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 McDonalds and JD Wetherspoon were among those to receive a March 15
letter from institutions including Aviva Investors asking them to
set a timeline to stop the use of medically important antibiotics in
their supply chains.
The other eight approached were Domino's Pizza Group, Brinker
International, Darden Restaurants, Mitchells & Butlers, Restaurant
Brands International, Restaurant Group, The Wendy's Company and Yum!
Brands.
The move follows warnings from the World Health Organization that
the world is moving towards a post-antibiotic era in which many
infections would no longer be treatable because of the overuse of
antibiotics.
Eighty percent of antibiotics produced in the United States are
given to livestock, the coalition said in a statement, adding that
failure to confront their "irresponsible" use threatens both health
and investor returns.
"These large food companies are key ingredients in the portfolios of
most of our pensions and savings, thus it is a case of proper
risk-management to ask them to work out how they will meet this
challenge," said Jeremy Coller, chief investment officer of Coller
Capital.
"The world is changing, regulation on antibiotic use is set to
tighten and consumer preferences are shifting away from factory
farmed food. As stewards of these food companies and responsible
investors, we want to protect both human health and shareholder
value."
Drug-resistant infections could cost the world about $100 trillion
in lost output by 2050, the coalition statement said, citing recent
academic research.
Among other investors to sign the letter were Boston Common Asset
Management, Impax Asset Management and EdenTree Investment
Management.
Domino's Pizza Group spokeswoman Nina Arnott said the company's
suppliers only used antibiotics when necessary to treat disease,
under veterinary supervision, and that they are not used to prevent
disease or boost livestock growth.
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"We are also encouraging our suppliers to reduce the use of
antibiotics for therapeutic purposes, and trials are under way to
assess the feasibility of achieving this goal," she said.
In a written response dated March 24, JD Wetherspoon said that
growth-promoting substances, including antibiotics, were already
banned across all of its livestock supply chains.
Mitchells & Butlers said the use of antibiotics in livestock
production is an important issue and the company is reviewing the
matter across all species as part of its sourcing policy.
The Restaurant Group, meanwhile, said that it ensured responsible
animal welfare standards throughout its supply chain and it is a
strict requirement of suppliers' contracts that antibiotics are used
only for the treatment of disease.
McDonalds said it had received the letter and would respond to the
coalition. Yum!, Wendy's, Darden and Brinker did not immediately
respond to requests for comment, while a Restaurant Brands
representative was not immediately available for comment.
(Editing by David Goodman)
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