Talc: The Everyday Mineral Funding Afghan Insurgents [Video]
Publisher: Global Witness
Date: 2018
Topics: Extractive Resources
Countries: Afghanistan
Talc is a common ingredient in a vast number of everyday products; from cosmetics to paints, and plastics to baby powder. The lifestyle and habits of Western consumers is driving the demand for talc production – and the biggest single market is the United States. Our research shows that talc mined in Afghanistan is transported across the border into neighbouring Afghanistan where it is mixed with Pakistani mined talc before export. Some 40% of talc exported from Pakistan goes to the US; with the EU as another large market. Consumers and companies in these countries could, therefore, unknowingly be funding the Afghan insurgency.
New Global Witness investigation: How talc from Afghanistan’s opaque and poorly regulated mining sector is helping fuel the Islamic State and Taliban. Read the full investigation here: https://www.globalwitness.org/AFghanTalc