Rethinking poultry production: innovations, challenges, and pathways to a sustainable future

SUMMARYAs global demand for poultry continues to rise, sustainable practices in poultry production have become an urgent priority to reduce the sector’s environmental footprint. While poultry is among the most efficient animal protein sources, significant environmental challenges remain, particularly regarding resource efficiency, energy use, waste management, and emissions. This review provides an integrated analysis of sustainable poultry production by combining environmental, technological, and regional perspectives. Feed production contributes approximately 60 to 70% of the environmental footprint of poultry systems, while improvements in feed conversion ratio (FCR) and precision nutrition offer substantial opportunities for resource optimisation. The review evaluates key innovations, including alternative protein sources, energy-efficient systems, carbon reduction strategies, and improved waste management practices. It also examines global and regional sustainability challenges, particularly climate change impacts and adaptive strategies across diverse production systems. While emerging solutions such as renewable energy integration, precision farming, and genetic advancements show strong potential, their large-scale implementation remains constrained by economic and regulatory factors. This review identifies priority pathways, including feed system transformation, circular resource management, and climate-resilient production strategies, as essential for achieving sustainable and resilient poultry production systems.