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7 Sep 2014

Report provides overview of companies purchasing phosphate from disputed Western Sahara territory, allegedly without benefits to locals

In June 2014. Western Sahara Resource Watch published a report detailing information about companies that purchase phosphate from Western Sahara.  The report alleges that phosphate provides the main source of income for Morocco, which illegally occupies Western Sahara.  Furthermore, it claims that the exploitation of phosphate does not benefit local Saharawis and is undertaken without their consultation.  The report also names companies that have ended their phosphate purchases from Western Sahara (BASF, Impact Fertilisers, Mosaic, Nidera Uruguaya, Yara International).

We invited the companies mentioned in the report as purchasing phosphate to respond:

  • Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan response provided - see below
  • Lifosa did not respond
  • Innophos did not respond
  • Ravensdown did not respond but said they had passed our inquiry to their industry association - if we receive any comment we will include it here
  • Agrium response provided - see below
  • Ballance Agri-Nutrients did not respond
  • Pequiven (owner of Monomeros) did not respond
  • Incitec-Pivot response provided - see below
  • Tripoliven did not respond
  • ISUSA did not respond

Company Responses

Incitec Pivot View Response
Tripoliven

No Response

ISUSA

No Response

Petroquímica de Venezuela (Pequiven)

No Response

PotashCorp View Response
Lifosa

No Response

Agrium View Response
Ravensdown

No Response

Ballance

No Response

Timeline