what is the fairmined 100 challenge?
The Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM) and its Fairmined initiative announce the launch of its most recent campaign, “The Fairmined 100 challenge”, calling the jewelry and numismatic industries to achieve the milestone of creating one hundred new collections made with Fairmined metals before August 31st, 2022, contributing to generating a positive impact in the artisanal and small-scale mining sector. Visit our Fairmined 100 challenge’s page here.
how to participate?
Find the terms and conditions to participate in “The Fairmined 100 challenge” here.
All participants should source metals from an authorized supplier through the Fairmined labeled sourcing model. See full list.
You can let us know you are participating in the challenge by filling out this form or by sending an email address to info@fairmined.org
All participants will be featured on the Fairmined 100 digital catalogue publication by the Alliance for Responsible Mining. At the end of the challenge the Alliance for Responsible Mining will assemble a judging panel to decide on the best collections.
Join the group of brands who are part of the transformation with Fairmined, #GoldToBeProudOf.
WHY to PARTICIPATE?
Sustainability and ‘ethical sourcing’ are topics that currently transcend from an ‘eco-friendly’ trend to responsibility and transparency towards the planet and society, in compliance with international trade regulations. This responsibility calls for industries such as jewelry, fashion, mints, and every business using precious metals to look into the positive and negative impacts they make throughout their supply chains, including those at the origin/extraction of materials.
Mineral mining is widely perceived as an activity that, while contributing to the economic growth of mining countries, damages the environment at considerable proportions, mainly when it’s done at an artisanal and small scale (ASM) in which formality and regulations are not frequent. Nevertheless, this activity is the primary source of employment for at least 44.75 million people across 80 countries worldwide, according to the World Bank’s 2020 State of the ASM Sector*, which is why it’s essential to engage with them and provide support to address the many issues they face. Joining the “The Fairmined 100 challenge” is an opportunity for the gold industry to use certified gold from responsible mining communities, while helping them to strive.
Some companies in the jewelry and numismatic industries try to address the issues of mining by using recycled gold only; however, there is no evidence that gold recycling has the power to decrease mining, and it certainly does not offer proof of an impact on affected communities. That is why sustainable development implies the need to guarantee favorable environmental and working conditions for communities that depend on this activity to make a living, so it’s paramount for the industry to include materials that can be traced to a responsible, ethical origin.
ARM’s mission with Fairmined is to transform ASM into a force for good and an engine for sustainable development. ASM organizations certified with the Fairmined standard comply with environmental requirements that eliminate mercury and other chemicals from their operations or reduce its usage to a bare minimum carefully treated that don’t pollute water bodies nor represent a threat to the miner’s health. By creating collections made with Fairmined metals, the industry is supporting a premium paid to certified mining organizations which is used to enhance and formalize their environmentally conscious production while guaranteeing fair wages and conditions for workers. It also allows these mining organizations to give back to their communities through infrastructure, gender equality projects, healthcare plans, and children and youth programs.
In its efforts to stimulate the demand for Fairmined certified gold and the support to the development of the ASM sector, the Alliance for Responsible Mining is inviting brands and companies to design, create, produce and launch collections that share this beautiful story of origin and communities that thrive thanks to responsible ASM. Collectively, the industry can achieve this milestone through a tangible step in order to either start or continue their path towards sustainability: create at least one collection with Fairmined certified metals.
Read our press release here
* World Bank. 2020. 2020 State of the Artisanal and SmallScale Mining Sector. Washington, D.C.: World Bank.
