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Americans consume a significant amount of chicken—nearly double that of beef and pork combined. But most of us have no concept of where the chicken on our plate comes from or the consequences of how our appetite for chicken.

Why don’t Americans know or care where the food they eat comes from, how its grown or processed?

In a world of 24-hour news cycles, where we are all hyperaware of the moment-by-moment political maneuvering, it’s fascinating that most of us have little interest in knowing where our food is grown or how it is processed. The Jaime Oliver TV show clip below is a perfect example.

When Jamie Oliver attempted to turn kids’ appetites off to eating Chicken Nuggets, but his presentation backfired. Initially, kids were disgusted but in the end of his presentation they still wanted to eat Chicken Nuggets.

The production of the chicken we eat (known as broiler chicken) in the U.S. has risen from just over 10 billion pounds in 1970 to nearly 60 billion pounds in 2021.

Today, the average broiler chicken raised for meat is twice the size of those raised 60 years ago, and the time required to reach full size has been cut in half over the past century.

Modern broiler chickens are descendants of the red junglefowl, a bird native to Southeast Asia. These chickens are specifically raised for their meat rather than for egg production.

Sadly, most broiler chickens come from a short list of large factory farms, where thousands of birds are kept in confined spaces. While advances in broiler chicken production have led to lower prices for consumers, they have created negative consequences for many involved in the industry. Reports indicate that farmers are being driven into bankruptcy, poultry plant workers are suffering serious injuries, birds are bred to grow so quickly that they cannot stand, and the environment is being polluted by excess manure. Improvements in chicken production are largely due to advances in genetic science, which enable selective breeding and a higher “breast conversion rate.” Modern chickens convert feed into breast meat more efficiently.

Data from the USDA shows a decline in the number of farms raising cattle and broiler chickens. From 2012 to 2022, the number of broiler chicken farms decreased by three percent. Some reports suggest that this decline is due to large companies, like Tyson Foods, owning the birds but not the farms.

Tyson Foods contracts family farms to raise their chickens, placing all financial risk on these farms. It is common for farmers to incur debts of up to $1 million to build chicken houses, not including the cost of land. Meanwhile, the contracts usually involve only short-term commitments, often lasting from one flock to the next.