Tesco has decided to stop sourcing products including vegetables from Zimbabwe as international pressure on the Mugabe regime continues to grow.
In a statement, the company said that, although its £1m trade with the country may be 'insignificant in terms of trade and influence', it could not ignore the escalating political crisis in Zimbabwe and the growing consensus among the international community that further pressure must be brought to bear on Mr Mugabe.
'This is a difficult decision to take,' the company said. 'We have to date sought tobalance wider political considerations against a desire to support oursuppliers in Zimbabwe and enable them to support the workers who dependon that trade for their livelihoods. In these circumstances, we think the right decision is to stopsourcing products from Zimbabwe until there is an end to the currentpolitical crisis.'
The group also said it hoped the decision's effect on its Zimbabwean suppliers would be minimal. 'We cannot continue to support themthrough trade, but are urgently finding ways to support them by othermeans,' it said.
Tesco said it would keep the situation under review. 'Our aim is to re-engagewith our suppliers and their workers once stability, and aninternationally-recognised regime, have returned to the country,' it said.
