In recent years, not only trends such as slow fashion and slow food became new habits for consumers. According to a Deloitte study, another tendency also grew: 1 out of 3 people in United Kingdom claimed to have stopped shopping brands or products because of ethical or sustainability-related concerns about them. Wondering about the origin of products has become a constant question for consumers. At the same time, some brands share their sustainability reports and reveal the source of their raw materials. Do you know where the gold you buy comes from?
In the artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector, miners face important challenges to extract precious metals in a formal, clean, and ethical way. By making the decision to implement better mining practices, they start a path full of challenges in which they quickly understand that if they want to guarantee a future for their community, they must include a long-term vision, train and offer safe working conditions to their collaborators, protect women’s rights (oftentimes violated in this sector), and preserve natural resources.
When these miners choose to work towards the development of sustainable, profitable, and responsible mining, they can obtain the Fairmined Standard, created by Alliance for Responsible Mining. This standard guarantees responsible gold extraction, ethical supply chains, environmentally aware practices, and traceability.
When the miners obtain the Fairmined Certification, they also get a premium, an economic incentive that allows them to invest in projects that will make an impact on their mining community. Thanks to this premium, distant communities can build roads to communicate with other populations, as well as schools, and primary medical attention centers. They also make a significant investment in technology and the necessary adjustments for proper environmental management.
Every day, the gold industry is becoming aware of the impact that their purchase decisions have. Fairmined is the answer to a fair origin gold.
Each gram of gold that the market buys, makes a positive impact in mining communities.
Fairmined: A high impact decision
“We have seen the change. It is unbelievable. We are not the same mine we were 2 years ago. Our commitment with our miners has strengthened us as an organization. People want to come and work with us. Fairmined Standard makes us keep the level, and thanks to the Premium, we can improve our access roads to our municipality,” told us Anny Jaramillo, Planning Director of Chede Mine, located in the municipality of El Tambo, in the department of Cauca, Colombia, when we asked her about the benefits of obtaining Fairmined Certification.
Fairmined also represents a quality and support seal for the market, guaranteeing its buyers their commitment to sustainability and ethics.
“My sister and transformed our family business by being aware of sustainability and ethical gold. Fairmined is one of the most important elements of this change. When I talk to other brands in Italy, I explain to them that paperwork and expenses are less important when it comes to the value and the impact of responsible jewellery,” says Francesco Belloni, Manager of Belloni Jewellery in Milan, Italy, a Fairmined Licensed jeweler.
Certified gold: The best option
Brands are looking forward to changing their supply chains into ethical, positive impact models. In this search, they find alternatives such as recycled gold. With recycled gold there is no traceability, it is not possible to know whether it was extracted responsibly or not; if it was obtained with child labor, connected to an armed conflict, or labor exploitation.
With Fairmined certified gold, the origin, processes, and actors involved are known from the very moment of extraction until it gets to the final consumer, guaranteeing a fair origin.
There is the belief that when buying recycled gold, gold production is discouraged, but gold demand keeps growing far from that: computers, laptops, tablets, and video game consoles still need the precious metal. Also, the jewelry industry and the tendency of edible gold stills attract customers. Science uses its benefits as well in order to fight against rheumatoid arthritis and carcinogenic tumors. So, gold will continue to be extracted one way or another and be used in different industries. Why not be on the side that preserves and shows evidence of positive transformation? Why not make a real change in our production chain? There is a certainty with Fairmined certified gold. The decision is yours.
