Why the New Conflict-Free Gold Program May Be about Far More

Jul 3, 2017 | Rob Bates
View Original

Most mineral-tracking schemes—and we have covered quite a few—have a serious downside: They generally work with established mining companies. That threatens the artisanal sector, the poorest, most desperate part of the supply chain.

What’s notable about Partnership Africa Canada’s Just Gold program is that it aims to bring traceability and tracking to the artisanal gold sector. And not just any artisanal gold sector, but gold mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Gold from certain areas of the DRC is officially considered a conflict mineral. Dodd-Frank Sect. 1502 was meant to goad public companies to stop using those minerals. But that provision had an unfortunate knock-on effect: It killed legitimate mining in the DRC. This program allows companies to source certified, conflict-free DRC gold.