Medellín, Colombia – February 2022
The Alliance for responsible mining starts 2022 making the assurance experience easier for Fairmined authorized suppliers and licensed brands engaged in the Fairmined and Fairtrade initiatives.
“Intending to facilitate the experience of businesses engaged within responsible minerals sourcing initiatives such as Fairmined and Fairtrade, we decided to recognize the Fairtrade audit results as part of the Fairmined assurance protocols” said Natalia Uribe, Standards and Certifications Manager of ARM.
Until now, brands working under both schemes were had to do two separate audits. This new mechanism will exempt Fairmined licensed brands and authorized suppliers from additional in-depth audits to renew their authorization and license. It will also allow Fairtrade Licensees and Traders keen to work with both schemes to enjoy an easiest Fairmined assurance and onboarding experience.
To allow this change, the ARM team carried out a careful analysis and detailed benchmark exercise and found many criteria compatible with both standards. “To renew or get your first Fairmined authorization or license, ARM’s Standards and Assurance department will evaluate the Fairtrade audit results and request additional information to verify the compliance with the particular Fairmined scheme criteria. ARM will reserve the right to request a third-party audit if high risks are identified, or the information provided is insufficient to allow this recognition.” pointed out Natalia Uribe.
This new approach will contribute to build a bridge between both labeling and certification schemes. It will also be an excellent opportunity for new brands and traders to:
- Increase their support towards Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining communities: by sourcing Fairmined gold, they offer the certified mines a better premium (4USD/gr instead of 2 USD with Fairtrade). This double premium is crucial as we primarily work with small organizations where a lower premium wouldn’t contribute to significant changes. This premium will provide the miners with a better economic incentive and compensate them for their constant efforts to adopt responsible mining practices.
Get access to Fairmined ecological gold: which is extracted in the best possible conditions and without chemicals. The Fairmined ecological certified mines also take additional steps to protect the environment. Discover here more about this very unique gold.
Enjoy the variety of products and services offered by our Fairmined authorized suppliers such as bullion, chains, casting manufacturing, gold plating and, coating services.
Have access to support and marketing materials to tell the unique story of their gold in a powerful way.
“Getting to the Fairmined world should be easy. Clarity and transparency are part of our promise as an organization, and in our strategy to spread the message of ethical gold we want to make things easier for sustainability oriented companies” Morgane Nzelemona, Account manager – Fairmined Initiative
Don’t hesitate to contact ARM’s standards and assurance department cert@responsiblemines.org or your Fairmined Account manager for more information regarding the procedure to apply to this recognition or any doubt.
Want to join us now? contact us here
