The Alliance for Responsible Mining works to promote sustainable artisanal and small-scale mining and to bring about positive change in the sector through projects in different countries around the world. Currently, ARM is seeking to strengthen ASM in Brazil and to create formal supply chains through the application of the CRAFT Code in the country.
A delegation of professionals from ARM spent two weeks visiting several areas and regions in Brazil to determine the commercial opportunities and market demand for responsibly sourced gold from ASM (artisanal and small-scale mining) operations in the country.
The delegation, composed of Cristian Arias, Head of Supply Chains, Luciana Foresti, Head of Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL), and Andrés Ortega, Integral Manager for ASM Organizations, discovered a great potential for opportunities that could ensure the supply of responsibly sourced gold to the market through the standards and tools developed by the Alliance for Responsible Mining, such as the promotion of best practices, safe and healthy working conditions and due diligence, among others.
As part of the activities carried out, the team conducted a Comprehensive Mine Assessment (CMA) at two production units of the Coogavepe Cooperative, visited a gold trader in Cuiabá, the capital of Mato Grosso State, and traveled to waste disposal sites in the municipality of Poconé and to some of the miners in the region.
Finally, meetings to strengthen relations between artisanal miners and the market were held in the city of Sao Paolo, with the participation of various stakeholders in the gold supply chain in Brazil, such as export companies, jewelry brands, and academic and civil society institutions.
This field research was made possible thanks to the joint efforts and funding of the University of Campinas and other allies. The work carried out will make it possible to expand the scope of the first phase of the project, which aims to explore commercial opportunities and carry out comprehensive assessments of the areas visited.