As a resident of Southern California, Del Taco is a staple food group (period). And adding its mouthwatering Beyond Meat items has only made its menu even more irresistible (seriously, those Beyond Avocado Tacos though). Not only do I get to enjoy a delicious plant-based meal, I can feel good about supporting Del Taco’s steps towards a more sustainable future.

So you might be wondering why I’m starting this petition. Well, consumers across the globe are demanding more transparency about where their food comes from — especially with regard to animal welfare. And while Del Taco has introduced great plant-based options to its menu, it’s falling way behind the industry when it comes to how the animals in its supply chain are treated. 

Currently, chickens raised for Del Taco’s supply chain live a life of pure torture. They are bred to grow at an alarmingly unnatural rate, which causes leg deformities, organ failure, and heart attacks in these baby birds. Each flock, which consists of tens of thousands of birds, are kept in dirty, windowless sheds where they are forced to live in their own waste with ammonia levels so concentrated that many suffer from chemical burns. When these birds are brought to slaughter, they are violently shackled upside down. Their throats are then slit, often while they’re still conscious.

This animal cruelty is not what you’d expect from a restaurant chain that prides itself on food quality and has the slogan “Fresh As Del”, but this is the sad, disappointing reality. 

It doesn’t have to be this way though. Over 150 companies in the United States have adopted the Better Chicken Commitment, a comprehensive set of welfare reforms that address the worst abuses suffered by chickens on today’s farms. Chipotle, Qdoba, Moe’s, Burger King, Subway, Starbucks, Dunkin Brands, and many more have stepped up and put an end to the most egregious of practices.

No matter your eating preference, we can all agree that this horrific abuse is not acceptable. And if all of these other companies can take action to end this extreme cruelty, why can’t Del Taco? 

I hope you will join me in urging Del Taco to keep moving in the right direction for its customers, the animals in its supply chain, and the planet -- and adopt the Better Chicken Commitment.