The platform for socially responsible agriculture in Switzerland staged protests last week against the sale of summer fruits during the winter months, a report from Swissinfo stated.
According to the movement, retailers have encouraged consumers to expect counterseasonal products in the middle of winter, including Spanish strawberries, Peruvian asparagus and South African grapes, a tendency that it said had a social and environmental cost.
The platform denounced the working conditions in strawberry plantations in Huelva, Spain, and the treatment of the mostly Moroccan women that do the majority of the picking.
It also warned of the massive use of water and chemicals, such as fungicides and insecticides, needed for this kind of counterseasonal production.
Lastly, it bemoaned the impact that such imports had on small producers that found themselves unable to compete.
Swiss retailers Migros and Coop responded, arguing that all their suppliers were GlobalGAP-certified and met certain social requirements, and adding that Spanish strawberries were extremely popular with their customers.
