By Kevin Telmer - September 23, 2019
When asked what the Artisanal Gold Council’s mission is and about my own vision for the improvement of the artisanal gold mining sector, I explain that it is mainly two simple things. First, it is about the improvement of the artisanal gold mining sector writ large so that it can […]
By Kevin Telmer - September 5, 2019
The Miami Herald in 2018 and now Buzzfeed and the NYT in 2019 have published, once again, the typical easy story on alluvial gold mining in the Amazon: The very simplistic and oft repeated “mining is bad” story. They cast a pall over any and all that are involved in […]
By Kevin Telmer - August 20, 2019
As the price of gold rises, what opportunities are there for countries with artisanal gold mining sectors? Here I am not talking about the miners but rather the countries that are endowed with deposits of artisanal gold. This is an interesting topic in the new context of rising gold prices […]
By Kevin Telmer - August 8, 2019
What happens to the Artisanal and Small Scale Gold Mining sector (ASGM) when gold moves from 1200$ to 1500$ in less than a year? That is a 20% increase. Its nature (largely unregulated subsistence labour) means it can respond quickly relative to the large scale industrial gold mining sector. Many […]
By Kevin Telmer - April 5, 2019
Launching in Ulaanbaatar on April 8-9, 2019, the $60-million Contribution Toward the Elimination of Mercury in the Artisanal and Small Scale Gold Mining Sector: From Miners To Refiners project will work to formalize the sector in Mongolia and the Philippines, supporting miners to access markets for responsible gold, as well as […]
By Kevin Telmer - March 31, 2019
The Shadow of Gold documentary is a global investigation of the ultimate talisman of wealth, beauty and power. Filmed in China, Peru, Canada, the U.S., London, Dubai, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, The Shadow of Gold explores the complexities of gold mining and the gold trade. Dr. Kevin Telmer […]
By Kevin Telmer - February 19, 2019
The government of Guinea teamed up with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and AGC to pilot a gravimetric mercury-free system in Tonso. The pilot system is now operated by the Mining Cooperative of Tonso. Ahead of the launch, members of the Mining Cooperative in Tonso were trained in operating, […]
By Kevin Telmer - May 14, 2017
The AGC helps miners improve their productivity and helps them to comply with minimal health, safety and environmental standards; this can facilitate the formalisation of their livelihoods, allowing them to increase their income in a safer way for both them and their communities. One of the ways in which the […]
By Kevin Telmer - April 30, 2017
The ASGM sector in Guinea is vibrant, growing, and ripe with opportunity. If properly managed, it could create a much needed West African example of best practices in ASGM. The Artisanal Gold Council (AGC) is engaged in a United Stated Department of State (USDoS) funded project focused on reducing mercury […]
By Kevin Telmer - April 23, 2017
Using mercury amalgamation to separate gold particles from ore is not only dangerous to the health and environment of miners and their families but it is also inefficient. Recovery is an important aspect of efficiency in mining. It is a measurement of how much gold is split from the ore; […]
