Artisanal Mining Communities Research Articles

Improving global value chain governance: Empowering women through third-party interventions within institutionally fragile contexts

Promoting women's empowerment in institutionally fragile contexts has been overlooked in global value chain (GVC) analysis, despite the recognition of its importance by UN SDG 5. Building on GVC governance and feminist institutional theories, we evaluate three aspects of an intervention led by an international non-governmental organization to empower women within socially and economically fragile environments. Using a unique dataset collected between 2018 and 2020 from 2,143 individuals in artisanal mining communities, our findings show that the intervention that promotes economic incentives and facilitates female leadership is positively related to women's inclusion and some empowerment indicators, yet its self-sustainability remains difficult within these challenging contexts.

Eco-justice and human well-being in Ghana’s artisanal mining communities: towards a theological ethic of sustainable community

ABSTRACT The negative effects of Ghana’s artisanal mining industry on the sustainability of the natural environment and community life, exemplifies the dilemma of the protracted relationship between the quest for human well-being and sustainability of communities. Nevertheless, sustainable communities are crucial if the flourishing of the natural environment and engendering of human well-being would be attained. Indeed, within the indigenous African community, one is not pursued without the other, for both occur in tandem to ensure the sustainability and well-being of community. Drawing on secondary sources on artisanal mining and its drivers – human livelihoods and wellbeing – as against their social and environmental effects, this article sets out to offer an eco-justice analysis of the relationship between the quest for human wellbeing through artisanal mining and sustainable communities towards a constructive eco-justice theological ethics of sustainable community for Christian ecological praxis in the context of artisanal mining.

A Comprehensive Radiological Survey of Groundwater Resources in Artisanal Mining Communities in the Eastern Region of Ghana: Water Quality vs. Mining Activities

In recent times, groundwater has emerged as an alternative drinking water source for populations in Ghana’s gold mining communities due to high pollution levels in surface water resources caused by artisanal miners. This study presents the findings on different radioactivity levels in groundwater, their sources, the characteristics of aquifers in the study area, and the impact of radionuclides on human health as a factor of water quality. The mean activity concentrations of radionuclides in groundwater samples were 0.1 ± 0.04 Bq/L for Ra-226, 0.36 ± 0.05 Bq/L for Ra-228, and 1.41 ± 0.10 Bq/L for K-40. The activity concentration of 228Ra exceeded the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline level of 0.1 Bq/L. The elevated levels of Ra-228 in groundwater were found to be of natural origin, emanating from the aquifer rocks in the study area. Groundwater resources near mining zones showed higher radioactivity levels. The corresponding committed effective dose from consuming such groundwater was estimated to be higher than the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) recommended value of 0.3 mSv/y for children and infants, indicating potential health risks.

Improving Gender Equality in GVCs: A Comparative Analysis of Interventions in Three Countries

Global value chain (GVC) governance has become an essential part of the international development agenda to promote the inclusion and integration of all GVC's participants at all levels that benefit from the upgrading process. Ensuring gender equality and inclusion at the community level has been overlooked in this agenda, despite the recognition and adaptation of SDG 5 gender equality by governments and businesses worldwide. Previous literature indicates community governance as a supplement GVC governance structure to private, social, and public governance can facilitate livelihood upgrading for rural communities. However, it remains unclear under which conditions both women and men can equally benefit from the livelihood upgrading. To address this gap, this study that draws from GVC governance literature, feminist theory, and institutional theory empirically examined the effect of third-party interventions launched in artisanal mining communities on gender equality and women’s empowerment, particularly the furthest reaches of a GVC when local institutions are weak—using a novel dataset collected from local miners in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda and Zimbabwe. We adopted ten indicators that reflect SDG 5 to investigate the pre-intervention conditions of five mining associations in three countries. Our study offers insights based on evidence-based recommendations for policymakers and practitioners who integrate SDG 5 into their global sustainability strategies. In the form of collective efforts from social and community actors, women and girls can benefit from integrating into the global economy, especially in the first mile of the GVC.

