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Steady Progress in Gold Mining Practices
By B. Earth | January 23, 2009
With the recent down slide of the world economy, gold is in higher demand than ever, making it even more important to scrutinize the social and environmental impacts of mining for gold. A good deal of the world’s gold is mined by small-scale artisanal miners, who often work under unsafe mining conditions, and rarely receive a fair share of profits.
Slowly, but steadily, fair-trade gold mining standards are being implemented the world over, and the benefits are threefold. First, such programs provide artisanal miners with education in safe mining practices. For example, mercury is widely used to extract gold from ore, but it is a highly toxic substance that can cause brain damage, especially in children. There are alternative methods of extraction and safer substances that may be used, lessening the danger to workers. Secondly, fair-trade gold mining practices are much gentler on the environment – not only are less toxic chemicals used, but forest clear-cutting is minimized and mining site footprints are much smaller. Lastly, fair-trade wages trickle down to poor communities and go a long way toward improving community resources and living conditions.
In recent years, several international organizations have worked tirelessly to prove that it is possible to create a responsible, transparent and profitable supply chain. One significant success came nearly a decade ago with development of the first certification system for environmentally responsible metals, Oro Verde, or “green gold,” from the Chocó region of Colombia. Soon after, the Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM) was created, and it is now working to adapt the Oro Verde model to other mining regions around the world, with measurable success. Their goal is to eventually supply at least 30% of the world’s gold.
Supplementing these progressive initiatives to clean up the gold supply chain are numerous other local efforts being taken by artisanal miners and their families themselves. In Peru, several women’s mining cooperatives have been formed recently to enable women to live near their husbands and contribute to family incomes, which not only keeps families together, but also contributes to better financial wellbeing.
In our on-going efforts to support clean, responsible and transparent gold supply chains, Brilliant Earth carries fair-trade Oro Verde gold.
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