital and operational investments to

prevent and minimise the risk of

contamination of soil, surface water and

groundwater resources from poultry

farming waste;

Injuries may lead to increased payroll

costs to replaced workers;

Fines, penalties and third party claims

may be incurred for non-compliance

with environment, health and safety

regulations;

Capital expenditure for installing or

upgrading wastewater and waste

treatment facilities;

Capital expenditure for installing or

upgrading storage facilities for

chemicals, fuels and oils;

Animal feed and/or poultry farming

products contamination may result in

restrictions on price and demand, and

export markets (e.g. EU);

Inadequate health and safety provisions

(including risk assessments, training,

infection control and provision of

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

etc.) for workers (permanent, temporary

and/or casual) may lead to absenteeism,

health care costs or health and safety

incidents and claims;

Nuisances from poultry farming

operations, including from the

spreading of organic manure, may lead

to compensation claims from

neighbouring properties;

Community health and safety impacts from

poultry farming (e.g. exposure to

contaminated drinking water and/or living

in proximity to infectious diseases) may

lead to reputation damage, legal

challenges/prosecutions and/or

compensation claims.

4. Suggested Due Diligence

Questions

Perform a complete tour of the facility,

accompanied by someone knowledgeable

about all the activities at the site.

When assessing E&S risks, it is important

to engage the customer on how these risks

are managed.

Confirm organisational responsibilities and

systems for environment, health, safety

and social matters and that these systems




Poultry Farming

cover both employees employed directly

and sub-contractors.

During the initial site visit, the issues will

vary according to the type of poultry

farming and the level of environment,

health and safety and hygiene management

already introduced. While visiting the site

it is important to discuss and review the

following:

General Housekeeping

Check the condition and containment

arrangements of manure storage

facilities;

Condition of poultry housing; is it

secure from pests? Is there adequate

ventilation? What is the stocking

density (i.e. how many birds are there

per square metre) and mortality rates?

How do they compare to the average for

the industry sector?

What is the standard of general house-

keeping on site? Do areas look clean

and tidy? Look for localised spills,

leaking pipes etc.;

Check storage facilities for feed

materials, caustics, chemical solvents,

antibiotics etc.;

Check the age and condition of

buildings and equipment.

Health and Safety

Check signage around the site:

o Does it convey the health and safety

risks?

o Are fire exits clearly marked?

Is fire-fighting and first aid equipment

available?

Are workers provided with adequate

Personal Protective Equipment? Is it

being worn?

Have the premises been inspected

recently (within the past 2 years) by the

regulatory authorities for health,

hygiene and environment? What were

their findings?

Poultry Farm Management Practices

Check the source of feed materials. Are

the levels of pesticides and other

contaminants quantified and within

guidelines?

Are there management control plans for

animal health, feeding, nutrients,

pesticides?

Does the organisation have insurance in

place to cover the outbreak of disease?

Have there been any recent incidents?

Has the company any other insurances

and have there been any claims against

these policies?




Poultry Farming

Is the facility subject to any audits by

customers? What was the outcome of

these audits?

Waste Management

Check that waste disposal takes place

on a regular basis;

Check that waste storage areas are clear

of debris and that skips are covered to

prevent waste escaping; for example,

check that waste containers have lids or

are stored in an area with a roof.

Pollution Control

Is the facility next to any vulnerable

water bodies, sited in a floodplain, or

close to groundwater sources which

may be contaminated by activities?

Labour Management

Check that labour standards, contracting

and remuneration are in line with

national law and are consistent with the

average for the sector.

Check that hours worked, including

overtime, are recorded and staff should

receive written details of hours worked

and payment received.

Has the Company received inspections

from the local labour inspectorate in the

previous three years? Have these

resulted in any penalties, fines, major

recommendations or corrective action

plans?

Does the organisation have a grievance

mechanism which allows employees to

raise workplace concerns?

Are employees free to form, or join, a

workers’ organisation of their

choosing?

Check worker accommodation;

Has the company undertaken a

systematic, documented review of

operations against national legal

requirements relevant to Environmental,

Health, Safety and Social performance

and the extent of compliance with that

legislation?

Incident Management

Have there been any recent (within last

three years) incidents on site such as

fatalities, fires/explosions, spills?

Community Complaints/Grievances

Is a grievance mechanism in place to

allow the community to raise concerns

regarding farming operations?

Note any history of public complaints

relating to the facilities operation.

