Fresh blow to Del Monte as more UK stores boycott products
Business
By
Brian Ngugi
| Jun 30, 2024
Del Monte Kenya has suffered a fresh blow after two British supermarkets announced they have stopped sourcing for tinned pineapples from its plantation in Thika due to ongoing human rights abuse accusations.
This is in relation to killings allegedly committed by security guards at the expansive farm targeting those stealing pineapples, which were documented last year by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ) and British newspaper The Guardian.
The European retailers, Morrisons and Iceland, join four other major supermarkets - Tesco, Asda, Sainbury's and Waitrose - in stopping selling pineapple products from Del Monte.
According to the expose by TBIJ and The Guardian, the violence has allegedly continued on the farm over the last year with four men found dead at a river near the farm in December.
In another incident, bystanders were allegedly struck by stray bullets during conflicts between police and local youth, according to recent findings by the TBIJ.
READ MORE
Court of Appeal should abandon its obsession with procedure and its decisions
'This must stop': 2024 Gen Z protest families plan anniversary demos
It is not till death do you part, judge tells petitioner
New Sh4b project to spruce up Nanyuki's skyline
AG, Defence Council defend military deployment during 2024 Gen Z protests
Protest victims to be compensated from next week
How 4K Club is turning learners into champions of sustainable farming
Why Mbadi's Sh4.8tn budget is out of touch with 'hustlers'
Somali referee banned by US to officiate European Super Cup UEFA
Morrison's action followed criticism for continuing to stock featuring products from the farm.
"We are moving tinned pineapple sourcing out of Kenya until Del Monte's human rights improvement plan has been fully implemented," Morrison's, the fifth largest supermarket chain in the United Kingdom, was quoted by The Mirror as saying on Friday.
A spokesperson for Iceland, which has over 900 stores across the UK, said: "We can confirm that Iceland does not stock products from the farms in question."
Aine Clarke, of the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre, a non-profit committed to advancing human rights in business, said: "It is crucial for companies to demonstrate that they have engaged in a dialogue with any stakeholders reportedly affected by allegations of abuse."
In March, De Monte announced the sacking of 214 guards at the farm and replaced them with others from G4S Kenya.
Falling crude oil prices raise hope of relief at the pump
News of a deal to end the Iran-US war earlier this week has seen prices fall to below $100 per barrel for the first time in months.Kenya's first dollar-denominated green property fund oversubscribed as investors seek hard-currency returns
TRIFIC CEO Brenda Mbathi described the oversubscription as a strong endorsement of the quality of the underlying assets and the resilience of our business structure.Why US has beaten China to clinch Kenya's Sh9.7tr minerals deal
America has struck a preliminary minerals deal with Kenya, securing a foothold in one of the world’s largest untapped rare earth deposits worth about Sh9.7 trillion. The deal edges out China.From financing to procurement: Who is fooling whom in JKIA expansion deal?
The government has denied contracting controversial businessman Wicknell Chivayo’s firm IMC Construction Kenya the contract to modernise and expand the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.Informed consumer is key to dealing with fake motor insurance certificates
Many victims are not intentionally breaking the law but are ordinary motorists who purchased insurance in good faith but were deceived by rogue and often unlicensed agents.MOST READ
- Kenya's first dollar-denominated green property fund oversubscribed as investors seek hard-currency returns
BUSINESS
By Brian Ngugi
- Why US has beaten China to clinch Kenya's Sh9.7tr minerals deal
ENTERPRISE
By Brian Ngugi
- From financing to procurement: Who is fooling whom in JKIA expansion deal?
BUSINESS