Climate Change, Conflict, and Resource Extraction: Analyses of Nigerian Artisanal Mining Communities and Ominous Global Trends.

Background:The 2010 lead poisoning outbreak that claimed the lives of more than 400 children in artisanal gold mining villages in Zamfara, Nigeria is the tragic result of high gold prices, a geologic anomaly, and processing of ores in residential areas. Today, these villages face a growing crisis related to conflict and climate change. While the situation in Zamfara is unparalleled in many ways, the interactions between climate change, conflict, and mining consistently overlap a global scale. The scope of this analysis extends beyond the Nigerian crisis.Objectives:Understanding the complexities of challenges faced in Zamfara provides insight into how these issues impact vulnerable communities globally, and which strategies should be considered to solve this wicked problem.Methods:Analysis of the relationships between climate change, conflict, and mining in Zamfara and globally via literature review and examination of current events in the Sahel region.Findings:Supporting healthy artisanal mining communities, as was prioritized in Zamfara, must be a focus of environmental, health, and mineral management policies. This includes the consideration of multiple environmental health challenges, the protection of vulnerable groups, government-supported formalization programs, and meaningful involvement of local leadership in developing, implementing, and sustaining intervention strategies to enshrine ASM as a poverty reduction, climate change adaptation strategy.Conclusions:Rapidly rising metal prices and demand will continue to fuel environmental health crises associated with mining. Given Africa’s growing role in the global mineral economy and the massive number of subsistence communities who will continue to be impacted by climate change, strategies that support responsible artisanal mining are both a necessity for preventing future health crises and an opportunity for promoting regional stability and peace.

Improving Occupational Health of Artisanal Mining Communities in Northern Nigeria

Improving Occupational Health of Artisanal Mining Communities in Northern Nigeria

Livelihood implications of artisanal gold mining in farming communities: insight from the Wa East District, Ghana

The impact of artisanal mining on livelihoods in developing countries is a contentious issue. As a contribution to this subject, the study assessed the implications of artisanal gold mining activities on smallholder agriculture in the Wa East District of Ghana. A descriptive survey design with a mixed methods research approach was used. Primary data were sourced from respondents through interviews, questionnaire administration, and field observation. Five artisanal mining communities were selected based on the intensity of mining activities in them. The study respondents consisted of 290 household heads drawn randomly from 1,050 households. Also, key informants consisting of 5 assembly members and 15 lead artisanal miners were interviewed. The study found artisanal mining to be a dominant livelihood strategy in the district, employing about 76.2% of respondents at various levels. Artisanal mining contribution to household income was higher than food crop farming. Proceeds from mining are used to finance smallholder agriculture. However, the activities of the miners have resulted in the degradation of farmlands. We argued that artisanal mining activities should be aligned with other livelihood options such as agriculture in local communities. The study called for the engagement of local miners and traditional rulers in mineral resource decision-making.

Integrating scientific and local knowledge into pollution remediation planning: An iterative conceptual site model framework

Pollution remediation decisions in developing communities are often made with limited technical data and stakeholder engagement. Local knowledge of contamination is oftentimes neglected, resulting in efforts that fail to align with community objectives. In this work, we propose a new approach for incorporating local knowledge on contamination into remediation efforts, resulting in a community-informed conceptual site model framework for pollution remediation. This framework uses qualitative and quantitative social science methods to develop a holistic view of contamination as defined by the community, pairing social knowledge with existing technical information about a site. An example of the application of this framework is provided from a field study conducted in a mercury-contaminated artisanal and small-scale gold mining community in Andes, Colombia. We conducted qualitative unstructured and semi-structured interviews and surveys to elicit local knowledge on mercury contamination. We combined this stakeholder input with limited scientific published literature on mercury contamination in artisanal mining communities to develop different conceptual site models that vary based on the level and type of stakeholder input. Our findings demonstrate how local knowledge on contamination varies due to contextual factors within the community, revealed through the engagement. This work also demonstrates how the new framework can be utilized by environmental practitioners to define the needs, wants, and priorities of stakeholder groups throughout a remediation project, ensuring maximum participation in solution development.

