The Valcambi gold refinery in Switzerland is threatening to file a lawsuit against SWISSAID if its study “The hidden face of the gold trade”, published in July, is not “withdrawn or corrected” by the end of October. SWISSAID sticks to the results of the study and will therefore not withdraw it. For the sake of transparency, however, we are publishing the points disputed by Valcambi here.

Isolated from the rest of the world and without information: The inhabitants of the indigenous community of Jubal in Ecuador have been left on their own since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Supply chains have collapsed, and farming families are threatened with malnutrition and financial hardship. Knowledge of agroecological farming methods promises salvation.

Dried out or washed away: Seeds have a hard time on the nutrient-poor soils in Niger. In times of climate change, it is therefore becoming increasingly important that sowing is resistant to extreme weather conditions. Local farmers have also recognised this. Their knowledge of the use of traditional seeds is a key element on the road to long-term food security. – translated with DeepL