Co-op will stop sourcing products from countries with “community-wide human rights abuses” this month — including Israel — as part of a sweeping new ethical sourcing policy.
The retailer will phase out goods and ingredients clearly and solely sourced from 17 countries identified by the international community, starting this month. That includes removing Israeli carrots, Russian vodka and mangoes from Mali from shelves and own-brand products.
The move follows more than a year of internal review and growing pressure from members, with Co-op saying the decision reflects its values-led approach to sourcing and peacebuilding.
It coincides with the start of Co-op Fortnight — the UK’s annual celebration of co-operative principles.
Debbie White, chair of the Co-op Group Board, said: “This policy… is a clear demonstration of our co-operative values in action, where the voices of our members have been listened to and then acted upon.”
“We are committed, where we can, to removing products and ingredients from our shelves which are sourced from those countries where the international consensus demonstrates there is not alignment with what happens in those countries and our co-operative values and principles.
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“As a business, we have a long-standing legacy of doing the right thing, supporting Fairtrade and championing ethical sourcing and this policy is a natural progression of this.”
The sourcing review was launched as part of the grocer’s “Hate Divides Communities, Co-operation Builds Them” campaign, which aims to promote peace and ethical trade.
It says the new policy is grounded in three core principles: international assessments (such as UN findings), the ability of Co-op’s action to support affected communities, and ensuring any changes do not undermine its commercial integrity.
While it will prioritise removing clearly sourced items, the retailer says it will also manage the exit of existing contracts in line with GSCOP rules and seasonal commitments.
The 17 countries affected by the policy are: Afghanistan, Belarus, Central African Republic, North Korea, Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti, Iran, Israel, Libya, Mali, Myanmar, Russia, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.
The convenience retailer has a long-standing legacy of Fairtrade and ethical procurement and said the policy is a “natural progression” of its values-based sourcing commitments.
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