Burden of malaria in children under five and caregivers\u2019 health-seeking behaviour for malaria-related symptoms in artisanal mining communities in Ghana

BackgroundArtisanal mining creates enabling breeding ground for the vector of malaria parasites. There is paucity of data on the effects of artisanal mining on malaria. This study assessed burden of malaria and caregivers’ health-seeking behaviour for children under five in artisanal mining communities in East Akim District in Ghana.MethodsA cross-sectional study involving caregivers and their children under five was conducted in three artisanal mining communities in the East Akim District in Ghana. Caregivers were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Finger prick blood samples were collected and analysed for haemoglobin concentration using a rapid diagnostic test, and thick and thin blood smears were analysed to confirm the presence of malaria parasites.ResultsOf the 372 children under 5 years included in the study, 197 (53.1%) were male, with a mean age (± SD) of 23.0 ± 12.7 months. The proportion of children with malaria (Plasmodium falciparum and P. malariae) was 98.1% and 1.9%, respectively, whilst the proportion with anaemia (Hb < 11.0 g/dl) was 39.5% (n = 147). Almost all caregivers were female (98.9%), and 28.6% (n = 106) did not have access to any malaria control information. Caregivers associated malaria infection with mosquito bites (68.3%, n = 254) and poor sanitation (21.2%, n = 79). Malaria in children under five was significantly associated with anaemia (OR 11.07, 95% CI 6.59–18.68, n = 111/160, 69.4%; P < 0.0001), residing close to stagnant water (≤ 25 m) from an artisanal mining site (AOR 2.91, 95% CI 1.47–5.76, P = 0.002) and caregiver age younger than 30 years (OR 0.44, 95% CI 0.208–0.917, n = 162, 43.55%, P = 0.001).ConclusionsThere is a high burden of malaria and anaemia among children under five in artisanal mining communities of the East Akim District, and far higher than in non-artisanal mining sites. Interventions are needed to effectively regulate mining activities in these communities, and strengthen malaria control and health education campaigns to curtail the high malaria burden and improve health-seeking behaviour.Graphical abstract

Stop Violence in GVCs! A Critical Analysis of Interventions to Reduce Gender-based Violence

As highlighted in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, addressing gender-based violence (GBV) has been identified not only as an essential avenue to achieve gender equality and better health but also as a way of “doing good” by multinational corporations (MNCs). While lead MNCs of global value chains (GVC) are pressed to improve social and environmental outcomes through GVCs governance, it remains a theoretical and empirical question as to the conditions under which various interventions are effective. Our study builds on the GVC social upgrading literature, status inconsistency theory, and social identity theory to examine the effects of specific initiatives to address GBV among artisanal mining communities in the D.R. of Congo by using a novel longitudinal dataset collected in 2019 and 2020. Our results show that interventions that incorporate educational components of GBV-related knowledge and promote social inclusion are more likely to reduce GBV in the furthest reaches of a GVC when local institutions are weak. However, these positive influences of these interventions diminished during the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings shed new light on the theoretical implications of GVC performance and practical guidance for project and policy design to combat GBV.

Between the city and the farm: food environments in artisanal mining communities in Upper Guinea.

Artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) is a widespread livelihood in low- and middle-income countries; however, many in ASM communities face high levels of poverty and malnutrition. The food environments in ASM communities have non-agricultural rural characteristics that differ from those in urban and agricultural rural areas examined in much existing food environment literature. We examine these complex external and personal food environments in ASM communities via a study using qualitative and quantitative methods. Market surveys and a cross-sectional household survey, plus qualitative mining site non-participant observations and in-depth structured interviews, were conducted in three waves. Eighteen study sites in ASM communities in northern Guinea. Surveys covered mothers in mining households with young children (n 613); in-depth interviews engaged caregivers of young children (n 45), food vendors (n 40) and young single miners (n 15); observations focused on mothers of young children (n 25). The external food environment in these ASM communities combines widespread availability of commercially processed and staple-heavy foods with lower availability and higher prices for more nutritious, non-staple foods. Within the personal food environment, miners are constrained in their food choices by considerable variability in daily cash income and limited time for acquisition and preparation. We demonstrate that ASM communities have characteristics of both urban and rural populations and argue for greater nuance and appreciation of complexity in food environment research and resultant policy and programming.

