Restaurant chain Nando's is to conduct an independent audit of its chicken suppliers after it was accused of ‘killing' the River Wye by green campaign groups.
River Action, The Rivers Trust, Friends of the Wye and the Angling Trust joined forces with a raft of high-profile celebrities - including Paul Whitehouse, Jo Brand, Joanna Lumley, Chris Packham and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall - to pressure Nando's to take responsibility for the environmental impact its business is having on the waterway.
In an open letter, the group challenged the chain's sustainability credentials, citing its links with industrial farming suppliers which it said have turned the River Wye into ‘a brown, lifeless mess'.
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The letter reads: "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? Pollution from factory farms that supply chicken to major restaurant chains like you."
However, a spokesperson for Nando's denied the claims and said the company was happy to discuss the situation with River Action.
Nando's
"We care passionately about the environment and having a positive impact. We have a water policy in place for all our chicken suppliers," the spokesperson said.
"We will meet with River Action and we are happy to discuss with them how this might be further improved. We are not polluting the River Wye, and our supplier has assured us that no manure is spread, stored or otherwise disposed of on any of the chicken farms we source from. We will be conducting an independent third-party audit to provide further assurances."
Chicken
Following concerns regarding the welfare of chickens sourced for its products in 2017, the chain partnered with Compassion in World Farming, FAI Farms and the Soil Association to introduce a new long-term welfare policy.
In May 2020 it signed the Better Chicken Commitment鈥痺hich saw the company pledge to fully implement higher standards of welfare for chickens in the supply chain by 2026. This included a 100% shift to a breed of chicken that is naturally slower growing; to work in partnership with farmers to鈥痟elp deliver鈥痠mproved farming practices and to invest in studies to advance understanding of how Nando's can further reduce its carbon footprint.
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