Details
Country: Peru
Fairtrade certified in: 2017
Main products:
Gold and precious metals
The gold mining organisation Cooperativa Minera Señor 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 labour force in gold mining. One of them is the cooperative Minera Señor 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:
- Installation of an irrigation system for the transport routes to reduce dust pollution
- Maintenance of the chutes
- Improvement of the melting plant
- Construction and equipping of the cooperative's offices
- Construction of new gold panning plants to increase the production and efficiency of the gold mining process. Gold panning plants consist of ramps where gold is continuously washed out of the ore.
- The construction of mining infrastructure such as fuel tanks and warehouses ensures safe storage and increases the efficiency of the entire mining operation.
Workers and working conditions:
- Further training of cooperative members and workers on accounting, tax regulation, money laundering.
- Improvement of miners' accommodation such as the purchase of mattresses to increase the livelihood and health of miners.
- Purchase of biosecurity equipment such as disinfectants and gloves to prevent the spread of Covid 19 in the mining community.
- Purchase of protective equipment such as helmets, gloves, goggles, etc. to ensure the safety of miners during mining operations.
Environment:
- Renewal and maintenance of the water treatment dosing system. The flocculation system allows better recovery and treatment of water. This contributes to good amalgamation and a reduction in mercury consumption.
- An analysis of groundwater reserves to better plan and implement current and future mining activities.
Social projects:
- Purchase of toys and food baskets as Christmas gifts for workers' families.
- Uniforms for the school music orchestra
About the cooperative
The people of Ananea traditionally live from alpaca breeding and wool production. Although this work is an important part of their identity, it did not offer these people enough economic prospects. Therefore, the inhabitants of Ananea found an alternative activity in gold mining to overcome their poverty.
The beginning of the operations of the Cooperativa Minera Señor 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.