The Observer has learned that the wildlife charity WWF-UK has shelved an important report warning of the damage caused by intensive chicken production to the River Wye.
Tesco has donated more than £6m to the charity since 2018. Tesco has been under fire from campaigners for its role in the decline of Wye River because it is a major supplier of intensive poultry farms.
The charity was to release a report about fixing the food system that included an analysis of the impacts of intensive chicken farming along the river. A source said that the report for 2022 was canceled after fears were raised over the possible fallout.
WWF announced this weekend that the report did not meet their rigorous standards, and that the decision was unrelated to any partnership.
A source familiar with the decision, however, said that “shelving the report completely was the wrong thing to have done.” They didn’t wish to upset the apple cart. The attitude was, “We’re going to find a partner. What’s the purpose?
WWF’s partnership with Tesco lasted from 2018 to 2023, and was focused on environmental impacts within the food system. The supermarket contributed between £500,000 to £2m per year for the partnership.
WWF, who has long been concerned with the impact of global food production and wildlife on the environment, planned to release a report titled “Feeling the Bite” in the summer of 2022. The report warned that a million species are threatened.
In the UK and across the globe, the report stated that “how we eat drives a food system that destroys the planet”. The report warned that an “broken” system of food production was putting a huge strain on the environment.
The River Wye was used as a case-study to highlight the global threat facing Asian elephants, the maned Wolf in South America and other endangered species.
The report warned that increased phosphate manure from poultry farms is causing algae blooms, which “suffocate fish and plants” and leave birds like kingfishers or dippers with no food.
Source claims that the report was originally scheduled to be published by 2022, but that it was decided that the publication date be delayed and that the Wye case be removed due to concerns that environmental activists would highlight WWF’s partnership with Tesco.
Later, the decision was made to store the entire report. Sources said that after the Wye case was removed, the overall strength of the report became questionable.
Tesco stated this weekend that it had no involvement in either the report or its decision to not publish it.
Dave Lewis is the former CEO of Tesco and chair of the WWF board of trustees. The charity stated that he was not involved in the project, or any decision-making.
Natural England announced last May that it had lowered the condition of River Wye from “favourable to declining”
Tesco was criticized for its role in supporting a supply chain that is not sustainable in the Wye Catchment.
Charles Watson, the founder and chairperson of River Action which promotes river pollution awareness, stated that Tesco’s demand, along with other supermarkets, had fueled the boom in chicken production in the Wye Catchment Area. He said, “Tesco is all over the Wye.”
WWF has forged a number corporate partnerships over the past few years. These include agreements with Aviva and HSBC, as well as consumer goods manufacturer Reckitt. Corporate donations and income for the charity totaled £16.7m during the year ending 30 June 2023. This is out of total income of £94m.
WWF spokesperson: “We’re a science-led organization and after reviewing drafts of this report, we concluded it didn’t meet our rigorous standards. The decision to not proceed with the report was not related to any case study in it or to our relationship with partners.
We are deeply concerned about the impact of pollution on UK rivers, especially the Wye. We have sued the government for its failure to take action on river pollution. We will continue to push for action to address the impact of the food system on the environment in the UK as well as overseas.
Tesco’s spokesperson stated: “This report did not form part of our collaboration with WWF, and we had no involvement in its development or publication. Our partnership with WWF aimed to tackle the most significant environmental impacts in our food system. This included helping to protect water and biodiversity within supply chains.
We are committed to protecting the River Wye along with other players in the food industry and have been working closely with local stakeholders to combat water pollution since 2019.
We’re funding a number water catchment projects over a multi-year period.