AIC Supports Joint Call to Secure Future of Local Abattoirs
The Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC) has joined more than 150 organisations, businesses and individuals in supporting a joint call for Government action to secure a sustainable network of local and regional abattoirs across the UK.
The joint letter, coordinated by the Sustainable Food Trust and the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Animal Welfare on behalf of the Abattoir Sector Group, highlights the importance of local slaughter capacity to food security, rural businesses and the livestock sector.
Britain's abattoir network has declined from around 2,500 facilities in the 1970s to approximately 200 today. A 2025 survey of 850 farmers and land managers found that two-thirds had experienced difficulties accessing appropriate abattoir services during the previous five years, while one-third had seen an abattoir they used close.
The letter highlights the importance of a viable network of local and regional abattoirs to the livestock economy, providing farmers with routes to market and services including private kill, cutting, packing and value-added processing. It also highlights the potential consequences of further closures, including longer livestock journeys and fewer opportunities for local procurement.
Call for Government action
The coalition is asking the UK Government, devolved governments and relevant public bodies to work with industry to secure a sustainable network of local and regional abattoirs. Its key asks include:
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recognising local slaughter capacity as essential food and economic infrastructure;
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reviewing regulation and charging, including Official Veterinarian costs, inspection arrangements, regulatory thresholds and opportunities for digitalisation; and
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establishing targeted funding for abattoir infrastructure and feasibility work to help areas develop locally appropriate solutions.
AIC Feed Sector Chair Beth Austermuhle is among the signatories, alongside representatives from farming, food production, animal welfare, conservation and the wider rural economy.
The letter argues that maintaining slaughter capacity is an important part of ensuring farmers can continue to access markets and supporting resilient domestic food production and rural businesses.
Read the joint letter and find out more on the Sustainable Food Trust website.
Author
Vicky Robinson
Vicky Robinson is Head of Sustainability and is responsible for leading and co-ordinating AIC's work on sustainability.