‘All that glitters is not gold’: the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on artisanal and small-scale gold mining and supply chains in Peru

This article explores the impact of COVID-19 on artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) supply chains in Peru between spring 2020 and early 2021. This analysis delves into the effects of the pandemic on the ASGM sector and the illicit flow of gold, including the effect of the mandated lockdown on the Peruvian economy, the price of gold and its impact on artisanal and small-scale mining communities, the socio-economic consequences of the quarantine on Peru's ASGM population, and the impact of lockdown on the gold supply chain. This study suggests the artisanal and small-scale mining formalization process in Peru was greatly impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, which brought complications such as increased criminal activity and violence along the gold supply chain. Similar trends can be seen in ASGM populations around the globe, and case studies from Zimbabwe, Colombia, Bolivia, and Chile explore how different governments have handled the effect of COVID-19 on the ASGM sector. This article highlights recommendations for governments and other key stakeholders to consider for supporting and strengthening ASGM communities, the gold supply chain, and the pursuit of formalization in Peru and worldwide.

COVID-19 in artisanal and small-scale mining communities: Preliminary results from a global rapid data collection exercise

As early as March 2020, anecdotal reports and some news stories began trickling in about COVID-19 related restrictions and their impacts on strategic mineral supply chains, and the miners who labor in the informal mining sector. However, these reports were few and far between. Imperative was the need for a more accurate and comprehensive picture of the situation, should development partners wish to respond rapidly and accurately to the possible crisis developing in artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM). The World Bank, along with a range of development partners,11Partner organizations: Agere Treasures (Ethiopia), Alliance for Responsible Mining (Burkina Faso), Artisanal and Small Scale Mining National Federation of Mongolia (Mongolia), Terah DeJong & Sebastian Pennes (Central African Republic), GemFair (Sierra Leone), Harvard Humanitarian Initiative (Democratic Republic of Congo), IMPACT (Democratic Republic of Congo), Levin Sources (Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, Uganda, Zimbabwe), Pact (Colombia-Afai Consulting, Kenya, Myanmar, Nigeria), Resources Consulting Services (Chad), Synergy Global Consulting (Democratic Republic of Congo-Innovation Hub for Research in Africa), University of Surrey (Ghana, Mali, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Malawi), University of São Paulo NAP-Mineração ‘Centre for Responsible Mini ng’ (Brazil), United Nations Development Programme (Ecuador), World Bank (Indonesia-Yayasan Tambuhak Sinta, Niger) set out to understand how COVID-19 is influencing the development trajectories of select ASM communities (Delve, 2020a). By way of a standardized short questionnaire administered by telephone, researchers conducted rapid surveys on a bi-weekly basis with miners in ASM communities spread across 22 countries (Delve, 2020a) and mining a total of nine minerals.22Cobalt, diamonds, gemstones, gold, quarry stone, sand, tantalum, tin, and tungsten. The questionnaire contained seven main areas of inquiry: (i) knowledge on COVID-19 and its prevention; (ii) access to work; (iii) food security; (iv) human security; (v) service delivery; (vi) supply chains; and (vii) recovery perspectives. More than 3400 responses were gathered over the full data collection period, providing rich snapshots of the impacts being felt by mining communities. The results, as discussed in this viewpoint piece, suggest that whilst ASM continues to offer important livelihoods, even amidst crisis such as COVID-19, the sector is yet to be fully integrated into sustainable development discussions. Formalization, a broad term to capture efforts to strengthen the legitimacy of ASM, is at a critical juncture where the disruption brought about by the global pandemic could yield new, vibrant and promising measures to further support the growth and sustainability of this important global productive sector.

