A gold mine in DR Congo. The Just Gold project implemented a system to
trace legal and conflict-free artisanal gold in the DRC, with a proven
chain of custody from mine site to exporter. PHOTO FILE | AFP
Fair Trade Jewellery has announced the first export of
conflict-free and traceable artisanal gold from the Democratic Republic
of Congo to Canada.
The milestone, which saw the export
of 238 grams in three gold bars to Canada, comes a month after
Partnership Africa Canada announced the Just Gold project had
implemented a system to trace legal and conflict-free artisanal gold in the DRC, with a proven chain of custody from mine site to exporter.
The
gold has already been refined and alloyed, and worked into four
responsibly mined and conflict-free artisanal gold rings. Each ring has
been engraved with a lot number, which traces it to a specific mine site
in the DRC’s Ituri Province, where the gold originated.
“Sourcing
from Congo was a new and exceptionally ambitious process, but one to
which our organisation is committed to, thanks to partners on the
ground,” said Robin Gambhir, Fair Trade Jewellery co-founder.
“Ensuring
we source fully traceable materials directly from communities is a way
to foster community development, and as a company, deepen our impact on
many stakeholders,” Mr Gambhir said.
Partnership Africa Canada began the Just Gold project as a pilot in 2015 in Ituri Province.
The
project, which has over 600 miners registered across six sites, creates
incentives for artisanal gold miners to channel their product to legal
exporters and eventually responsible consumers, by offering fair and
transparent pricing and by providing capacity-building, such as
technical assistance to miners in return for legal sales.
Miners
are taught better exploitation techniques and as such, the gold they
produce must be tracked and sold through legal channels.
According
to Partnership Africa Canada’s executive director Joanne Lebert, this
export from Bunia, DRC to Toronto proved that it is possible to trace
and bring conflict-free Congolese artisanal gold to Canadian and
international consumers.
“What is particularly exciting
is that we have shown that every gram of gold can be accompanied by
reliable quantitative and qualitative data about its provenance and the
actors involved in its extraction, production and trade,” said Mr
Lebert. “That is impossible to carry out due diligence on gold supply
chains is no longer a valid argument for industry. We have proven
otherwise.”
Some of the challenges faced during this
export included high export taxes, transportation restrictions and
burdensome paperwork. Partnership Africa Canada will ask the Congolese
government to create more favourable conditions for legal trade and
responsible investment.
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