We are pleased to announce that Oro Puno has achieved the first Fairmined Ecological Gold certification in Peru and joins the ranks of other artisanal mining organizations awarded the Fairmined certification.

In recognition of its corporate and social commitment, compliance with international standards, and achievement of responsible gold production in artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM), the ORO PUNO S.A. Mining Company has obtained certification under the Fairmined Standard.

This certification is a significant milestone for the country, since Oro Puno is the first Peruvian mining company to earn the Fairmined Ecological Gold Certification, which means that its extraction and production process is free of chemicals such as mercury or cyanide. The artisanal gold miners of Oro Puno set an example for how mining can be done in a responsible manner that does not pollute the environment.

The Oro Puno mining organization excavates a glacial moraine deposit, which is the material left behind from a thawing, retreating glacier. This unique type of deposit can be found from Apolobamba in Bolivia to Acocala in Peru.

The certified product provides a guarantee that the company correctly and strictly follows Peruvian mining regulations, producing gold that is clean, responsible, and traceable at every step in the process — from extraction to exchange with national and international customers.

The Oro Puno certification was possible thanks to the support of two organizations: First, the Better Gold Initiative (BGI), they identified the huge potential of Oro Puno to be certified while conducting a survey of mining organizations throughout Peru. Then, the local partner and executor of the BGI, the ABR Consulting Group, who implemented the improvement plans and provided technical assistance to the mining organization. Oro Puno’s is not the only success story with Fairmined Certification; in the past other mining organizations like CECOMIP have achieved certification thanks to the support of these two organizations.

We congratulate Oro Puno for this achievement, for their tenacious and valuable effort, for serving as an example to follow, and for strengthening an important sector of the Peruvian mining industry.

For more information click to see the Press Release