Case finding of tuberculosis among mining communities in Ghana.

Data on active TB case finding activities among artisanal gold mining communities (AMC) is limited. The study assessed the yield of TB cases from the TB screening activities among AMC in Ghana, the factors associated with TB in these communities and the correlation between the screening methods and a diagnosis of TB. We conducted secondary data analyses of NTP program data collected from TB case finding activities using symptom screening and mobile X-ray implemented in hard to reach AMC. Yield of TB cases, number needed to screen (NNS) and the number needed to test (NNT) to detect a TB case were assessed and logistic regression were conducted to assess factors associated with TB. The performance of screening methods chest X-ray and symptoms in the detection of TB cases was also evaluated. In total 10,441 people from 78 communities in 24 districts were screened, 55% were female and 60% (6,296) were in the aged 25 to 54 years. Ninety-five TB cases were identified, 910 TB cases per 100,000 population screened; 5.6% of the TB cases were rifampicin resistant. Being male (aOR 5.96, 95% CI 3.25-10.92, P < 0.001), a miner (aOR 2.70, 95% CI 1.47-4.96, P = 0.001) and age group 35 to 54 years (aOR 2.27, 95% CI 1.35-3.84, P = 0.002) were risk factors for TB. NNS and NNT were 110 and 24 respectively.; Cough of any duration had the strongest association with X-ray suggestive of TB with a correlation coefficient of 0.48. Cough was most sensitive for a diagnosis of TB; sensitivity of 86.3% (95% CI 79.4-93.2) followed by X-ray, sensitivity 81.1% (95% CI 71.7-88.4). The specificities of the symptoms and X-rays ranged from 80.2% (cough) to 97.3% (sputum). The high risk of TB in the artisanal mining communities and in miners in this study reinforces the need to target these populations with outreach programs particularly in hard to reach areas. The diagnostic value of cough highlights the usefulness of symptom screening in this population that may be harnessed even in the absence of X-ray to identify those suspected to have TB for further evaluation.

Cleaning mineral supply chains? Political economies of exploitation and hidden costs of technical fixes

This article examines hidden costs of three prominent mineral supply chain ‘solutions’ that respectively aim to create ‘conflict-free’ minerals, curtail corruption, and reduce mercury pollution. Our analysis underscores the heterogeneous ways in which global capitalism shapes regulatory injustices spanning multiple scales, illustrating how ‘clean’ mineral supply chain schemes can hide inequitable territorial and economic regimes of accumulation and labour exploitation resulting in social harms for artisanal and small-scale mining communities, negative environmental impacts, and the reproduction of extractive political economies dominated by large corporations. We argue for increased critical attention to how mineral supply chain schemes narrowly circumscribe spaces for pursuing counter-hegemonic ‘transformation’.

INTRODUCTION TO THE SPECIAL ISSUE: Preliminary investigations into the COVID-19 pandemic and management in Africa

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting lockdowns and restrictions taken by African governments to mitigate the spread of the virus have adversely affected the lives of people, health systems, organizations, society, and national economies. In this special issue, we take the initial steps in providing a broad overview of the effects of the pandemic and the management implications for Africa. We further present six studies that provide preliminary investigations into the impact and responses of individuals, organizations, and nations. The studies focus on the effects of the lockdowns in making sense of societal inequality through social class and race, how cultural orientation and strategic responses affect pandemic outcomes, how the pandemic engenders innovation and entrepreneurship, strategic responses of firms and performance, experiences of and prospects for management education post-COVID-19, and how the pandemic has affected artisanal small-scale miners and mining communities. The Special Issue invites management scholars to undertake further research to improve our understanding and management of the pandemic for the benefit of all Africans.

