An Israeli exporter of agricultural goods. EDOM supplies to several major British supermarkets, including Waitrose and Sainsbury's, through the British company Valley Grown Salads, which is based in Essex.
EDOM also jointly owns Gildom, together with the Gilad company, which specializes in export to Russian markets. Gildom markets fruits and vegetables from Israel, as well as products from the Netherlands.
The company exports produce that was packed in the Tomer and Beit Ha'arava settlements' packing houses.
On 4 February 2013, Corporate Watch researchers visited Beit Ha'arava and entered a packing house where cherry tomatoes were being packaged. The majority of the packing house was taken up with packaging EDOM UK tomatoes, labeled Quality Fresh Produce: Israel". In response to this evidence, Jimmy Russo, the Company's Chairman, announced that he plans to resign from his chairmanship and actively seek to sell his 20% shareholding in the Israeli company.
In Edom UK's response to a letter sent by Who Profits prior to the publication of this report, the company stated that it does not have any suppliers nor packing stations in Tomer and/or Beit Ha'arava. The company had also sent Who Profits the following statement from Edom UK to its costumers in 21 October 2013, signed by Yaron Yarchi and Yinon Horesh, Joint M.D of Edom UK:
"None of our produce that we are involved with is grown or produces in the occupied territories. We are working under strict guidelines to guarantee all our customers that as an organisation, we are fully compliant with all regulations that relate to the welfare of all employees under the law of Israel.
We do not discriminate against colour, creed or ethnical background. We do not employee any child labour or indeed any workers under the national minimum age. We are fully compliant with all social benefits that's we pay, all this is undertaken under strict guidelines.
Wages are paid according to the employment ministry guidelines. Our objective is to provide a safe working and environment to all our staff. We also make sure that all staff are trained about their positions which they hold. We also comply with all environmental requirements by making sure that all our growers and our PMO sites that are certified and recognised, they are also non-GMO.
Our focus is also the environment to minimalize the use of pesticides and chemicals and using biological pest control as much as possible and also making sure we are working to a waste separation programme."
