Stop Killing our Rivers! - Campaign overview from Cathy Cliff – Soil Association Policy Advisor

One of these environments is the River Wye, one of the UK’s best loved rivers, rising in Wales and running for 155 miles to the Severn Estuary in England.

In 2020, a thick algal bloom extended along the River Wye for more than 140 miles, killing much of the life beneath the surface. The bloom was caused by eutrophication – nutrients from livestock manures (primarily phosphates from chicken manures) had washed into the waters, causing rapid algae growth, starving the river of oxygen. Intensive chicken farming had added to the pressures facing the river from other sources of pollution, such as sewage.

The Wye Valley running along the border between England and Wales has been described as “the poultry capital of the UK”. More than 20 million chickens are farmed in this area at any one time. This has been allowed despite the river and its natural biodiversity being extremely sensitive to pollution such as phosphates, one reason it has been designated a Special Area of Conservation for species like freshwater crowfoot, crayfish and otters.

Tragically, unless urgent and dramatic action is taken to reduce the impact of chicken farming on the Wye, the river may never recover. Governments in England and Wales have also issued permits for intensive chicken operations holding more than 40,000 birds each in other parts of the nation close to other rivers, putting them at risk of phosphate pollution. Huge volumes of manure are produced in these units and land spreading of the manure to fertilise crops is widespread, leaving rivers exposed to pollution and decline. Sewage pollution has rightly been a focus for government action to address river pollution but agriculture, and particularly the type of intensive production used to rear chickens, is the biggest pollutant of UK rivers.

We urgently need to call on the UK and devolved governments to put in place legislation to protect our rivers.  Another powerful approach is through buying power and the reduction of  UK chicken production and consumption. One effective way of doing this is through public procurement, phasing out intensive chicken in schools and hospitals. The viability of improving the food served in public settings has been demonstrated in Food for Life settings with meat-free days, adding beans and pulses to the menu, and trading-up to organic and higher welfare British meat and animal produce.

Food for Life caterers can help ramp up a further shift away from environmentally damaging chicken meat and talk to us about challenges they are facing with sourcing more sustainable chicken and viable alternatives. Please share your thoughts with us in very short survey on chicken consumption and procurement so that we can hear from as many caterers as possible ahead of the upcoming campaign.

If you would like any help or advice on menu changes, please contact sustainablecatering@foodforlife.org.uk .