Switzerland's second largest mass retail cooperative, Coop, will stop importing tomatoes and melons from Western Sahara occupied by Morocco as of next year. In a press release it was stated that “The retailer is removing itself from a politically and ecologically controversial production zone”.
Coop says that “Exploiting natural resources and disregarding the native population, the Sahrawi’s interests, is contrary to international law”. They continue, “This is also the opinion of the Swiss Federal Council. Also, water used for irrigation of these fruit and vegetable farms is from fossils, a non-renewable resource in a desert zone. Coop has recognised these aspects and as of 2017 will no longer sell either tomatoes or melons from land in Western Sahara occupied by Morocco.
The Swiss Terre des Hommes and the Swiss Committee in Support of the Sahrawi People commended this decision.
Fruits and vegetables produced in Western Sahara are destined only for export. The main produce is cherry tomatoes (44,000 tons) and melons (20,000 tons), as well as peppers and cucumbers on a smaller scale. About 40% of tomatoes exported with the “Moroccan” label are in fact from Western Sahara.
The Swiss Terre des Hommes and the Swiss Committee in Support of the Sahrawi People are demanding Swiss retailers to immediately stop importing fruit and vegetables from Western Sahara and to check that products claiming to be of “Moroccan” origin are not from Western Sahara.