First Mile of the Global Value Chain: Bringing Gender into GVC Governance

Gender inequality has become a major challenge that has been reflected in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This issue is becoming increasingly important to multinational corporation (MNC) managers responsible for the performance of their global value chains (GVC) as well as government policymakers and non-governmental organizations (NGO). One of the key ways to address gender inequality has been through various types of interventions, including public regulations, private standards, and certifications. However, it remains a theoretical and empirical question as to the conditions under which various interventions alleviate gender inequality through the empowerment of women. To address this gap, we build on institutional and social identity theories to establish a theoretical framework that allows us to understand the specific attributes of interventions intended to improve women’s empowerment. Our empirical study examines the effect of an intervention launched among artisanal mining communities—in the furthest reaches of a GVC when local institutions are weak and social relationships are fragile—using a longitudinal dataset collected from 1,777 individuals in six communities within Democratic Republic of Congo during the period 2017-2018. We find that the specific intervention (i.e., village saving and loan association) has significantly positive impact on workplace-related women’s empowerment (i.e., perception of equal payment and capabilities), but there is no significant impact on household-related women’s empowerment (i.e., equal access to household decision-making and attitudes towards domestic violence). Our analysis offers novel insights into the outcomes of interventions intended to lead to social upgrading of women within the first mile of the GVC.

‘A concealed economy’: Artisanal diamond mining in Butha-Buthe district, Lesotho

This paper examines the livelihoods of Lesotho's Basotho people in the highlands of the country. It focuses on the rural artisanal diamond mining communities in the Butha-Buthe District in the northwest of the country. The paper draws on ethnographic insights and oral sources from the district's villages of Kao and Liqhobong, the epicentre of artisanal diamond mining in the country. It is argued that artisanal diamond mining is an indispensable aspect of a livelihood activity – a blend of agrarian and non-agrarian activities characteristic of Basotho forms of economic organisation in the face of economic hardships across time and space. The paper offers a window into the activities of a historically and ethnographically hidden economy. It demonstrates that artisanal mining is concealed by two meta-narratives. First, it is historically obscured by popular constructions of the Lesotho economy as a ‘labour reserve’ for South African mines. Second, artisanal miners conceal their activities and the existence of diamonds as a means to protect themselves against government and multinational corporations’ aggressions and criminalisation.

Food Security in Artisanal Mining Communities: An Exploration of Rural Markets in Northern Guinea.

The number of people engaged in artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) has grown rapidly in the past twenty years, but they continue to be an understudied population experiencing high rates of malnutrition, poverty, and food insecurity. This paper explores how characteristics of markets that serve ASM populations facilitate and pose challenges to acquiring a nutritious and sustainable diet. The study sites included eight markets across four mining districts in the Kankan Region in the Republic of Guinea. Market descriptions to capture the structure of village markets, as well as twenty in-depth structured interviews with food vendors at mining site markets were conducted. We identified three forms of market organization based on location and distance from mining sites. Markets located close to mining sites offered fewer fruit and vegetable options, as well as a higher ratio of prepared food options as compared with markets located close to village centers. Vendors were highly responsive to customer needs. Food accessibility and utilization, rather than availability, are critical for food security in non-agricultural rural areas such as mining sites. Future market-based nutrition interventions need to consider the diverse market settings serving ASM communities and leverage the high vendor responsiveness to customer needs.

Appropriation of discourses: justice and corporate social responsibility in an artisanal mining community of rural Colombia

This article seeks to contribute to the academic debate on self-regulatory mechanisms such as corporate social responsibility (CSR) by identifying and exploring the significance of disparities in the discourses – ways in which ‘aspects of the world’ are ‘construed’ – of a multinational corporation and the community in which it operates. It focuses on a case study of a natural resource-extracting corporation in rural Colombia. In the terminology of this special issue, it is concerned with both the discourses of appropriation and the appropriation of discourses. The case study findings suggest that corporate self-regulation allows CSR to be used by corporations as a means of appropriating the discourse of justice, and at the same time leaves the impression (at least with the community) that CSR discourse is a ‘discourse of appropriation’. The paper argues that this appropriation takes place in the context of Teubner’s new economic and law paradigm, based on the ‘almost world-wide institutionalisation of economic rationality’.