Celebrities such as Joanna Lumley and Chris Packham have urged Nando’s to introduce “a sector-leading commitment to protecting Britain’s rivers” amid pollution concerns.
The pair are one of the signatories to a restaurant chain’s open letter, which claims that suppliers’ chicken is “killing our rivers.” The group is urging Nando’s to “clean up its supply chain” and “tackle its contribution to severe river pollution,” according to campaigning body River Action UK, which has posted a copy of the letter on its website.
Among the other signatories of the letter are Dominic West, Jo Brand and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. River Action UK, Save the Wye, and the Rivers Trust are also authorized to sign it, along with others.
The River Wye, which has previously been cited as a source of risk from agricultural pollution, is referenced in the letter. For instance, in 2022, it was reported that the river was suffering because it was “intensive poultry production” because manure from the birds was spread “at such high levels” on the land as fertiliser when it fell into tributaries.
The letter to Nando’s UK and Ireland CEO Mark Standish states: “Millions of Brits have shared countless ‘ cheeky Nando’s ‘ moments. We need to talk because Nando’s is a British icon. Our rivers are being killed by your chicken. The Wye used to be one of Britain’s most beautiful rivers. Now? It’s turning into a brown, lifeless mess – killing wildlife, destroying habitats, and even making local children sick after swimming. The culprit? Pollutant produced on factory farms that supply chicken to major restaurant manufacturers like you.
As Nando’s CEO, you are in charge of this. You purchase chickens from massive factory farms, which waste completely destroys Britain’s rivers. The good news is that you are able to contribute to this. Nando’s isn’t the only company buying these chickens – but as one of Britain’s most-loved brands, when you make moves, others follow. You could change the way restaurant chains buy their produce.
It continues:” You keep telling us that sustainability ‘ isn’t just a buzz word ‘ for Nando’s. It’s time to walk the walk. You were contacted about this by local River Wye children. On your social media posts, hundreds of people commented. You have since quietly deleted the website where everyone was informed about the source of their chicken, and you now claim that your supplier guarantees that no waste is being produced on local chicken farms. But where’s the proof it’s not ending up in our rivers?
“We need real answers, not just PR speak. Like you did with your Better Chicken Commitment, we’re asking you to design and implement a sector-leading commitment to protecting Britain’s rivers in your sustainability policy. The future of Britain’s rivers – and your reputation – depends on your response”.
In a statement in response to the letter, Nando’s said: “We care passionately about the environment and having a positive impact. For all of our chicken suppliers, we have a water policy in place. We’ll talk about how this might be improved when we next meet up with River Action.
Our supplier has assured us that no manure is spread, stored, or otherwise disposed of on any of the chicken farms we source from, and that we are not polluting the River Wye. We will be conducting an independent third-party audit to provide further assurances. “
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Source: Mirror
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