Chef plans Tesco share revolt over chickens

The television chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall is calling for a mass revolt by Tesco shareholders over its sales of cheap, factory-farmed chickens.

The River Cottage smallholder has bought a financial stake in Britain's biggest supermarket and tabled a resolution, to be debated at Tesco's annual general meeting, which would force the company either to withdraw its claim that it supports animal welfare or to adopt minimum standards set by the RSPCA.

More than 100 investors holding a combined three million shares have backed the resolution, which will be debated at the meeting in Birmingham on 27 June.

Fearnley-Whittingstall, who disclosed the move ahead of his new Channel 4 series, is now canvassing major City investors and members of the public for support.

Under rules laid down by the Financial Services Authority, the chef cannot advise his estimated 100,000 campaign supporters to buy Tesco shares and then vote for the resolution. But he will point out in an email today that they can contact the Northampton stockbroker Cave & Sons, through whom a single share may be bought for about £30.

The resolution is likely to fail but the chef hopes it will focus attention on the suffering of broiler chickens, which are the biggest source of meat in the UK. Institutional investors in Tesco have indicated that they will privately seek to influence the supermarket's animal welfare policies.

The showdown casts another cloud over the £30bn-a-year retailer following a torrid few months in which it has launched legal action against The Guardian newspaper over its flawed reporting of an offshore tax avoidance scheme, and sued critics of Tesco's expansion in Thailand.

Fearnley-Whittingstall's campaign marks an escalation in his drive to improve the welfare of the 800 million chickens bred in the UK each year, which are often kept in sheds housing up to 50,000 birds. Many suffer leg burns from padding around in urine-drenched sawdust, while others die of heart failure.

The chef claims that Tesco breaches at least three of the "five freedoms" set by the government-run Farm Animal Welfare Council, including those relating to natural behaviour and pain and discomfort. Chickens produced under the RSPCA Freedom Foods scheme have 80 per cent fewer leg burns and 65 per cent lower mortality than those which are reared under the Assured Chicken Production scheme and sold by Tesco, Morrisons and Asda. Waitrose and Marks and Spencer refuse to sell standard factory-farmed chicken.

In its defence, Tesco – which began selling whole chickens for £1.99 this year – said it checked suppliers regularly and believed that its birds met the highest welfare standards.

"We have also recently introduced Willow Farm chicken, which is a more affordable, welfare-friendly option," said a company spokesman. "However, for many of our customers buying standard birds is the only way they can afford to keep chicken as part of their family diet... and we have a duty to continue providing them with good quality, affordable food which they do not need to feel guilty about eating."

The five freedoms

* Freedom from hunger and thirst: ready access to fresh water and a diet to maintain full health

* Freedom from discomfort: appropriate environment including shelter and comfortable resting area

* Freedom to express normal behaviour: sufficient space, facilities and company of animal's own kind

* Freedom from pain, injury or disease: prevention or rapid diagnosis and treatment

* Freedom from fear and distress: conditions and treatment which avoid mental suffering

Click here to read the River Cottage Chicken Out! website

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