Trading with illegal settlements or occupied territories

Since 2009, The Co-operative Group has operated a Human Rights and Trade Policy, which sets out the exceptional circumstances under which we will withdraw trade from a state, area or settlement.

One such circumstance is where there is a broad international consensus that the status of a designated region or state is illegal.

While there are many disputed territories throughout the world, there are currently only two examples of such illegal areas: the Israeli settlements in the Palestinian Occupied Territories and the Moroccan settlements in Western Sahara.

On this basis, we do not source any produce or own-brand products from the Israeli settlements.

In April 2012, our Board determined that, going forward, we will additionally no longer engage with any supplier of produce known to be sourcing from the Israeli settlements.

We can categorically state that this position does not constitute a boycott of Israeli businesses. We remain committed to sourcing produce from and trading with Israeli suppliers that do not source from the settlements.