Wave of investors blacklist Nutrien over Western Sahara controversy
At this very moment, 160.000 tonnes of phosphate rock from occupied Western Sahara is heading towards the Canadian company Nutrien's plants in North America, onboard three large bulk carrier vessels. The massive trade happens while a number of investors have kicked the company out of its portfolios for violating their ethical guidelines for investments. Early this year, Nutrien arose as a merger of two of Canada’s giant importers of Saharawi phosphates; Agrium Inc and PotashCorp Inc. The two legacy compan[ies] have since 2013 taken in practically half the amount of all phosphate rock exported by Morocco from the part of Western Sahara that it holds under occupation. The two companies have both been subjected to exclusions from investors internationally over the last years, precisely because of these imports... WSRW has today sent another letter to Nutrien Ltd, as our previous letter of 21 February 2018 has not been responded to. That letter contained questions with regard to the company’s announcement that it would end imports of Western Sahara phosphate. "The company is on a similar import-track to last year’s, and nothing indicates that it has an intention to end, or even reduce, its imports from Western Sahara", WSRW wrote in its latest letter to the company...