Page 18 - Bullion World Volume 4 Issue 4 April 2024

Bullion World | Volume 4 | Issue 4 | April 2024

“Empowering Ethical Gold

Sourcing: LBMA's Artisanal

and Small-Scale Mining (ASM) Toolkit"

LBMA, the independent authority for precious metals, redress the balance between legitimate and unregulated
has published a ‘toolkit’ to support the integration of production with its concomitant negative impacts on the
Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM) production into environment and on the human rights of the 40 million
the legitimate supply chain via its 66 accredited gold people worldwide who depend on ASM as either their
refiners. primary or exclusive source of income,” added Ruth
Crowell.
While sharing the same core principles of sustainable
and responsible sourcing which underpin the Recognising the different stages of development
independently audited relationship between large scale and organisation of ASM operations, the new LBMA
mines and LBMA gold refiners, the new ASM toolkit approach follows OECD guidelines and incorporates the
addresses a range of issues specific to the sector, progressive implementation of certain goals rather than
such as the presence of formal regulatory oversight raising an immediate red flag. For example, in regions
and of pre-refinery aggregators, legal titles and mining where mining with mercury is legal, miners are required
licences. The toolkit also takes account of a range of to work to reduce dependence on this damaging method
environmental issues including proximity to populated of extraction. Furthermore, security, and separately
areas, rivers and other bodies of water. health and safety standards must also be continuously
and progressively improved upon under the toolkit.
“While 20% of global gold production comes from
artisanal and small-scale mining, less than 2% moves The new ASM toolkit is available to refiners to implement
directly into the formal good delivery supply chain. Much and use as the basis for engagement with prospective
of the rest comes into the market via illicit supply-chains suppliers. It will also play a key role in informing
and unregulated recycling, practices which diminish LBMA’s planned outreach to governments and industry
confidence in the legitimacy and environmental integrity stakeholders in Ghana, Peru, The Philippines and
of the metal bought by investors and end-users,” said Tanzania.
Ruth Crowell (CEO, LBMA).
The ASM Toolkit and a short guide on how to best utilise
it are available via the Refiners Toolkit page on the LBMA
LBMA’s ASM Initiative is a response to those who website.
have encouraged Good Delivery List (GDL) Refiners to
engage, rather than avoid, the ASM sector. Increasing https://cdn.lbma.org.uk/downloads/ASM-Toolkit-v6.pdf
direct sourcing of ASM material from producer nations,
many of them in the developing South, has a range of
potential benefits including increased legal recognition
of miners, strengthened local economies and improved
peace and security in mining areas.

“The aim of this new toolkit, one of the first fruits from the
LBMA ‘ASM Taskforce’ which was established last year,
is to provide our accredited refiners with the confidence
to handle more ASM gold. Hopefully this will begin to

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