AGC COVID-19 Portal
How does COVID-19 impact artisanal gold miners?
The coronavirus is spreading rapidly in many countries with artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) sectors. These communities are often highly vulnerable to the coronavirus due to limited access to health care facilities, potential loss of desperately needed income, and livelihood related risk factors such as underlying occupational health risks and a lack of infrastructure. As well, food security in many mining communities has become a concern due to lockdowns, frozen supply chains, and decreasing incomes.
Why artisanal gold mining is a prime candidate for COVID-19 intervention?
The value of gold and its demand remains stable or is rising and the sector has substantial existing transportation, communication, and expertise networks and infrastructure. The sector, thus, offers strong opportunities to deliver desperately needed income to rural communities very cheaply compared to traditional aid programs. Existing gold supply chains and networks can be used to bring income and health promotion into communities – a Health-in Gold-out strategy that builds on what already exists.
What is this portal about?
The Artisanal Gold Council is documenting and monitoring the direct and indirect impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on artisanal gold mining communities. All information is shared publicly. We use the information we generate to formulate solutions and suggest policies that can mitigate the effects of the pandemic on artisanal gold miners and their communities and increase their resilience.
Impacts
News from the field – impacts on communities
COVID-19 and ASGM communities – our groundbreaking article summarizes the impacts of COVID-19 on mining communities.
Reports from the field – news from artisanal gold mining communities from AGC’s local networks and global guest contributors, updates from major gold trading hubs.
Gold trade – impacts on supply chains, gold prices and miners’ incomes
Gold price data – our database serves as barometer monitoring the pandemic’s impacts on artisanal mining communities, comparing prices to pre-COVID times.
Gold trading hubs – our dashboard shows the hubs’ operational status during the COVID-19 pandemic to indicate frictions that can affect the supply chains and buying prices of upstream artisanal gold.
AGC’s solutions
AGC’s response to the crisis: solutions for the ASGM sector
Policy brief – discusses three strategic issues to help ASGM communities during the current crisis: reform supply chains, develop an adequate health response, and monitor impacts through our gold price database.
Health initiatives to respond to COVID-19
Health policy brief – discusses possible impacts of COVID-19 on ASGM communities, why those communities should be a priority group for interventions, and what a health response in the sector could look like.
AGC’s Call to Action
Our Call to Action, released in March 2020, calls on stakeholders to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 on artisanal gold communities, recommending seven actions – from seeking commitment to buying artisanal gold.
Policy responses from ASM organizations and networks
This section summarizes initiatives and policy responses to COVID-19 from the AGC, other organizations and networks working with artisanal mining communities.
Policy responses from various organizations
Policy brief – summarizes our responses and those of other organizations such as Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM), IMPACT, Levin Sources, The planetGOLD, and the Sentry to address COVID-19 associated challenges.
OECD MSG Call to Action
The Multi-stakeholder Steering Group (MSG) of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Due Diligence programme has released a Call to Action for Responsible Mineral Supply Chains. The AGC is a member of the MSG and has contributed to this call.