The response to Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall’s campaign so far has been huge; sales of free range and higher welfare poultry are up by 30-40% according to the supermarkets’ own figures. Other sources estimate that the demand for free range has more than doubled. The major supermarkets are struggling to keep up with this new demand, and the poultry industry has begun a substantial reconfiguration to supply it.
I’m sure you’ve seen evidence of this for yourselves, as I have - the organic and free range chicken shelves are emptying quickly - a great testament to the success of the campaign.
However, a year on, one major retailer in particular has appeared reluctant to engage in Hugh’s campaign for improving chicken welfare and production. That retailer is Tesco’s and as a Tesco’s shareholder Hugh has submitted a resolution to be moved at the company’s AGM at the end of June.
The resolution and supporting statement can be read here.
Hugh sent in the resolution before the deadline of 16 May but, by then, Tesco had already sent out its AGM paperwork. It insisted the chef had to pay to post his lone resolution to its 269,000 shareholders. The bill for this action was £86,888! I can see their point, just, but they had the power to waiver the fee, they just chose not to - more evidence to show their reluctance to support Hugh’s campaign.
Hugh was not deterred however and immediately committed £30,000 of his own money, further to asking for donations to the animal welfare charity Compassion in World Farming (CIWF). He also set up an auction site offering prizes including an offer to cook a chicken meal for six and a fishing expedition for 10.
After a day and a half, CIWF donations had topped £50,000, while the auction of promises raised more than £25,000, including £10,000 for the fishing trip!
This fighting fund amassed more than £75,000 in just two days, exceeding the amount Hugh needed and comfortably meeting the supermarket’s deadline. Almost 3,000 individuals made donations, with one person paying £20,000!
So we wait with baited breath for the outcome of the Tesco AGM at the end of this month. As soon as the results of the resolution are published, I will be updating you.
In the meantime, support of the campaign will surely continue to grow and just incase you haven’t signed up already, take a click over to Chicken Out TV and show your support!
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