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.
I would like to start with a personal experience in artisanal mining. I was born in 1971 in Lima. I wanted to study to have a career but due to the critical economic situation in my country, I had to start working at an early age.
I have been mining for the Afro-Colombian communities in Colombia. It’s not a very positive world –the process of slavery that our ancestors went through was partly linked to mining.
Stakeholders of the jewellery and precious metals industry recently had the rare opportunity to meet directly with representatives of artisanal and small-scale gold miners.
In July, our latest ASM-PACE report was released, focusing on the ASM of gold and tin – two 'conflict minerals' under the Dodd-Frank Act, Section 1502 – in the Itombwe Reserve in South Kivu, DRC.
I was recently in Mongolia to give a presentation on artisanal mining and conservation for the "Sustainable Artisanal Mining Project" ("SAM") funded by the Swiss and co-implemented with the Mongolian government.
Madre de Dios, Peru, faces challenges in gold mining sustainability. Proposed archipelago model aims for responsible mining, balancing environment and development
Discover how artisanal mining impacts Ratanakiri, Cambodia's gem-rich province, highlighting environmental challenges and the need for sustainable solutions.
Exploring the intersection of mining and sustainability, emphasising CSR impacts on communities and challenges faced by artisanal miners.
Differentiating between "illegal," "informal," and "artisanal" mining clarifies misconceptions and highlights implications for ASM formalisation efforts.
Embedding sustainability in a Sustainable Human Development Index offers insights into ASM conservation with tailored standards for ecosystems.
Addressing ASM complexities in PACE demands local insight, incentivised formalisation, secure land tenure, and trust-building to protect critical ecosystems sustainably.