Correspondence with New Zealand's Ravensdown

The New Zealand does not wish to clarify its trade relations with occupied Western Sahara, nor to explain what it has done to seek the consent of the people of the territory.

Published 04 June 2014

The New Zealand farmers' co-operative Ravensdown has for several years imported phosphate rock from occupied Western Sahara. The trade directly contributes to finance Morocco's illegal occupation of the territory. 

The UN legal departement is clear that mineral exploitation of such kind will only be in line if it is in accordance with the wishes of the people of Western Sahara.

However, Ravensdown wishes, "due to commmercial sensitivity", not to clarify how or whether they have sought the consent of the owners of the phosphates. 

Read Ravensdown's letter to Western Sahara Resource Watch (WSRW) on 03 June 2014 here, as a reply to a letter from WSRW to the company on 04 May 2014.












 

The conflict phosphates - four decades of plunder

For over 40 years, a Moroccan state-owned company has exported phosphate rock from occupied Western Sahara.  

11 May 2023

Protesters set up roadblock to stop conflict minerals in New Zealand

The pressure is mounting on the New Zealand importers of phosphate rock from occupied Western Sahara. Today protesters in Christchurch erected roadblocks to stop trucks from transporting the conflict minerals into the local Ravensdown fertiliser factory. 
 

23 June 2020

Kiwi importers ignore government advice on Western Sahara

While other companies internationally have managed to find alternative sources of phosphate - and in spite of a request of the New Zealand government that they do the same - the Kiwi fertilizer industry seems unwilling to drop its imports from occupied Western Sahara.

09 May 2020

Flotilla targets phosphate plunder ship

A Japanese-Canadian vessel that transported conflict phosphate from occupied Western Sahara was yesterday received by a floating protest in New Zealand. 
 

10 December 2019