The criticisms come a day before Tesco's half-year financial results, which are expected to reveal that the grocer has increased its pre-tax profits by 12 per cent to more than£1.13 billion.
Friends of the Earth supermarket campaigner Vicki Hird said: 'Tesco's booming profits are rooted in rock-bottom prices to farmers and a wholesale takeover of the high street.
'Ministers and competition authorities must put the brakes on the Tesco juggernaut and take action to protect small shops, farmers and the environment.'
In January this year, Friends of the Earth published a report into what it alleged was 'supermarkets manipulating the planning system' in order to win approval from local authorities to open stores. It singled out Tesco for particular criticism.
A Tesco spokesman said: ''Friends of the Earth seems unable to accept that Tesco can only be successful if our customers want to shop with us and our suppliers benefit from working with us.
'We are committed to investing in the environment and the community in ways that will be of real, practical benefit. We are also co-operating actively with the Competition Commission inquiry, which we expect to show once again that the British high street is alive and well.'
No comments yet