Who hasn’t seen photos of overcrowded mines with people digging for gold or cobalt with less more than a pick axe and a shovel, shaky cell phone videos of frightened men escaping collapsing mines? And yet, having visited dozens of artisanal mine sites myself, ASM remains a net positive despite its many challenges, holding unfathomable potential to serve as a driver of socio-economic development. Let me unpack that.
Fact is: ASM is here to stay. Across geographies and minerals, 50+ million people are estimated to work directly in the artisanal mining sector, with more than 200 million relying indirectly on the sector to make a living. It is poised to grow further, especially as climate change strains agricultural output and the demand for (critical) minerals continues to rise.
Yet, informality, hazardous mine conditions, poor health and safety standards, and frequent occurrence of child labour, along with environmental concerns, such as the unregulated use of mercury in gold mining, have tainted the reputation of the artisanal mining sector.
But could we be looking at ASM from the wrong angle? To reduce risk to local workers, remediate child labour, and ensure responsible production practices, we need to engage, not shy away. Unlocking the sector’s full socio-economic potential requires the introduction of ASM-inclusive mining legislation, formalising and professionalising mining practices on site, and, most importantly, market acceptance of responsibly produced ASM material by downstream actors.
Nobody says this will be easy, but the cost of inaction is simply too high to continue to delay urgent and decisive action. The complexity of the ASM sector necessitates innovative approaches, building on blended finance investment strategies and multi-stakeholder collaboration involving development agencies, local civil society, institutional donors, national governments and financial actors, as well as the private sector.
For years, there has been a lot of talk about the need to formalise ASM. It’s time to walk the walk. Let’s reframe ASM as a potential force for good, a driver of socio-economic development and an untapped source of responsibly produced minerals if supported. Instead of fearing or avoiding association with the sector, it's time to recognise the grit, perseverance, and resilience displayed by artisanal miners on a daily basis. Through this lens, the African continent can usher in a new era where artisanal miners operate legally, under safe and dignified conditions.
Behind the statistics and risk metrics usually used to describe ASM activities are women and men that pride themselves in their work, quietly helping to quench the global thirst for minerals. Most consider themselves as neither villains nor victims. We'd like to consider them unsung heroes of the extractives sector.
#MI24 #ResponsibleASM Fair Cobalt Alliance (FCA) The Impact Facility
Actie-onderzoek naar effectieve sociale verandering // filmproducent // muziekbricoleur
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