Details
Country: Peru
Fairtrade certified in: 2017
Main products:
Gold and precious metals
The gold mining organisation Cooperativa Minera El Dorado de Ananea
Peru is one of the most important gold producing countries in the world. Besides the large international mining companies, there are many smaller mines that represent the majority of the gold mining workforce. One of them is the cooperative Minera El Dorado de Ananea in the southern Peruvian region of Puno. It is one of the ten cooperatives that together form the umbrella organisation CECOMSAP - Central de Cooperativas Mineras San Antonio de Poto.
Projects using Fairtrade Premium
Organisation and productivity:
- Construction of a workshop for the maintenance of machinery
- Investment in the construction and maintenance of the gold mining facilities to improve production capacity and technology to run a more efficient operation, especially to improve gold recovery rates.
- Installation of security systems such as CCTV or lightning rods to improve security and ensure that members and workers feel safer from potential theft The lightning rods also serve to prevent damage to equipment.
- Investment in the mining community's offices and administration to improve the working conditions of the administrative staff and ensure better attention to the member, workers and communities.
- Training of cooperative members on money laundering.
Workers and working conditions:
- Purchase of medical equipment to combat and prevent the spread of Covid 19.
Environment:
- Cleaning of sedimentation and water purification ponds to prevent flooding.
- Maintenance of sludge system to treat wastewater and prevent water contamination.
Social projects:
- Establishment of a gym and improvement of the sports facility for workers.
- Participation of workers in a sports tournament
- Christmas presents for local children and Christmas hampers for workers' families
- Purchase of computers for a local school
- Social support for mining community members to strengthen institutional links with local communities and institutions such as schools
The people of Ananea have traditionally lived from alpaca breeding and wool production. Although this work is an important part of their identity, it did not provide these people with sufficient economic prospects. Therefore, the inhabitants of Ananea have found an alternative activity in gold mining to overcome their poverty. The beginning of the operations of the Cooperativa Minera El Dorado de Ananea was characterised by informality and the absence of any heavy machinery. Thanks to growing income and with the support of their umbrella organisation CECOMSAP, the miners were able to manage the process of formalisation. CECOMSAP also organises exports.