Scottish farmer pushes for boycott of Israeli produce at city market

The National

6 days ago

Mike Callender, who owns award-winning veg box delivery service East Coast Organics near Haddington in East Lothian, has been boycotting Israeli veg since he launched the [[business]] in 1996.
The 62-year-old has been voicing his anger over the genocide being carried out in Gaza in weekly newsletters to around 5000 customers and ex-customers, including his fears around farmers being murdered and their struggle to get their produce to markets.
As well as making moves to try and get his farm twinned with one in Palestine as a way of showing support, Callender is pushing for [[Edinburgh]] Farmer's Market – for which he is treasurer on the committee – to become an 'apartheid-free zone', clear of any Israeli produce.
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The dad-of-two told The National: 'At the moment I'm the treasurer of the Edinburgh Farmer's Market, there's five of us on the committee, and maybe about 30 members. I put it to them that the market should become an apartheid-free zone.
'One person thought it was a great idea, another was apprehensive and said we should put it to members, which of course we should. It's fizzled out a bit, but I'm still pushing at it.
'People are claiming it's political but it's got nothing to do with politics. The Co-op members voted for it, so if the Co-op can do it, surely we're more ethical than a supermarket?'
A motion proposed at the Co-op AGM in May calling for a cease to all trading with Israel was backed by around 73% of members.
It announced in June it would no longer be sourcing carrots from Israel, among other products from 'countries of concern'.
Callender (below) said that while many people feel they cannot affect the situation in Gaza, he feels boycotting produce could go some way to helping stop the apartheid if more people and businesses come on board.
(Image: Supplied) 'You sort of think people feel there's nothing they can do to change things but boycotting definitely does help and I do think it did help in changing apartheid in South Africa so maybe, [you've got to] hit people where it hurts and something will have to change,' he said.
Callendar has been committed to raising awareness of the assault on Gaza ever since the aftermath of October 7, and is passionate about making more people understand the atrocities taking place.
'I think on a personal level I've always supported Palestinians in what they've been going through. I remember a few years ago a journalist being shot by Israeli forces and then when the funeral came and a crowd were carrying the coffin, the Israeli police sort of baton-charged them. It's just absolutely outrageous and from then I've followed it and taken an interest.
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'When the Landworkers' Alliance came up with the idea of twinning with a farm in the West Bank, I sort of thought that would have relevance to our customers now because small farms are being raided, farmers are being killed, and having their land stolen.'
The Palestine Solidarity Twinning Project is a collaboration between the Landworkers' Alliance (LWA) and the Union of Agricultural Work Committees and aims to build grassroots solidarity with farmers and landworkers in Palestine by connecting them with LWA members in the UK.
Callender said there has been the occasional person who has responded negatively to his newsletters, but he said he is prepared to lose customers to stand up for what is right.
Asked why he is speaking out about Gaza, he said: 'I think it's just so more people understand what's going on.
'I did a newsletter when the invasion first happened and I put that we'd made a donation to UNRWA. I knew it would make some people angry, but I think more people know about it now and you've even got the Daily Express showing pictures of starving babies on the front cover.
'Even if we lost half our customers, I would still do it again.'