Publication of the Annual Survey Report

The Fair Cobalt Alliance (FCA) is evolving, and so is its knowledge base. Reflecting on the past year, I’m proud of the many strides we’ve made in strengthening our internal monitoring, evaluation, and learning systems. I genuinely believe that FCA, and The Impact Facility, is uniquely positioned to become a knowledge house in the ASM sector — and that is a journey I am very elated to be part of.

If we want to reshape the narrative around ASM cobalt in the DRC, knowledge generation and sharing must be at the forefront. We want to tell a different story — one of dignified livelihoods and a global transition to a mineral-based economy that puts the lives, rights, and aspirations of local, mineral-rich communities first. To get there,  we first need to understand the current landscape — the realities of the people at the heart of this sector.

This report is a key step in that direction. Entirely perception-based, it offers insights into the lived experiences and perspectives of those directly involved in the ASM cobalt industry.

Perceptions alone cannot tell the entire story, but they can tell us how we see the world. As such, it helps us understand people. For effective monitoring and evaluation, this is where we must start. To understand the realities of the ASM cobalt sector, this is where it begins. And to change the narrative, we need to look here first — and last.

And so, with this report — a first of its kind — we set out a new series of information sharing from the FCA to inform impact of our operations, and beyond.

Download the Annual Survey Report