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.

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…

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