Charles Dumbrille: Resources Industry is Stuck With Artisanal Mining

With artisanal miners contributing large percentages to global production of a variety of commodities from gold to diamonds to cobalt — the fact is that they are a significant part of the resources industry.

Speaking with the Investing News Network (INN), chief risk officer at IN-D-Tel International Charles Dumbrille said that politicians in countries where large parts of the population work as artisanal miners wouldn’t want to ban the industry as it provides a livelihood to thousands.

Despite the livelihoods and the ways of life that artisanal (or informal) mining support, it throws up plenty of issues for the commercial mining industry.

Dumbrille talked about challenges faced by operators, environmental and regulatory issues and human rights issues in the artisanal mining world, and he said there is no single sustainable solution to artisanal and small-scale mining issues, but there are still solutions that can be worked on.

“Large-scale mining companies need to deliver socioeconomic development by trying to help with formalization while providing appropriate technical assistance and technology.”

Listen to the full interview with Charles Dumbrille above for in-depth thoughts on what the industry is and how it affects the mining industry overall.

For more information on the subject, read INN’s special feature on artisanal mining, Mining for Riches: The Problem(s) with Artisanal Mining, in which Dumbrille is quoted along with experts on artisanal mining from Amnesty International and Darton Commodities.

Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time updates.

Securities Disclosure: I, Scott Tibballs, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

Editorial Disclosure: The Investing News Network does not guarantee the accuracy or thoroughness of the information reported in the interviews it conducts. The opinions expressed in these interviews do not reflect the opinions of the Investing News Network and do not constitute investment advice. All readers are encouraged to perform their own due diligence.