Clever chef won’t chicken out of confrontation with Tesco

Friday, May 23rd, 2008

Campaigning TV chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall is calling for a revolt by Tesco shareholders over its cheap factory-farmed chickens. He’s bought a financial stake in the 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, and major City investors and members of the public are now being canvassed for support.

Under rules laid down by the Financial Services Authority, the chef cannot advise his estimated 100,000-plus campaign supporters to buy Tesco shares and vote for the resolution, but he will urge them in an email today to contact Northampton stockbroker Cave & Sons which has agreed to help the campaign by buying shares on their behalf. This happens in the context of more and more shoppers boycotting Tesco as time goes by, for too many reasons to list here but including its advocacy of poor welfare standards, claiming it is helping poor families and that is all that matters—but, worse, also arguing that battery and broiler hen welfare standards are good.

Personally I’d like to see Tesco executives forced to live standing up for 12 months on less space than a sheet of A4 paper. Then the cold-hearted, profit-chasing bastards might gain a little sympathy and compassion, instead of using the smokescreen of concern for poor families who already get dosed up on excessive salt and sugar thanks to the store’s so-called value range of food products.

In the meantime, don’t shop at Tesco. You don’t need to. There are other stores. Spread the word.

The 5 freedoms Tesco doesn’t give a crap about until we show that we, the British public, do:

- 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

categories: animals, healthy planet