Co-op announces major change as popular products set to be axed

The Co-op has said it will stop sourcing products from Israel and other countries it deems a "concern". The 181-year-old company announced it was no longer selling carrots from Israel as part of a plan to "support peace and co-operation".

Israel has been embroiled in conflict in the Middle East since Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack, when the terrorist group slaughtered more than 900 people, mostly ordinary citizens. Israel's subsequent military campaign has resulted in over 50,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza. Russia illegally invaded Ukraine in 2022 and has been slaughtering civilians with drone and missile strikes ever since.

The Co-op said it will stop sourcing relationships with countries where there are "internationally recognised community-wide human rights abuses and violations of international law". The policy says that, wherever possible, the grocer will not use ingredients in Co-op branded products or sell whole products from 17 countries of concern.

Products and ingredients on the prohibited list include Russian vodka, mangoes from Mali and carrots from Israel.They will be removed from Co-op shelves and products on a phased basis, starting this month.

The supermarket said the policy had been approved by the Co-op Group Board and coincided with the start of Co-op Fortnight in the UK.

It followed a year of "detailed analysis" and was based on three criteria: agreement across respected assessments of behaviour which would constitute community-wide human rights abuses or violations of international law; that the actions Co-op could take would make a difference to those affected; and that the grocer's actions would not negatively affect its integrity as a commercially successful business aligned with co-operative values and principles.

Over recent years, Co-op members had made clear through surveys, engagement and motions that conflict was one of their biggest concerns and that "their Co-op should do all it can to advocate and build peace", it said.

Debbie White, chairwoman of the Co-op Group Board, said: "This policy - which has been developed over the past year as a part of our Hate Divides Communities, Co-operation Builds Them campaign - 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.

"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."