Establishing fair trading practices at artisanal cobalt mine sites

One of the Fair Cobalt Alliance’s three strategic objectives is increasing the incomes of artisanal miners and their wider community. Key to that strategy is ensuring fair value retention at the point of mineral sales.

VSLAs – building peer-to-peer networks to strengthen financial resilience

VSLAs: What are they? Voluntary Savings and Loans Associations Reason for creation? Despite the increased income of artisanal miners compared to their peers in sectors such as agriculture, they are still poverty-stricken due to the mismanagement of their resources and the lack of financial education. Voluntary Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) are designed to support […]

Rinse, wash, repeat – developing replicable solutions to make washing artisanal cobalt safe and fair

The FCA is determined to support the adoption of better health and safety practices in artisanal cobalt mine sites. Starting April this year, the washerwomen at the Kamilombe mine site, a partner mine of the FCA run by the cooperative CMDS, the women have been able to gain access to wader boots on a daily-hire […]

ASM for the prospect of better lives for themselves and their families.

Reflections by Hugh Brown on ASM around the world Artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) is not limited to the cobalt sector. Worldwide millions of men and women rely on ASM for their livelihood. Few people, if any, have visited a greater range and number of artisanal mine sites around the world than Hugh Brown – […]

Reflecting on 2021: FCA’s Official Impact and Financial Report

As the demand for cobalt rises and our reliance on it becomes more evident, the need to ensure markets have access to reliable and responsible sources strengthens. The goal of the FCA is for the Democratic Republic of the Congo to be known as one such responsible source.

The fatal toll of artisanal cobalt mining continues. Is responsible ASM even possible?

At the Kamilombe mine site on January 22nd and 24th, just outside Kapata in Lualaba and home to more than two dozen informal cobalt mines, six men lost their lives during two separate incidents. Sixteen of their colleagues were rescued in time.

ASM Cobalt’s role and the green energy transition: championing equitable supply

As we launch into 2022, we’re also reflecting on the progress we made at the Fair Cobalt Alliance in 2021. Last year, we welcomed new members from across the battery supply chain and stepped up our operations to improve mine sites, support child labour remediation and much more.

The FCA welcomes Cobalt Institute

As we welcome the Cobalt Institute to the Fair Cobalt Alliance, we speak to Susannah McLaren Head of Responsible Sourcing & Sustainability, who shares her views on what’s driving demand for cobalt, what opportunities this presents the supply chain and ultimately, what drove the decision to join the FCA.