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Tesco chief to leave chain
8 June 2010
Commenting on the announcement today that Tesco's leader Sir Terry Leahy is to leave the supermarket chain next year, Friends of the Earth's Helen Rimmer said:
"Sir Terry Leahy may have helped line the pockets of Tesco's shareholders, but British farmers, communities and the environment have all suffered at the hands of the chain's aggressive expansion.
"Tesco now controls a third of the market share - its stores are popping up on virtually every street corner, putting local firms out of business and taking choice away from shoppers.
"Bullying farmers into producing more for less stops them from investing in greener farming practices and forces them to rely on imports of cheap animal feed grown in South America at the expense of people and rainforests.
"If the new Government is serious about supporting the economy through these tricky times it must introduce tough planning laws and a new watchdog to reign in the major supermarkets - and allow small businesses, farmers and communities to flourish."
ENDS
Notes to Editors
1. Friends of the Earth is calling on the Government to make the switch to planet-friendly farming with its Food Chain Campaign. For more information visit www.fixthefoodchain.com.
If you're a journalist looking for press information please contact the Friends of the Earth media team on 020 7566 1649.
Published by Friends of the Earth Trust
Last modified: Jun 2010
