Close-up image of a beehive set in a bee box frame.

Supporting Responsible Gold Mining in Colombia .

Public Private Partnerships and Investment | Shared Value | Combatting Environmental Crimes

Latin America and the Caribbean

Oro Legal

Project Dates: September 2015 - April 2021

Colombia’s profitable gold sector is fraught with illegal mining, threatening the country’s efforts to establish peace after decades of conflict.

Colombia is experiencing a gold mining boom, but approximately 80 percent of its gold mining production — with a value of $1.7 billion — is currently illegal. Uncontrolled gold mining in Colombia fuels social conflict, environmental degradation, and governance challenges. To address these issues, the Artisanal Gold Mining – Environmental Impact Reduction Activity, known as “Oro Legal,” is collaborating with the Colombian government, local communities, and the private sector to establish a shared agenda for sustainable change. A neutral stakeholder, Oro Legal supports responsible mining where is it is technically, financially, and legally feasible to do so.

146

mining production units formalized, involving 1,062 individual miners.

194

million dollars of gold legally produced

70

tons of mercury prevented from release into the environment

Project Goals

Strengthen governance in the mining sector
Encourage and increase the participation of small and artisanal gold miners, associations, and indigenous communities in gold mining formalization processes
Develop attractive , alternative livelihoods for mining families when circumstances preclude the formalization of gold mining
Support the Colombian government’s efforts to reduce the environmental impact of illegal mining by providing models to restore degraded areas, reduce contamination from mercury, and improve the quality of drinking water

Our Impact Beekeeping: A Sweet Solution for Rural Colombia

In rural Colombia, some communities are leaving unregulated gold mining for beekeeping and honey production to improve their health, livelihoods, and local ecosystems.

Read Impact Story

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Video screenshot of Camilo Arreaza Chaparro talking, wearing a brown hat and coral t-shirt

Colombia’s Carbon Stewards: Sustainable Ranchers in the Savannas

This video is part of our docuseries on Communities and Carbon in Colombia and highlights the experience of cattle ranchers in the savannas.

Colombia’s Carbon Stewards: Piangueras in the Pacific Coast

This video is part of our docuseries on Communities and Carbon in Colombia and highlights the experience of Afro-Colombian clam harvesters and those protecting against deforestation and forest degradation on Colombia's Pacific coast.

Colombia’s Carbon Stewards: The Misak in the Páramos

This video is part of our docuseries on Communities and Carbon in Colombia and highlights the experience of the Indigenous Misak community in Colombia's high Andes ecosystems (páramos).

Two people sitting at a table and having a discussion.

Shared Lessons: Countering Extremism and Preventing Gang Violence

Elisabeth Dallas, director of Chemonics' Peace, Stability, and Transition Practice interviews Todd Diamond, director of Conflict, Security, and Stability program at Chemonics, about shared lessons from our work in countering extremism.

Annatto (Achiote): An Economic Alternative to Mining in Chocó

Annatto (Achiote), a spice and coloring agent extracted from the seeds of the evergreen, is growing as an economic alternative to mining in Chocó (Colombian Pacific Coast).

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