CHURCH MAY BUY BREWERY SHARES

The Church of England may begin to buy shares in breweries and distilleries in order to exert its influence against excessive and under-age drinking, especially the problems associated with 'alcopops'. The move would mean ending or easing the ban, introduced in 1948, against the Church investing in the alcohol industry under its 'ethical investment' rules.

In a report to be debated at the 1997 General Synod, the ethical investment group of the Church Commissioners, who are responsible for managing the Church's assets, recommends a selective easing of the ban to allow investment in brewing and distilling companies that derive 'significant turnover' from other activities.

The report says that easing the ban "would allow the Church, as an investor, to make a positive contribution to the issues being debated within the industry (and) to have dialogue with the companies about their policies in respect of excessive consumption and advertising, particularly that directed at young people."

The report has been given a cautious and perhaps somewhat ambiguous welcome by the bishops. The Right Reverend Richard Harries, Bishop of Oxford said: "As a person who enjoys their drink, I have always felt it was slightly illogical to have a ban on the breweries section. Breweries have moved much more into the whole entertainment business, and if the Church is in that sector it might be able to do more to stop under-age drinking."

Influence on company policy not guaranteed

If the Church of England does accept the new recommendation, it will not be the first time a religious organisation has become a shareholder of a brewery in order to raise questions about its marketing practices.  In the USA, both the Adrian Dominican Sisters and the Fransiscan Sisters bought shares in Anheuser-Busch, the producer of Budweiser beer. Their experience suggests that having even a relatively large financial stake in the company does not necessarily provide influence on policy.

Particularly alarmed by the Budweiser Frog advertising campaign, which they believed encouraged under-age drinking, the Sisters raised the issue at the 1996 annual shareholders meeting. Anheuser-Busch did not seem to welcome their intervention. Sister Annette Sinagra had prepared a brief statement for the meeting which she had not finished reading when the chairman cut her off at the microphone.

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