In April 2020, International Labor Rights Forum, Fair World Project, and the International Union of Food Workers published a report alleging ongoing labour rights violations faced by 6,500 workers on Fyffes’ melon plantations in Honduras since 2016. Abuses detailed in the report include toxic chemical exposure, wage theft, union busting and poor working conditions made more unsafe amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Fyffes is the top importer of melons to the United States, which are sold in major supermarkets across the country. In 2019, Costco and Whole Foods stopped buying Fyffes' Honduran melons due to the ongoing allegations.

Business & Human Rights Resource Centre invited Fyffes and its buyers named in the report - Albertsons (Safeway), Giant, Kroger, Trader Joe's, Publix and Walmart - to respond to the allegations, and to the recommendation for Fyffes to negotiate in good faith with the STAS union to sign a legally-binding agreement to uphold workers’ rights. Fyffes, Albertsons, Kroger and Walmart responded and their responses are included below. Giant, Publix and Trader Joe's did not respond. We also reached out to Tesco who said it does not source melons from Fyffes in Honduras, and Salling Group who said it has not sourced from Fyffes directly or indirectly since 2018.

Previous coverage and company responses on the alleged labour violations at Fyffes melon plantations in Honduras can be found here, here and here.