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Rowntree's

Controversies

Controversies tied to this brand in public sources. A listing is not a finding of fault.

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  1. 2021

    Rowntree historical review prompts trust apologies

    Issue disclosure

    Research by the Rowntree Society reported possible historical links between the Rowntree business and the slave trade, as well as allegations of racial discrimination and anti-union tactics at its South African subsidiary Wilson Rowntree during apartheid. Rowntree Society said it found no evidence that Rowntree directly owned or traded enslaved people. Rowntree charitable trusts apologized for findings concerning their origins and announced support for further research.

    Company response

    • Apology — Joseph Rowntree Foundation and Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust

      We are deeply sorry that the origins of our endowment have roots in shameful practices that caused deep suffering and created enduring harms.

    • Investigation — Joseph Rowntree Foundation and Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust

      Therefore, alongside the other independently endowed Rowntree trusts, we will fund the Rowntree Society to investigate this part of our history more fully.

    • Apology — Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust

      As a former shareholder in the Rowntree company and an institutional beneficiary of its wealth, we are deeply sorry.

    • Clarification — Nestlé

      Nestlé has been the custodian of Rowntree's as a confectionery brand and we acknowledge and welcome these statements made by other organisations that bear the Rowntree name.

    Source excerpt

    • A statement by the Rowntree Society stressed that it had found no evidence that Rowntree's directly owned or traded in enslaved people.
    • The Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust said: 'As a Trust we are appalled by what we have learned about these abhorrent practices, which are at odds with our Quaker values and our commitment to building a more just society.
    • The investigation into the company's history was party prompted by the Black Lives Matter movement and revealed evidence that the famously philanthropic family business may have profited from the slave trade.
    Source