Green Gold: An Alternative Model for the Development of Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining in the Biogeographic Chocó

Abstract

Written by the Executive Director of Fundación Amigos del Chocó, this article presents the Green Gold program, a responsible artisanal mining initiative operating since 1990 in Colombia's biogeographic Chocó. The author traces the region's historical context, from Indigenous settlement to the 1993 constitutional recognition of Black communities' collective land ownership. The text describes the Green Gold model, which certifies responsible extraction of gold and platinum, granting a 15% market premium and protecting approximately 7,200 hectares of tropical rainforest, presenting its connection to the Alliance for Responsible Mining.