The Soil Association has launched a new campaign – Stop Poison Poultry – asking retailers to remove dangerous pesticides from their soya supply chains.Chicken is the UK's favourite meat yet almost all of them are fed a diet of imported soya.

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This soya is sourced from Latin America, primarily Brazil, where it is grown using toxic pesticides. In recent decades, Brazil has become the global epicentre of both soya production and pesticide use, with soya production increasing almost sixfold, and pesticide use by 900%, since 1990.

Scientists are reporting that bees, fish, aquatic organisms, macaws, tapirs, birds of prey and bats are among the wild animals being put at risk.

“Our farmers should be able to purchase feeds that don’t harm biodiversity and communities,” said Soil Association campaigns adviser, Cathy Cliff.

“Now is the time to invest in UK protein crops and ease our reliance on imported soya – British businesses can lead the way in addressing this environmental challenge.”

The Association is calling on retailers to help create a market for home-grown protein crops and support British farmers to reduce their reliance on “harmful” soya imports.

"People are familiar with the deforestation soya production causes  but the use of hazardous pesticides in it's  production (ones which are banned for use in the UK ) is not well publicised.

"While soya has been a sensible choice from a nutritional perspective, providing the right balance of amino acids for poultry, the ecological costs have become intolerable,” said Ms Cliff.

Stop Poison Poultry

“That’s why we’re campaigning to Stop Poison Poultry and asking retailers and supply chains to invest in UK protein crops in place of soya.

“We need to look at what resources we have available, what we can grow, and how we can adapt these to produce our own alternatives, rather than importing them."

The online petition calling on retailers to phase out highly hazardous pesticides in their soya supply chain by 2030, starting immediately and making year-on-year progress.

It wants retailers to commit to reducing the soya component of chicken feed from 20% to 10% by 2030, and for it to be replaced with UK, or European, protein crops instead.

Many of the pesticides applied to soya crops in Brazil would be illegal to use in the UK or EU, in recognition of their highly hazardous nature and potential for causing harm to the environment and human health. 

An investigation found that leading British supermarkets are failing to adequately monitor pesticide use in their soya and chicken feed supply chains. None of the supermarkets that were surveyed were taking all appropriate steps to prevent pesticide-related harms associated with soya crops. It says that pesticide use remains a toxic blind spot. 

Soya alternatives

Ms Cliff said a recent study by Innovative Farmers found sprouting wheat and vetch seeds, grain tailings sand processed beans were all good alternatives to soya for monogastric animals.

“We need to look at what resources we have available, what we can grow, and how we can adapt these to produce our own alternatives, rather than importing them" she concluded.

Find out more and sign the petition https://www.soilassociation.org/causes-campaigns/stop-poison-poultry/