The Co-op has announced it will stop selling produce from Israel and 16 other nations it deems “countries of concern” over human rights violations, in a move that has drawn criticism from politicians and praise from ethical sourcing campaigners.
The supermarket chain said the shift in policy is part of its broader commitment to ethical trading and peace advocacy, following a mandate from its members. Under the revised guidelines, it will phase out products where possible from countries facing “internationally recognised community-wide human rights abuses and violations of international law.”
The countries named in the policy include Israel, Iran, Russia, North Korea, and Mali. Affected products include Israeli carrots, Russian vodka, and mangoes from Mali, which will be gradually removed from shelves and ingredient sourcing from this month onwards.
Debbie White, chair of the Co-op board, said the decision aligned with the retailer’s values and legacy of ethical sourcing.
“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,” White said.
“This policy is a natural progression of our history of doing the right thing, from supporting Fairtrade to championing ethical supply chains.”
The Co-op stated that its decisions were guided by three criteria: formal international findings of human rights violations, the potential for Co-op’s actions to alleviate suffering, and the impact of its stance on its commercial integrity as a co-operative business.
The move has reignited debate around the role of supermarkets in foreign policy, with some hailing it as a principled stance and others accusing the retailer of overreach.
Dame Priti Patel, the shadow foreign secretary, condemned the decision to include Israel in the boycott, saying: “This is a totally unacceptable move from the Co-op. The supermarket chain should be focused on delivering goods for their customers, not playing student union politics with international affairs.”
“They should apologise and immediately revoke this crass decision.”
The Co-op previously excluded goods produced in Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, including the West Bank and Gaza, but had not extended this policy to all Israeli-sourced products until now.
The policy will be implemented on a “where possible” basis, indicating that in cases where alternatives cannot be sourced, some products may continue to be sold temporarily.
The list of countries also includes some whose goods rarely appear in UK supply chains. However, the Co-op said the principle of refusing to benefit from trade with nations guilty of systemic abuses was a key part of its ethical framework.
The announcement comes amid rising political tensions surrounding imports linked to regimes accused of violating international law. Other retailers are expected to monitor the impact of the Co-op’s decision, as consumer pressure over ethical trade continues to grow.
