'Responsible' vs. 'Sustainable' Sourcing: Breaking Down the Buzzwords
When it comes to sourcing, do you know your ‘ethical’ from your ‘honest’? How about ‘slow’, or ‘fair’? A lot of jargon is used to describe materials and sourcing practices. For industries that rely on precious metals, we think the two most important terms to consider are ‘Responsible’ and ‘Sustainable’. What’s the difference? Are you trying to simply manage risks, or optimise opportunities for positive social impact? Find out in a new blog from Levin Sources' Dr. Fabiana Di Lorenzo and Jack Cooper.
'Better Business in the Jewellery Industry: The Difference between Responsible and Sustainable Sourcing'
Artisanal and Small-scale Mining (ASM) and Changing Donor Priorities
Having spent more than 15 years in a large bilateral donor agency, Senior Manager of Levin Sources' Good Governance division Holger Grundel shares his thoughts on artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) and where it sits within changing donor priorities. The blog originally appeared on the Alliance for Responsible Mining website.
"ASM has often suffered from fluctuating donor interest. There are undoubtedly many agency-specific reasons for this, but others certainly relate to ASM’s role in development; in particular the sheer complexity of the many challenges associated with it, uncertain legal and regulatory frameworks in many countries which fuel the impression that ASM is a largely illegal activity, and competition with other causes that make more attractive campaigning priorities for politicians and advocacy groups. I suspect there is also Large-scale Mining (LSM)-ASM tension at play."
Continue reading.
From the Archive: An Analysis of the Commercial Potential of Ethiopia's Coloured Gemstone Industry
In 2016, Levin Sources' Research Manager Dr. Yolande Kyngdon McKay, along with Angela Jorns, Barbara Wheat and Tom Cushman, produced this scoping study of Ethiopia’s colored gemstone industry. The study was motivated by The World Bank’s recognition of the Ethiopian government’s desire to further develop its colored gemstone sector.
The publication examines:
- The state of the industry in 2016, primarily in commercial and social development terms;
- Which features of the industry and its governance are either improving or limiting its commercial success, and why;
- The key ‘lessons learned’ from what other gemstone producing countries around the world have done to commercialise this industry, and how they could be constructively applied to the Ethiopian context.
Read the study or dive into our publications.
Trust and Compliance-Based Cultures in the Jewellery Industry
A business culture built on trust is relationship-based and constitutes a soft form of risk management. It is about people and experience rather than comprehensive due diligence backed by detailed evidence. Working with suppliers based on compliance is a hard form of risk management built on rules and regulations, checklists, audits, and evidence. Both approaches have positive and negative aspects and consequences - can business relationships be based on both?
Explore trust and compliance-based cultures in this blog by Victoria Gronwald and Estelle-Levin Nallyfrom our Better Business in the Jewellery Sector series.
Read the full blog here.
Upcoming Events
European Development Days 2018: Kimberley Process - Building Sustainable Conditions for Peace and Prosperity
Tuesday 5 June 2018
Tour & Taxis, Brussels, Belgium
Panel Subtitle: Voices from the Mining Fields - Women's Work in Artisanal Diamond Mining Communities
On Panel:
Victoria Gronwald, Responsible Mining and Development Specialist, Gender Consultant, Levin Sources
More Information.
DRC Mining Week
Wednesday 13 - Friday 15 June 2018
The Pullman Lubumbashi Grand Karavia Hotel, Lubumbashi, The Democratic Republic of the Congo
In Attendance:
Andrew Cooke, Senior Manager, Responsible Mining, Levin Sources
Fair Luxury at the RCA
Wednesday 11 July 2018
The Royal College of Art, London, United Kingdom
In Attendance:
Estelle Levin-Nally, Director, Levin Sources
Jane Barnett, Executive Assistant to the Director, Levin Sources and Committee Member, Fair Luxury
