Tuesday July 1, 05:05 PM
Tesco Stops Selling Zimbabwe Goods
By Sky News
Tesco is to stop sourcing products from Zimbabwe while the political crisis persists there. The supermarket giant buys around £1m of goods from the country every year. The announcement is an about-turn for Tesco, who said last week
it would be "irresponsible" to cut support to small farmers under the current conditions.
Supermarkets have been criticised for selling produce from the country where millions are starving under President Robert Mugabe's regime.
Tesco was among a number of British retailers who sell vegetables ranging from sugar snap peas to fine beans.
The firm said it had taken the "difficult decision" to cut trade "until there is an end to the current political crisis". A spokesman said: "We also attach a very high priority to ensuring that this decision does least harm to the workers and their dependants who have supplied us from Zimbabwe.
"We cannot continue to support them through trade, but are urgently finding ways to support them by other means."
The retailer said it could not ignore the escalating crisis and the feeling among the international community that further action was needed to increase pressure for change.
The Tesco spokesman added: "We attach a very high priority to ensuring this decision does least harm to the workers and their dependants who have supplied us from Zimbabwe. "We cannot continue to support them through trade, but are urgently finding ways to support them by other means.
"We will keep this situation under review. Our aim is to re-engage with our suppliers and their workers once stability, and an internationally-recognised regime, have returned to the country."
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