Alison Killing, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist specializing in open-source intelligence, joins Runako Celina to expose the chilling realities of forced labor in Xinjiang's tomato industry. They reveal how tomato paste made under dire conditions likely reaches major UK and German supermarkets. The duo utilizes satellite imagery to unravel the supply chain, detailing the journey from labor exploitation to European shelves. Their findings spark crucial discussions about food ethics and the responsibilities of retailers in light of human rights violations.
The podcast highlights the alarming use of forced labor in Xinjiang's tomato industry, revealing its potential presence in European supermarkets.
Investigative efforts utilizing satellite imagery and shipping data demonstrate the complexities of tracing human rights abuses in global supply chains.
Deep dives
Human Rights Abuses in Xinjiang
The podcast addresses serious human rights violations occurring in Xinjiang, China, where individuals, particularly Uyghurs, face mass detentions and forced labor. Reports indicate that entire villages can be emptied, with children sent to foster homes and elders imprisoned, creating a devastating impact on local communities. Personal accounts reveal the harrowing experiences of individuals like Mehmet, who endured torture and coercion, being forced into labor after his release from a prison camp. The environment in Xinjiang is one of extreme surveillance and fear, making open discussions about these abuses perilous.
The Chinese Tomato Industry and Forced Labor
The podcast examines the expansive tomato industry in Xinjiang, which supplies a significant proportion of the world's tomatoes, raising concerns about the potential use of forced labor in its production. Satellite imagery indicates vast tomato fields, where workers, including those coerced from detention camps, toil under oppressive conditions. Mehmet recounts his experiences in the greenhouses, where guards watched over laborers, further illustrating the coercive atmosphere that pervades the industry. Despite claims from China denying forced labor, testimonies suggest that individuals in the region continue to be exploited.
Global Supply Chains and Accountability
Efforts to trace the origin of products linked to Xinjiang reveal a complex web of global supply chains that may obscure human rights abuses. Investigations show that tomatoes from Xinjiang often end up in products marketed as Italian, complicating accountability for the origins of these ingredients. Companies like Antonio Petti Fu Pasquale, which supply major UK and German supermarkets, face scrutiny regarding their sourcing practices. The podcast emphasizes the challenge of exposing forced labor in supply chains, as suppliers often create shell companies to bypass sanctions and maintain the flow of goods.
Impact of Western Sanctions and Consumer Awareness
Western governments, particularly the U.S., have implemented sanctions targeting goods from Xinjiang, aiming to address the forced labor issue in the tomato industry. These sanctions have led to increased secrecy and a reduction in publicly available data from China regarding export practices. Despite these efforts, European countries appear to take a softer approach, relying on self-regulation from companies to ensure ethical sourcing. The podcast encourages consumers to remain vigilant and informed about the origins of their food, as many popular tomato products may contain ingredients sourced from forced labor.
A year-long BBC Eye investigation has uncovered that Chinese tomato paste produced using forced labour in Xinjiang is likely to be being sold in major UK and German supermarkets. Runako Celina has teamed up with Pulitzer-prize winning journalist Alison Killing to find out the nature and scale of forced labour in the tomato fields of Xinjiang, and follow a trail that shows the resulting puree might be ending up on European shelves. Using satellite imagery and shipping data, they track the route the tomato paste takes from Xinjiang to Europe, where they uncover evidence showing there’s a strong likelihood it is being sold on to some supermarkets. The supermarkets all said they took the allegations very seriously. But they disputed the BBC’s findings.
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