Mondelez, which owns several well-known brands, paid over 60 million dollars in taxes to Russia last year. Finland’s large grocery chains do not consider the boycott appropriate.
“Mondelez, which owns Marabou, supports the Russian war fund and the war of aggression in Ukraine with its taxes. That is why we have removed their product from sale.”
This is one example of the warning signs that some Swedish retailers have put up on their shelves this week. The protest has spread in Sweden’s largest grocery store chain, ICA.
The signs are part of a growing boycott against the American giant Mondelez, which still does business in Russia.
Its brands include Daim and Toblerone chocolates, Philadelphia processed cheese, O’boy cocoa, and Oreo and Belvita cookies.
The boycott has continued in Sweden for a week now, and there is a lot of public discussion in the media as well as on social media platforms.
The Swedish Minister of Economy also took a stand on the matter Elisabeth Svantesson. He told the news agency TT that people need to know more about the backgrounds of the products.
– You should know what is supported when you buy certain types of goods. Now we have received information that this might benefit the Russian war fund, Svantesson said.
The boycott has also been joined by the airline SAS, the Swedish state railway company SJ, the Swedish national football team and the Swedish armed forces, as well as the Tallink Group.
Finnish retail chains: no reason for a boycott
Unlike in Sweden, Finland’s large grocery chains do not consider the boycott appropriate.
asked the S group, Kesko and Lidl, whether stores in Finland should also inform customers about products linked to Russia’s war of aggression, like the Swedes.
No store chain saw any reason for this.
Kesko, Lidl and the S group all appealed to the fact that the Mondelez products on sale are not manufactured in Russia.
In Sweden, however, the focus of the boycott is the tax money brought by Mondelez to Russia.
Mondelez paid more than $60 million in taxes to Russia last year, supported by Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Anti-Corruption Agency According to the War & Sanctions project.
also asked the Finnish chains how cooperation with Mondelez is in line with the responsibility promises they publish on their websites.
The S group, Kesko and Lidl all say that they respect human rights, among other things. Kesko mentions separately that “we challenge our suppliers and encourage our customers to make responsible choices throughout the entire value chain”.
Not a single grocery chain answered ‘s question about whether selling Mondelez products is in line with responsibility promises.
“I lose money, but the war must be stopped”
Criticism of Mondelez started at the end of May, when the Ukrainian authorities added Mondelez to their blacklist.
The Umeå-based ICA retailer was not satisfied with just warning labels, but emptied its store of all Mondelez products.
– We have to start somewhere. I will lose money, but this war must be stopped, he said Mats Calla Swedish public broadcasting company for SVT.
The food giant Mondelez announced on Thursday evening that it will separate its Russian operation from the rest of the company’s business, says SVT.
However, it will not stop or sell its business operations in Russia. According to the company, this is because the companies’ profits could fall into the wrong hands, in which case they “could be used to pursue their own interests”.
Brand researcher at the University of Gothenburg Eva Ossiansson tells SVT that despite the company’s announcement, the boycott may drag on for a long time.
– It is entirely possible that the company will receive strong criticism for this solution as well, Ossianson said.
What do you think about Russia-related boycotts? You can discuss the topic until Sunday, June 18 at 11 p.m.