More opportunities in Sierra Leone
Gemfair
to create for
Artisanal
and small-scale miners
Pilot
scales up
Operations
on the ground
GemFair,
a pilot project developed by De Beers Group, that aims to create a secure and
transparent route to market for ethically sourced artisanal and small-scale
mined (ASM) diamonds, is scaling up its operations in Sierra Leone to give more
miners the opportunity to benefit from the opportunities the programme offers.
The
GemFair pilot provides ASM diamond miners with access to De Beers Group’s
industry leading distribution channel, while seeking to improve ethical
standards, working conditions and value for miners within the sector. GemFair
has partnered with the Diamond Development Initiative (DDI), an NGO that has
been instrumental in helping to formalise the diamond ASM sector in Africa.
Following
the launch of the pilot, where GemFair worked with 16 mine sites in Sierra
Leone, the pilot has been extended in the past six months to work with a
further 38 sites and widen its impact. To incentivise mine owners to work with
GemFair, a membership model has been introduced, whereby mine sites that meet a
strict set of core requirements, aligned with the OECD’s Due Diligence Guidance
for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk
Areas, and pass due diligence checks, can join the programme and sell diamonds
to GemFair. Miners then work with DDI towards achieving full Maendeleo Diamond
Standards (MDS) certification, within a one-year timeframe.
Since
the pilot launched in April 2018, GemFair has seen significant progress across
its operations, opening offices in both Koidu and Freetown, and developing a
set of publicly available ASM standards to ensure a best practice approach for
responsible sourcing. The GemFair standards complement the Maendeleo Diamond
Standards, which include standards relating to social, environmental and labour
risks within the sector.
Feriel
Zerouki, Senior Vice President, International Relations and Ethical
Initiatives, De Beers Group, said: “Although the sector faces many challenges,
we’ve been delighted with how the pilot has gone so far and it has proved its
ability to use digital innovation to support responsible business practices and
deliver traceability.
We
believe we have identified opportunities to make it even more impactful and are
excited to expand the pilot’s reach to more sites in Sierra Leone. The GemFair
model has huge long-term potential to transform the ASM sector by formalising
access to international markets and raising operating and ethical standards
across the sector.”
GemFair
has developed a unique digital solution to ensure the traceability of all
diamonds registered through the programme. The toolkit contains an app and
dedicated tablet that creates a digital record of each diamond found. The app
records GPS locations and the diamond logging process requires the use of
tamper proof QR-coded ‘bag and tag’ equipment. Software works both online and
offline so that it can be used in different locations.
In
due course, the technology will be integrated with Tracr, the industry
blockchain solution led by De Beers Group, to prove the provenance and ethical
sourcing of a diamond.
Educating
miners on diamond valuation is another component of the GemFair pilot. While
registered miners have no obligation to accept offers to purchase diamonds
through the GemFair buying office, they are provided with free training in
diamond valuation, so they can make an informed assessment about the value of
their diamonds and negotiate the best possible deal.
Tutorials
on diamond valuation can also be accessed by miners via the app, and equipment
included in the toolkit is provided to assist miners in the valuation of their
diamonds. The digital solution also helps GemFair to manage the membership and
certification of each site and provides GemFair buyers with the assurance that
diamonds offered for purchase are from registered sites.
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