“UK supermarkets breaching UNGP human rights commitments in Spanish supply chains”

The UK food industry relies heavily on imported fresh food from Southern Spain. But UK supermarkets are failing to address the appalling living conditions of agricultural workers in Southern Spain.

As a result, they could be breaching UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

In this article we outline why UK supermarkets have a responsibility to take action to improve the distressing living conditions of workers in Southern Spain, which is a key supply region for the UK food industry…

The largest UK supermarkets have neglected their commitment to adhere to the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) by failing to address the risk that their suppliers are employing workers living in precarious, unsanitary conditions without access to water and electricity.

Aldi, ASDA, the Co-op, Lidl, M&S, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, and Waitrose all have statements supporting the UNGPs.

And the two German supermarkets on this list – Aldi and Lidl – are likely to have fallen short of Germany’s supply chain legislation, which is based on these principles…

British Retail Consortium responded the following on behalf of UK supermarkets: "The Spanish Ethical Trade Forum …has confirmed that access to water has been restored in the area by the local municipality…

[Ethical Consumer reached out to all the named supermarkets for comment.]