Welsh farming parents have voiced strong concerns over the quality and origin of chicken being served in school meals across the country.
An investigation by the Countryside Alliance has revealed that local authorities in both urban and rural areas are serving children chicken sourced from as far afield as Thailand, China and Brazil.
The findings follow last year’s report by the Alliance, which highlighted that only 12% of councils could provide data on how much of their food procurement came from the UK.
Speaking in the Senedd in September 2025, Cardiff Central MS Jenny Rathbone called for reforms in public food procurement urging the Welsh Government to 'support Welsh companies to feed our children rather than importing chicken from Thailand'.
The new investigation paints a stark picture. In Merthyr Tydfil, 99.35% of chicken in school meals came from Thailand and China, while in Gwynedd, 87.62% of chicken products were imported from Brazil, Thailand and China.
Conwy and Caerphilly councils also reported that 94% and 87.32% of their school chicken, respectively, came from outside the UK and EU. Out of 21 councils surveyed only Anglesey and Bridgend sourced all chicken domestically and no council could specify the proportion of Welsh chicken used.
Conwy farmer and father of three,Hefin Jones expressed his frustration: "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."
Director of Countryside Alliance Wales, Rachel Evans called on the Welsh Government to act: "As a mother and a farmer, I’m shocked and disappointed that, when we have such high quality Welsh and British produce, including chickens farmed with some of the best welfare standards in the world, so much of the chicken our children are eating is being shipped in from the other side of the world.
“There’s a real contradiction here. The new Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS) launched on January 1, 2026, could lead to a 5% reduction in livestock numbers in the name of climate change and sustainability, yet public bodies are serving imported chicken flown or shipped in from as far away as Thailand, China and Brazil, increasing carbon emissions and lowering food standards, all while undermining local agriculture. Sustainability should start at home, by supporting Welsh farmers and producing food responsibly here in Wales.
“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 urging a reform of school meal procurement to prioritise Welsh and British produce along with mandatory transparency on food provenance in public sector catering.
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