At the Closing Session of the Project “Traceability and Responsible Chain in Brazilian Mineral Cooperatives – CRAFT BRAZIL,” the milestones achieved within the project framework were presented. During the first stage of the project,125 criteria of the CRAFT code were parameterized to the Brazilian context.
The objective of the project was to establish an infrastructure in Brazil to identify and mitigate the environmental, social and commercial risks of ASM, introducing in Brazil the international reference in terms of due diligence: the CRAFT Code.
Miners reading the CRAFT code 2.1
The OCB system includes 72 cooperatives that bring together more than 66,000 garimpeiros (miners) dedicated mainly to gold extraction. The cooperatives of the OCB system produced 8 tons of gold in 2023, generating more than 2.5 billion reais and contributing more than 31 million in terms of financial compensation to the state. Despite these achievements, significant challenges persist in Brazilian mining, which is why cooperation with the Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM) began.
Among the participants’ interventions at the event, the contribution of Susan Keane from Planet Gold stands out. She emphasized the significance of the CRAFT Code as a key tool for unlocking financing opportunities and advancing Brazil’s eligibility for potential projects with Planet Gold. According to her experience, miners who strive to comply with the CRAFT Code find it easier to secure bank loans as the associated mining risks are minimized.
On the other hand, Juliana Posada from Mina La Gabriela, certified with the Fairmined standard, shared her experience from the beginning of compliance with the CRAFT Code several years ago and her progressive path toward responsible mining. She emphasized that the CRAFT Code is easy to implement and understand, and despite her mine’s small operation, they had no difficulties in quickly implementing the CRAFT Code. Juliana highlighted: “ARM has already done the hardest part, which is incorporating the OECD Due Diligence Guidelines into a Code. It’s already a big roadmap. Our task is to apply that code to our mines.” Juliana mentioned that her mine, a family-owned estate, has come a long way to establish itself as a certified mining organization under the Fairmined initiative. At the end of her speech, she encouraged all small-scale miners to use the Craft Code in their mining operations.
Juliana, from La Gabriela Mining organization – A Fairmined certified mine
The achievements of the project included the parameterization of 125 criteria of the CRAFT standard in a period of 3 months, adapting modules 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the standard to the needs of the Brazilian context. In addition, a course on traceability, trade and due diligence was carried out for technicians from mining cooperatives, government officials, members of cooperatives dealing with minerals such as tin and emerald, and representatives from Brazilian DTVMs.
This closing session of the project was a valuable space for reflecting on the achievements, lessons learned, and challenges encountered when seeking to implement the CRAFT scheme in Brazil.
Marcin Piersiak from ARM emphasized that this should not be considered a closure but rather the beginning of a new phase. He stated, “I see with great optimism the willingness of the participants in this initial contact to work together. We are available to move forward with you on this path and, of course, to build bridges with the international market in the future.” The potential of the Brazilian market is promising, which offers an optimistic horizon to continue advancing in formalization and cooperation in Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM). Although the work ahead is considerable, it is hoped that, with the collaboration of all actors involved, a solid and sustainable system for responsible mining in Brazil can be established.
Alex Macedo, representing OCB, and Lorena Botero, project coordinator at ARM, confirmed that in the coming days, the Portuguese version of the CRAFT 2.1 Code will be published on both the ARM and OCB websites. Additionally, ARM will provide access to the parameterized CRAFT criteria on its progressApp platform.
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