Taraza, antioquia – Colombia
La Gabriela mining organization, located in Taraza, Colombia, achieves the Fairmined certification. They will be now connected to the formal gold international supply chains, and they will receive a fair price for their precious metals, and an economic incentive to improve their mining projects, guarantee the welfare of the miners, and develop projects of social impact for the community.
1,558 kilos of Fairmined gold from certified mining organizations in Peru, Colombia, and Mongolia have been sold to the market since 2014, demonstrating that small-scale mining is an engine of sustainable development for communities and that with the support of experts, it is possible to deliver responsibly sourced gold to the world, gold to be proud of.
The mining organizations that achieve Fairmined certification follow a path of progressive improvement until they meet high requirements for traceability, human rights, and environmental protection. More than 360 jewelry brands in 33 countries currently source Fairmined gold, supporting the ASM transformation and raising awareness among other companies and consumers about buying fair, traceable, and clean gold.
In 2018 La Gabriela mining organization joined The Sustainable Mines Program of the Alliance for Responsible Mining, and three years later they obtained certification as a Fairmined gold-producing mine. Made up of a team of 16 miners, and led by the miner Julio Cesar Posada and his family, La Gabriela Mine has a particular component, the diversity of economic activities besides gold mining. In addition to extracting gold, they grow cocoa and rubber, they are honey producers, and they have wells for fish farming.
Photo by: Alliance for Responsible Mining
Initiated by Julio César in 1994, La Gabriela began rudimentary activity without security protocols. It was not until the year 2000 that the formalization procedures began, obtaining the mining rights in 2011. Julio’s daughter Juliana, who studied agronomic engineering at the National University of Colombia started organizing the farm by improving the cultivation of cocoa and rubber. She began to protect the honey bees in the area and set up a space to care for and protect them, where they extract honey. Father and daughter started to grow tilapias for the workers and family members and now they also sell the fish to local restaurants.
Julio Cesar was certain that in order to benefit from the mine, they had to go a step further, and besides receiving training in safety, they needed to get certified by an international standard.
For the members of La Gabriela, it has been a challenge to obtain the Fairmined certification. “It is a team effort of unlearning and learning, leaving behind long-standing practices, miners who have been mining for 20 to 25 years, including the owner, and tell them that this is not so, and teach them the responsible way to do it. It is a big challenge, changing customs, and implementing PPE, but they begin to become familiar and understand that it is for their well-being” says Juliana.
ARM and La Gabriela share the objective of seeking quality of life for miners and miners. The importance of taking responsibility for the environment they inhabit, and positively impacting the people and communities around gold mining, now add up to offer ethical, traceable, and responsible gold and tilt the balance towards a positive gold industry, and an engine of sustainable development.
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Fairmined is an initiative of the Alliance for Responsible Mining that works to transform the lives of miners around the world, and their communities. Fairmined has 392 allied brands, and mines in 2 countries (Colombia and Peru). If you are an organization and want to join write us.
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