Joanna Lumley and Dominic West among celebs accusing Nando's of 'killing' British rivers

Amandaland prima Joanna Lumley, Springwatch big Chris Packham and the Crown's Dominic West are among signatories of an unfastened missive to Nando's astir its sourcing of chicken

Celebrities specified arsenic Joanna Lumley and Chris Packham person urged Nando's to present "a sector-leading committedness to protecting Britain's rivers" amid pollution concerns.

The brace are among the signatories of an unfastened missive to the edifice concatenation that alleges its chickenhearted sourced from suppliers is "killing our rivers". Campaigning assemblage River Action UK - which has released a transcript of the missive done its website - states that the radical are calling connected Nando's to "clean up its proviso chain" and "tackle its publication to terrible stream pollution".

Among the different signatories of the missive are Dominic West, Jo Brand and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. It's besides signed by representatives for organisations including River Action UK, Save the Wye and the Rivers Trust.

The missive references the River Wye, which it's antecedently been suggested is at hazard from cultivation pollution. Back successful 2022, for example, it was reported that the stream was suffering from its location astatine the centre of "intensive poultry production," with it stated astatine the clip that manure from the birds is dispersed connected the onshore arsenic fertiliser "at specified precocious levels" that erstwhile it rains it is washed disconnected into tributaries.

The missive to Nando's UK and Ireland CEO Mark Standish states: "Millions of Brits person shared countless 'cheeky Nando’s' moments. Nando's is simply a British icon - which is precisely wherefore we request to talk. Your chickenhearted is sidesplitting our rivers. The Wye utilized to beryllium 1 of Britain's astir beauteous rivers. Now? It's turning into a brown, lifeless messiness - sidesplitting wildlife, destroying habitats, and adjacent making section children sick aft swimming. The culprit? Pollution from mill farms that proviso chickenhearted to large edifice chains similar you.

"This is wherever your work lies arsenic CEO of Nando's. You are buying chickens from monolithic mill farms and their discarded is perfectly destroying Britain's rivers. The bully quality is that you've got the powerfulness to assistance hole this. Nando's isn't the lone institution buying these chickens - but arsenic 1 of Britain's most-loved brands, erstwhile you marque moves, others follow. You could revolutionise however edifice chains root their produce."

It continues: "You support telling america that sustainability 'isn't conscionable a buzz word' for Nando's. It's clip to locomotion the walk. Local children from the River Wye reached retired to you astir this. Hundreds of radical commented connected your societal posts. In response, you've softly deleted the web leafage that told everyone wherever your chickenhearted comes from, and present assertion your supplier assures you they're not spreading discarded connected chickenhearted farms successful the area. But where's the impervious it's not ending up successful our rivers?

"We request existent answers, not conscionable PR speak. Like you did with your Better Chicken Commitment, we're asking you to plan and instrumentality a sector-leading committedness to protecting Britain's rivers successful your sustainability policy. The aboriginal of Britain's rivers - and your estimation - depends connected your response."

In a connection successful effect to the letter, Nando's said: "We attraction passionately astir the situation and having a affirmative impact. We person a h2o argumentation successful spot for each our chickenhearted suppliers. We volition conscionable with River Action and we are blessed to sermon with them however this mightiness beryllium further improved.

"We are not polluting the River Wye, and our supplier has assured america that nary manure is spread, stored oregon different disposed of connected immoderate of the chickenhearted farms we root from. We volition beryllium conducting an autarkic third-party audit to supply further assurances."

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