Since we receive many questions about WWF’s new Meat Guide, we thought we would answer the most common questions here. The Food Guide, which includes the Meat Guide, has fixed limits on how it should assess certain issues, which also need to work in several countries. This is a simplification of reality designed to make it easier for consumers, but it can be a bit difficult to interpret.

• WWF's Meat Guide does not rate companies. The guide rates different certifications.
• For chicken, Köttguiden rates the categories Biological diversity, Climate, Chemical pesticides, Animal welfare and Antibiotics.
• Based on the scores in these different categories, a combined score is then set. Green score = eat occasionally, yellow score = be careful, red score = warning.
• According to WWF, Swedish Sigill chicken (which we are certified for) receives the overall yellow rating in the WWF’s Meat Guide.
• Swedish Sigill climate-certified chicken is the only operator that receives a green rating for Climate.
• At Bjärefågel we raise a slowly growing chicken, which in the guide would give us a yellow rating for animal welfare. To get a green rating, outdoor living is also required, which we have chosen to avoid for very strong reasons. Feel free to read more www.bjarefagel.se/uppfodning/ekologisk-kyckling/. Swedish Sigill climate-certified chicken receives the red rating, as the certification currently does not require a slow-growing chicken.
• Swedish Sigill climate-certified chicken also receives the red rating for chemical pesticides, which surprises us:
  • For Svenskt Sigill climate-certified chicken, preventive methods are included as far as possible to reduce the need for pesticides. Healthy varieties and seeds, proper fertilization, for example, provide more resistant crops. Pesticides are not used routinely; instead, their use is based on various types of observations of pests in the fields (e.g., insect traps or looking through the field for infestations). Of course, several precautions are taken to ensure that pesticides are not spread into the environment; protective zones adjacent to waterways, cleaning, and refilling the pesticide sprayer in a safe location, etc.
  • We at Bjärefågel believe in the ”right chemical” used in the right way. There is limited arable land and cultivation needs to be efficient. At the same time, of course, pesticides should never be used at the expense of destroying the soil.
• In the category of Antibiotics, the Svenskt Sigill climate-certified chicken receives the green rating, and in the category of Biological Diversity, the rating is yellow.

A big thank you to WWF for allowing us to be part of telling the story of Bjärekyckling during this year’s presentation of WWF’s new Food Guide!

About Bjärefågel:

• We are a small family business focused on quality, sustainability, clean products, and great care for the details. We have our own slaughterhouse, which gives us control over the entire chain.
• We raise the chickens ourselves, and we have carefully selected breeders who are allowed to stay within a maximum of ten miles of the slaughterhouse. Long transport distances are not good for either the birds or the environment.
• We are certified by Svensk Fågel and follow their control and animal health program.
• We are also climate certified by Svenskt Sigill:
  • According to Svenskt Sigill, this means that the climate impact is reduced by 20-25 %%.
  • 30 % of the feed is grown with low climate impact.
  • A limited amount of climate-friendly soy can be used (certified according to ProTerra or RTRS, GMO-free and transported separately from other soy).
  • We have carried out an energy assessment and taken measures to reduce energy consumption = low climate footprint
  • Measures must never come at the expense of animal welfare.
• Our chickens have a large area per bird to move around on and we breed a slowly growing, physically strong chicken called Ranger Gold. Our chickens are free from antibiotics and coccidiostatics and have good health thanks to their slow growth and plenty of space.
• Bjärekycklingar eat a quality vegetable feed based on Swedish corn, free from GMOs.
• We always handle our chickens carefully with two hands, covering their body and wings to ensure that they are well-fed and well-cared for.
• We also have a more fun stall environment with hay bales or platforms in the stall, because the birds like to get up and be able to see around them.