Investment

Does the business plan have budgeted

line items for Environment, Health and

Safety, labour and hygiene

improvements?




Poultry Farming

Management Plans

Review the operational procedures and

management plans available regarding the

control of risks.

As a minimum any business should be

required to have the following in place:

Environmental, Health & Safety

management systems which include

operational procedures that are

communicated, implemented and

regularly reviewed (i.e. “live” systems

that are used in practice, not just kept as

an office manual);

Monitoring programmes to monitor

environmental, health & safety, animal

welfare and hygiene risks (and where

necessary, testing of water, air, noise,

waste emissions etc.);

Improvement objectives, targets and

project plans;

A training plan for personnel to include

environmental and health and safety

issues;

Regular inspections, checks and audits

against records to demonstrate

achievement of the required level of

performance against legal requirements

and improvement action;

Emergency plans for environment,

occupation & community health &

safety, and food safety incidents and

site security;

Animal welfare management plans;

Food safety management plans;

Demonstrable involvement of senior

management in environment, health &

safety, animal welfare and hygiene

management and leadership.




Poultry Farming

5. References and additional sources

European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). Environmental and Social

Policy May 2008. http://www.ebrd.com/enviro/tools/index.htm

International Finance Corporation, 2007. Environmental, Health, and Safety Guidelines,

Poultry Production;

http://www.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/26baaf004886581fb43ef66a6515bb18/Final%2B-

%2BPoultry%2BProduction.pdf?MOD=AJPERES

Industrial Emissions Directive: Council Directive 2010/75/EU of the European Parliament

and of the Council of 24 November 2010 on industrial emissions (integrated pollution

prevention and control); http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-

content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32010L0075

Environmental Liability Directive: Council Directive 2004/35/CE of the European Parliament

and of the Council of 21 April 2004 on environmental liability with regard to the prevention

and remedying of environmental damage.

European IPPC Bureau: Best Available Techniques (BAT) Reference Document (BREF) for

the Intensive Rearing of Poultry and Pigs: IED 2010/75/EU (IPPC) (Draft 2- Aug 2013);

http://eippcb.jrc.ec.europa.eu/reference/BREF/IRPP_D2_082013online.pdf

Waste Framework Directive: Council Directive 2008/98/EC of the European Parliament and

of the Council of 19 November 2008 on waste and repealing certain Directives,.

Nitrates Directive: Council Directive 91/676/EEC of 12 December 1991 concerning the

protection of waters against pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources.

Protecting our Water, Soil and Air: A Code of Good Agricultural Practice for farmers,

growers and land managers; Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)

Guidance on Hazardous Farm Waste: How to identify hazardous farm waste and comply with

legal obligations; Department from Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)

European Union Directive (99/74/EC) 1999, laying down the minimum standards for the

protection of laying hens.

EU Council Directive 2007/43/CE of 28 June 2007 laying down minimum rules for the

protection of chickens kept for meat production.

http://www.ebrd.com/enviro/tools/index.htm

http://www.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/26baaf004886581fb43ef66a6515bb18/Final%2B-%2BPoultry%2BProduction.pdf?MOD=AJPERES

http://www.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/26baaf004886581fb43ef66a6515bb18/Final%2B-%2BPoultry%2BProduction.pdf?MOD=AJPERES

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32010L0075

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32010L0075

http://eippcb.jrc.ec.europa.eu/reference/BREF/IRPP_D2_082013online.pdf




Poultry Farming

European Union (1994), European Parliament and Council Directive 94/62/EC of 20

December 1994 on packaging and packaging waste.

European Union (2003), Regulation (EC) No 1831/2003 of the European Parliament and of

the Council of 22 September 2003 on additives for use in animal nutrition.

International Labour Organization (ILO): Child Labour in Agriculture,

http://www.ilo.org/ipec/areas/Agriculture/lang--en/index.htm

Workers’ accommodation: processes and standards (IFC & EBRD):

http://www.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/9839db00488557d1bdfcff6a6515bb18/workers_accomo

dation.pdf?MOD=AJPERES

http://www.ilo.org/ipec/areas/Agriculture/lang--en/index.htm

http://www.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/9839db00488557d1bdfcff6a6515bb18/workers_accomodation.pdf?MOD=AJPERES

http://www.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/9839db00488557d1bdfcff6a6515bb18/workers_accomodation.pdf?MOD=AJPERES