The realities of mining are similar everywhere in Latin America, just the region varies. My organisation is located in Cotapata in Bolivia. In short, I will say that with Fairtrade certification we have gotten a better life and were able to take on social and environmental responsibility.
Our organisation was started when the government sacked all the miners in 1980 because the silver price dropped that year. The group of jobless miners went to other mines to find a job and found gold in the place where my organisation is based now.
We are located 50km from the capital and at an elevation of 2819 meters. The topography is harsh, there are rustic hillsides, really steep terrain. Inside the mine, wood is necessary to support the tunnels.
Our organisation is now working in a national park, so therefore we have more environmental responsibilities. The environment is really beautiful; that’s why the government pronounced it as a national park, and if we don’t mine responsibly they will close the mine down.
But even before the National Park was created, Cotapata had a mission to protect the environment. We have to measure the water we use since we have a lot of waterfalls. We also have to make sure the rubbish is thrown in a specific, designated place. Our association uses mercury to extract the gold, but we do not dispose it into the environment and have facilities to prevent contamination.
Also, we cannot extract wood from the national park so we have to take it and bring it from another place, which makes things a little bit more difficult. We’re not using diesel because it’s also toxic to the environment. We are using electricity instead, because it’s more ecological.
In our organisation we follow the principles of equality and non-discrimination; we think that everybody is the same. Women are now participating in our work, although not inside the mines but in the ore processing centers.
Since we are Fairtrade certified, we have benefitted in legal, environmental, and social terms. With regards to legal benefits, we now operate under the regulations of our country. We have also gained socially, because we are organised in a democratic and participatory manner. When we hold committees and meetings, we vote and give everyone the right to speak. We also provide housing to some of the workers. Fairtrade certification has also resulted in economic benefits for us, and we present the financial reports in a membership meeting every month.
Our plan is to turn this place into a touristic area, so that people who want to know about the mining sector can come and see the mine with their own eyes.
Who of you knows a small scale mine? Do you know the human effort necessary to get a gram of gold? We need to organise the supply chain in a way that the person who buys gold jewellery is proud because buying this piece of jewellery contributes to the preservation of the environment and so to the well-being of everyone. If you buy Fairtrade jewellery you contribute to preserving the environment and improving the lives of the mining communities– us the miners at Cotapata and with time artisanal miners around the world.
