Co-op members ask new Chair to prioritise animal welfare with a giant letter
Holly Spindler
The new Chair of Co-op received a giant open letter, signed by Co-op member Chris Packham and over 2000 members.
As Debbie White settles into her new role as Chair of Co-op, we want to make sure that she steps up where others have failed. That she takes the democratic values so inherent to the Co-op brand seriously.
That’s why we’ve sent her a letter, signed by broadcaster and naturalist (and Co-op member), Chris Packham, and over 2000 Co-op members, asking her to do the right thing and sign up to the Better Chicken Commitment (BCC). And to make sure it doesn’t get ignored, we’ve gone super-sized!
On Monday, the THL UK team went to the Co-op Head Office to deliver this giant letter to make sure Debbie gets the message: Co-op members want her to prioritise giving chickens better lives.
Here's Chris Packham's plea to Debbie White.
At last year’s AGM, over 32,000 members voted in favour of the motion for Co-op to sign up to the BCC. But Co-op bosses still said no, only announcing that they would agree to give chickens more space to roam on their factory farms.
This is a good step in the right direction, but without switching to slower growing breeds of chicken, the animals on farms supplying Co-op will continue to suffer painfully.
The breed of chickens that end up on Co-op’s shelves grow so big, so fast, that many cannot stand. They are forced to lie in their own ammonia filled waste, that burns their delicate skin.
That’s why we call them Frankenchickens.
They are born to suffer, experiencing health issues like heart attacks, organ failure, lameness, bone deformities, and muscle diseases. Investigation footage filmed at farms supplying Co-op show deformities and dead bodies, left to rot like garbage.
Co-op members have had enough.
By signing this letter, members are asking the new boss to take them seriously, to take the welfare of chickens seriously. And to sign up to the BCC in full.
Sadly, Co-op bosses didn't even come and talk to our team delivering the letter. In fact, we were left out in the cold for over an hour as they stayed inside, not willing to address their members' concerns.
We aren't going to give up that easily. Watch this space for more to come...
You can see the full (normal sized) letter here. We have removed Co-op member signatures for privacy and protection.
Whether you’re a Co-op member, or just share our vision of a world free from animal abuse, join us now and get involved in our campaigns for animals raised for food.
