Nicholson, senior technical manager for The Co-operative Food, has been named as one of the 10 people recognised by Freedom Food for going the extra mile to help improve the lives of farm animals, and who have been integral to the success of Freedom Food.
The accolade for Nicholson follows on from last year, when The Co-operative was awarded the first ever Lifetime Achievement Award by the RSPCA for the community retailer’s leadership in relation to animal welfare.
The Co-operative was the first to stock Freedom Food-labelled products, and Freedom Food recognised Andrew’s role in promoting this within the business, noting: “Andrew has worked continually to drive knowledge and understanding of the benefits of higher welfare standards for farm animals.”
The Co-operative has a robust animal welfare policy and has led the way in many areas over the years. In 1999, the retailer was the first to be awarded the right to use the International Cruelty-Free symbol, developed by the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection, on its range of health and beauty products.
The Co-operative fully supports the RSPCA’s Freedom Food scheme, as well as having introduced its own higher welfare ‘Elmwood’ standard for chicken, which has added value for customers and increased sales. In 2008, The Co-operative banned the sale of eggs from caged hens from all its stores.
Debbie Robinson, director of food retail marketing for The Co-operative, said: “We’re especially pleased that Andrew has been recognised for his fantastic work in improving animal welfare. His passion and enthusiasm never cease, and he epitomises The Co-operative’s ‘Good with Food’ ethos. Congratulations to Andrew and his team for this great achievement, and for what they’ve delivered for our business.”
Nicholson said: “Although this accolade has been awarded to me, the work on Freedom Food and improving animal welfare standards is very much a team effort. The Co-operative has put its weight behind Freedom Food from the outset, and our commitment to higher animal welfare standards was reinforced last year when we launched our Food Ethical Policy.”
Source: The Co-operative Group
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