New Zealand Fertiliser Companies Urged To Stop Importing Controversial Phosphate Rock From Western Sahara

New Zealand’s fertiliser companies are in the spotlight amid a protest deep in Africa. Balance and Ravensdown is being urged to stop the importation of its phosphate, its main fertiliser ingredient, from the Western Sahara due to allegations of human rights violations.

Morocco had invaded Western Sahara 40 years ago and began to mine the land’s phosphate rock, which is sold around the world for millions of dollars. TVNZ reports that the United Nations had condemned Morocco’s actions but the country’s government had refused to withdraw from the area.

The Western Sahara Resource Watch had issued a report that called on companies to stop buying phosphate rock from the region. According to the report, New Zealand was the third largest importer of phosphate from Western Sahara in 2014 after Canada and Luthuania.

Erik Hagen, a spokesman for the Western Sahara Resource Watch, said Morocco is “illegally occupying” Western Sahara so the New Zealand’s fertiliser companies basically support Morocco’s actions. Nine companies from around the world import Western Saharan phosphate from Morocco including New Zealand company Ballance and Ravensdown.

Hagen urged such companies to stop importing Western Sahara phosphate for use as fertilisers. He said the Sarahawis have the right to “self-determination” over their own land and resources. New Zealand Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy said he was unaware of the origin of fertilisers that were imported into the country.

ONE News reports that Ballance and Ravensdown had declined to comment on the issue but cited the statement of the Fertiliser Association of New Zealand for clarification. The industry body said it was aware of what happened in Western Sahara but found no reason to discontinue the importation of phosphate from the area.

FANZ chief executive Philip Mladenov told the Bay of Plenty Times that the territorial dispute has been going on for decades. The issue was something fertiliser companies had been dealing with for years.

Mladenov revealed that Ballance and Ravensdown had imported part of the phosphate rock used in the country for the production of fertilisers from a Moroccan state-owned company known as the Office Chrifien des Phosphates SA. The industry association has received legal advice that the importation of phosphate from Western Sahara had no legal ramifications.

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