McDonald’s back down over British Olympic chickens after pressure from Green Jenny Jones

20 March 2012

Fast food giant agrees to increase domestic supply to 90% after pressure from London Green Party 

The company had planned to import most of their chicken from overseas countries like Brazil and Thailand, snubbing British farmers and necessitating far greater emissions owing to long-distance air transport.

Lord Coe, the Chair of the London Olympic and Paralympic organising committee (LOCOG) admitted the problem at City Hall in response to a question from Green Mayoral candidate Jenny Jones.

But it now seems that Macdonald's have backed down after pressure from the London Green Party.

Jones said: "This is a real success for British farmers and the people of London.

"However, British Red Tractor was the absolute basic sourcing standard for Games chicken anyway, and in my opinion, well short of the Games' aspirations of high animal welfare standards.

"McDonalds should now go much further and stop using intensively reared chicken from broiler sheds where a chicken may only have the equivalent space of an A4 piece of paper.

"It's time for McDonalds to do the right thing and switch to Free Range or RSPCA Freedom Food assured British reared chicken as their minimum welfare sourcing standard."

Back to main news page