Parents and farmers slam use of imported chicken in Welsh school meals

Welsh parents and farmers have voiced anger after an investigation found that in some council areas almost all of the chicken served to schoolchildren is imported from as far away as China, Thailand and Brazil.

The findings, published by the Countryside Alliance, reveal that local authorities across both urban and rural Wales are relying heavily on overseas poultry for school meals.

In some cases, imported chicken accounts for virtually all supply. Merthyr Tydfil Council reported that 99.35% of the chicken used in its school meals came from Thailand and China, while Conwy County Borough Council said 94% of its school chicken was sourced from outside both the UK and the EU.

Gwynedd Council reported that 87.62% of chicken products, where data was available, came from Brazil, Thailand and China, despite the area being predominantly rural. Caerphilly Council also reported that 87.32% of its school chicken was imported.

Out of 21 councils assessed, just two — Anglesey and Bridgend — sourced all school chicken from the UK.

Not a single council was able to say how much Welsh chicken it procured for school meals.

The investigation has renewed scrutiny of public sector food procurement in Wales, following earlier findings that only 12% of local authorities could report what proportion of the food they bought was produced in the UK.

Concerns have also been raised within the Senedd. Speaking last September, Labour MS Jenny Rathbone called on the Welsh government to work on “cleaning up public procurement of food, so that we support Welsh companies to feed our children rather than importing chicken from Thailand…”.

Hefin Jones, a Conwy farmer and father of three, said he was dismayed by the findings. “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.”

He said the approach made little sense for food security or the environment, adding that councils should be backing domestic producers rather than shipping food “halfway around the world”.

Rachel Evans, director of Countryside Alliance Wales, said the investigation exposed a major contradiction in public policy.

“As a mother and a farmer, I’m shocked and disappointed that, when we have such high quality Welsh and British produce… so much of the chicken our children are eating is being shipped in from the other side of the world,” she said.

She highlighted tensions with the new Sustainable Farming Scheme, launched on 1 January 2026, which could reduce livestock numbers by 5% in the name of sustainability, while public bodies continue to serve imported poultry.

“Sustainability should start at home, by supporting Welsh farmers and producing food responsibly here in Wales,” Ms Evans said.

She added: “The Welsh government needs to take urgent action to ensure that public money spent on school meals supports Welsh farming, high food standards and sustainability.”

The Countryside Alliance is now calling on ministers to reform school meal procurement frameworks, prioritise Welsh and British produce, and introduce mandatory transparency on food sourcing in public sector catering.

The Welsh government has been approached for comment.