The Swiss chain Coop will not buy tomatoes and melons grown in the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.

The Swiss broadcaster SRF accuses chains lure consumers in labelling of Moroccan tomatoes and melons.

European retailers have been subject to further review by the sale of fruit and vegetables with label of origin Morocco when in fact, come from Western Sahara, a disputed territory between Morocco, Algeria and Mauritania.

Swiss supermarket chains Coop, Migros and Denner were cited in a recent report national broadcaster SRF, in which accused chains mislead consumers by labeling tomatoes and melons produced in the region as from Morocco.

The station said "lI Sahrawis live in poverty and must remain "arms crossed" while their country is being exploited by its occupants”. Since the Spanish colonial rule ended in 1975, Morocco has refused to recognize the claim of territory made by local inhabitants.

In the meantime, the area has developed a remarkable tomato industry around the city of Dakhla, on a narrow peninsula that juts into the Atlantic coast around 370 miles south of the border with Morocco.

According to various reports, leading agricultural enterprises – including some owned by King Mohamed VI of Morocco and others with French capital- near Dakhla grown tomatoes and subsequently labeled as produced in Morocco.

In response to complaints, Coop Switzerland SRF reported that He had already begun to change its supply program in Western Sahara. Two years ago, this Swiss chain already appeared in the headlines for its decision to introduce a label Western Sahara in some of its tomatoes.

“The productions of this region no longer meet our sustainable procurement policy, since all irrigation is based on ancient reserves of ancient groundwater. This is explicitly prohibited in our new directives, revised last autumn ". He added that “from next year, cherry tomatoes come from Agadir in Morocco.”

Migros, However, He said he had no intention of boycotting the Western Sahara, from which according to some sources come around 2 percent of the selling melons. "Customers can choose for themselves the countries they want to buy products”, said a spokesman for the SRF, adding that it would continue to source “sensitive countries, demanding their compliance with the requirements of Migros regarding working conditions suppliers.”

All vegetables produced in Western Sahara for export. According to the magazine AGF's main product is the cherry tomato (44.000 tons) and melons (20.000 tons). According to this source around the 40% tomatoes, exported under the label “Morocco”, in fact, come from Western Sahara.

Swiss Terre des Hommes and the Committee of Switzerland in support of the Saharawi people demanded that Swiss businesses immediately stop the import of fruit and vegetable products in Western Sahara, to verify that labeled source “Morocco” not from that region.