London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 31, 2025

Oxfam alleges UK supermarket supply chain abuse

Oxfam alleges UK supermarket supply chain abuse

A "relentless" drive for profits is fuelling poverty, abuse, and discrimination, the charity said.

Workers on farms and plantations that supply big UK supermarkets are being subjected to poverty and human rights abuses, according to Oxfam.

A "relentless" drive for retailer profits is fuelling poverty, abuse, and discrimination, the charity said.

Poor conditions were rife on farms that supply supermarkets including Tesco, Sainsbury's and Morrisons, it added.

But the British Retail Consortium said retailers were "spearheading actions" intended to improve millions of lives.

Oxfam conducted research in India and Brazil, and surveyed workers in five other countries.

Workers on 50 tea plantations in Assam told Oxfam that cholera and typhoid are "prevalent because workers lack access to toilets and safe drinking water".

Half the workers questioned got ration cards from the government due to low wages, while female employees regularly worked for up to 13 "back-breaking" hours a day, it said.

Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons and Aldi all source tea from those suppliers, while Asda-owner Walmart would neither confirm nor deny whether it did, the charity said.

Oxfam found that, of the 79p paid by shoppers for a 100g pack of black Assam tea in the UK, supermarkets and tea brands receive 49p while workers collectively received 3p.

The charity said workers on the Assam estates could earn a living wage if they were paid 5p more of the retail price.


Pesticide price


Workers on fruit farms in Brazil told Oxfam they had developed skin conditions from using pesticides without adequate protection.

Women on those grape, melon and mango farms also said they had to rely on government handouts outside of harvest season.

Those farms supply supermarkets including Lidl and Sainsbury's, and previously Tesco and Morrisons, the charity said.

Walmart again neither confirmed nor denied links.

Rachel Wilshaw, Oxfam ethical trade manager, said: "Despite some pockets of good practice, supermarkets' relentless pursuit of profits continues to fuel poverty and human rights abuses in their supply chains.

"Supermarkets must do more to end exploitation, pay all their workers a living wage, ensure women get a fair deal and be more transparent about where they source their products."

A separate Oxfam survey of more than 500 workers in the Philippines, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Peru and the US found three quarters of workers saying they were not paid enough to cover basic needs such as food and housing.

More than a third said they were not protected from injury or harm at work and were not able to take a toilet break or have a drink of water when they needed it.

An Oxfam spokesperson said abuses in supermarket supply chains were "endemic".


Supermarket action


However, Peter Andrews, head of sustainability at the British Retail Consortium (BRC), said: "Supermarkets in the UK are spearheading actions aimed at improving the lives of the millions of people across the globe who contribute to the retail supply chain.

"Our members are working hard to address existing injustices and continue to collaborate internationally with NGOs [non-governmental organisations], business groups and government on this vital issue."

Meanwhile, Oxfam ranked supermarket giants on their sourcing policies, with all showing an improvement compared with last year.

Tesco, which was at the top of the pile, was given a score of 38%.

A Tesco spokesperson said: "This is the second year in a row that Tesco has been assessed by Oxfam as doing most, of all major supermarkets globally, to ensure human rights are respected in food supply chains."

It said its tea was Rainforest Alliance certified and that it was "committed to improving the lives of tea workers and ensuring minimum working conditions."

It added: "We know there is always more to do and we are working collaboratively with NGOs, trade unions and others to improve wages in the key produce, tea and clothing sectors and ensure working conditions are fair."

An Aldi spokesperson said: "We continue to work hard to ensure every person working in our supply chain is treated fairly and has their human rights respected.

"We share the values behind Oxfam's campaign and are in regular dialogue with

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
×