Blogs
FCA Quarterly Update – Q2 2022
In the second quarter of 2022, the FCA has made considerable progress in its efforts to support the transformation of the artisanal cobalt sector in the DRC. After a thorough recruitment process, we are excited to welcome to our team Alex Deprez, the new Country Director for the FCA. Leveraging more than two decades of […]
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Rinse, wash, repeat – developing replicable solutions to make washing artisanal cobalt safe and fair
The FCA is determined to support the adoption of better health and safety practices in artisanal cobalt mine sites. Starting April this year, the washerwomen at the Kamilombe mine site, a partner mine of the FCA run by the cooperative CMDS, the women have been able to gain access to wader boots on a daily-hire […]
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ASM for the prospect of better lives for themselves and their families.
Reflections by Hugh Brown on ASM around the world Artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) is not limited to the cobalt sector. Worldwide millions of men and women rely on ASM for their livelihood. Few people, if any, have visited a greater range and number of artisanal mine sites around the world than Hugh Brown – […]
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FCA Quarterly Update – Q1 2022
With this blog, we’d like to reflect on the progress our team has made during the first quarter of 2022. Before we go into this, however, we would like to first remember the death of 6 workers at the Kamilombe mine in late January on which we previously reflected in a blog following these tragic […]
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Why SUSHI BIKES has joined the Fair Cobalt Alliance
This is a guest blog authored by SUSHI BIKES founder and CEO Andy Weinzierl, as Munich-based SUSHI BIKES joins the FCA as the first e-bike brand, joining the growing membership of the FCA. SUSHI BIKES is a young start-up for e-bikes, founded in 2019. We produce quality e-bikes for the urban environment at an affordable […]
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Reflecting on 2021: FCA’s Official Impact and Financial Report
As the demand for cobalt rises and our reliance on it becomes more evident, the need to ensure markets have access to reliable and responsible sources strengthens. The goal of the FCA is for the Democratic Republic of the Congo to be known as one such responsible source.
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The fatal toll of artisanal cobalt mining continues. Is responsible ASM even possible?
At the Kamilombe mine site on January 22nd and 24th, just outside Kapata in Lualaba and home to more than two dozen informal cobalt mines, six men lost their lives during two separate incidents. Sixteen of their colleagues were rescued in time.
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ASM Cobalt’s role and the green energy transition: championing equitable supply
As we launch into 2022, we’re also reflecting on the progress we made at the Fair Cobalt Alliance in 2021. Last year, we welcomed new members from across the battery supply chain and stepped up our operations to improve mine sites, support child labour remediation and much more.
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