The River Wye

From January 2024 all the manure from our supply chain that would have been sold as fertiliser within the catchment is being exported elsewhere in the UK - mostly as fuel for energy production.  By doing this, we have effectively removed 75% of our supply chain from the catchment, without closing a farm or disrupting the supply of food.

Manure is not spread on indoor poultry farms: they are sealed houses that stand on concrete.  Manure is bought and sold as a valuable fertiliser, for use on other farmland.  If not applied responsibily, there is a risk that excess phosphorus can enter the river.

Poultry manure is not "waste".  |It's a fertiliser that’s highly valued, and widely used, by arable farmers, who pay for it if they don’t produce it themselves.  With over 3,500 farms in the Wye catchment area, there's a significant demand for fertiliser, regardless of where it comes from.

Avara Foods has not polluted the river.  We do not, and have not, spread manure in the catchment.  We have said that we will take accountability for the manure in our supply chain, and we will, but we will not, and cannot, take responsibility for how the land is farmed, how sewage is managed or the contribution of other businesses in the catchment.  Likewise we cannot control the water level in the river, how the river is managed or how it is overseen  - all of which play a significant role in the Wye's decline, are will be an essential part of its return to health.

Poultry manure is a widely used fertiliser.  If it were no longer available, the health of the Wye would still depend on the careful use of whatever fertiliser replaces it.  If that fertiliser also contined phosphates and if more is applied than the crops need, levels would continue to grow.

Removing poultry manure would also not account for other ways in which phosphates enter the river, through water treatment and sewage overflows, and other forms of agriculture.

Data from Lancaster University suggests that the increase in excess phosphorus peaked in the late 1970'/early 1980's, before the growth of intensive poultry farming in the region.

Since 2015 there has been a further significant increase in teh number of poultry farms, but these are mostly in the Upper Wye, where we have very few farms.

Finally, indoor IPUs (farms that house over 40,000 birds) keep the manure separted from the land, so there is no run-off nor leaching through soil.  While poultry manure is a contributing factor to pollution in the Wye, that only happens once it is applied to the land and that only happens outside of our supply chain.  To address excess phosphorus in the catchment, both current and legacy, improved soil management and better enforcement of standards is essential. 

Soya comprises less than 25% of our birds' diets and represents a small proportion of the phosphorus in the diet.  Our feed is made from a variety of UK cereals, including wheat, as well as amino acids and other nutrients that are needed to support healthy growth and development.

We were the first business in the catchment to publish accurate data about our supply chain and a clear roadmap to mitigte any potential impact that we may have.  From January 2024, we started exporting manure out of the catchment and effectively removed 75% of our supply chain from the issue.  The remaining 25% will be subject to new assurance standards that will demonstrate responsible use of manure and complete our roadmap.

However, our roadmap can only change aspects of the problem that are within our control.  This does not include wider river or land management practices, oversight and enforcement, water levels or the contributions of other businesses and individuals within the catchment.