SUMMER CALL OUT - BOYCOTT ISRAELI GOODS, BOYCOTT CARMEL-AGREXCO
View the leaflet for the Campaign here.
Agrexco is a 50% state-owned Israeli company that exports fresh fruit, vegetables and herbs from Israel and the occupied territories. Agrexco are one of the three biggest Israeli companies exporting from occupied Palestine and accounts for 70% of exports of fresh produce from the occupied territories. Agrexco operates under the Carmel, Jaffa and Coral brand names. Their products are bought by all major British supermarkets and small stores. Britain is an essential market for Agrexco, accounting for 60% of its imports to Europe. It is likely that Agrexco often mislabel their settlement produce as made in Israel when it is, in fact, made on occupied Palestinian land. Thousands of Palestinians are employed in packing houses on Israeli settlements, packing goods to be exported by Carmel Agrexco. These packing houses are often on land which has been forcibly taken from their communities.
Palestinian workers may be paid as little as 30 shekels (4 pounds) a day and have no sick pay, holiday pay, rights to unionise or contracts. Children are often employed in these settlements. These workers are compelled to work for the settlements because of the complete strangulation of Palestinian agriculture by the Israeli occupation.
Many settlement workers have called on the international community to boycott and campaign against Carmel Agrexco. During the Summer, Carmel Agrexco imports large quantities of oranges, lemons, Galia melons,
grapefruit, grapes and strawberries into the UK, and luxury products like dragonfruit. Cherry tomatoes and peppers are also imported in large quantities during July and August. Here are some ideas of what you could do:
Highlight the need to boycott these products locally on your weekly stall
Write to or visit local stores (supermarkets or smaller shops), make the argument against Agrexco produce and raise awareness of what products and brand names to avoid Hold demonstrations, pickets or street theatre outside shops selling Agrexco goods.
Contact local Trade Union branches and educate them about Carmel Agrexco products.
Hold shopping trolley actions - load up your trolley with Agrexco products, bring it to the checkout and then tell the cashier/manager why you are not buying each of the products
Email: [email protected] to let us know about your branches activities. Also why not post your reports at www.indymedia.org.uk. See www.bigcampaign.org and www.palestinecampaign.org for more information and for updates.