CJPME is delighted to announce that General Mills has divested from its Israeli subsidiary and will no longer be directly manufacturing Pillsbury products in the West Bank. This news follows years of international campaigning led by the US-based American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) and strongly supported in Canada by CJPME.
Thanks and congratulations to all of our Canadian supporters who signed up for our "Boycott Pillsbury" sticky notes last year. Your participation shows that we can all make a difference!
Last year, in support of the international "Boycott Pillsbury" campaign, CJPME created “Boycott Pillsbury” sticky notes that Canadians could apply to Pillsbury products in stores. For the design of the sticky notes, CJPME reached out to Brazilian cartoonist-activist Carlos Latuff, who provided an eye-catching creative custom design. In the end, over 900 stacks of sticky notes were sent out to people across Canada.
CJPME is so thankful for the support of the hundreds of Canadians who ordered sticky notes and pasted them in their local grocery stores.
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More information
The Pillsbury factory was located in the Atarot Industrial Zone, an illegal Israeli settlement located in occupied East Jerusalem. By owning and operating this factory, General Mills contributed to the violation of international law and benefited from the theft of Palestinian land and resources. According to the AFSC last week, "General Mills divested its 60 percent stake in its Israeli subsidiary,” leaving their entire operation in the hands of Bolden Holdings, an Israeli-based company.
The AFSC has said, however, that “it is unclear whether, following its divestment, the factory would continue making Pillsbury products under a licensing agreement with General Mills.” Such an agreement could allow the Atarot facility to continue to manufacture Pillsbury products for the Israeli market. Other American companies (e.g. Coca-Cola) have similar production and distribution licenses with Israeli companies. CJPME will continue to track this question.
Can you support our work?
CJPME spent literally hundreds of hours on the "Boycott Pillsbury" campaign, developing the sticky note design, developing the sign-up Webpages, mailing the notepads, coordinating with partners, and sharing on social media. Campaigns such as this one rely on the support of private donors. If you believe in what we do, please consider making a gift of financial support to CJPME’s advocacy work for Palestinian human rights. Monthly donations are especially helpful, as they sustain our ongoing work and make it easier for us to strategize for the future. If you prefer, you may also donate over the phone (438-380-5410), or complete and mail in this form. Thank you!