De Beers increased the number of mine sites participating in its GemFair programme in Sierra Leone to 263 in 2022, compared to 219 in 2021.
The GemFair programme was introduced to help artisanal and small-scale miners gain access to responsible international markets through the assurance of ethical working standards and bespoke digital solutions.
The programme also helps raise the standard of artisanal miners’ working practices through training and guidance, aimed at building capacity.
De Beers said more GemFair members accessed its Forward Purchase Agreement (FPA), taking the number of mine sites it fully funds up to 49 mining sites in Kono District, providing more miners with access to finance, and increasing the volume of diamonds in the pipeline.
“This represents around 25% of GemFair’s membership, and we hope to grow this further in the coming years, starting with the upcoming mining season,” it said.
“From research into the livelihoods of artisanal miners, we have seen anecdotal evidence that there is now positive wage inflation at other operators and a change in expectations around wages within the wider economy, especially where GemFair has a higher concentration of member sites.”
De Beers said it also expanded the GemFair mine reclamation and farm creation project from three sites in 2021 to seven in 2022.
The GemFair programme intends to generate at least 1,000 supplementary or alternative livelihoods for artisanal mining communities by 2030.
Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished
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