Case Study: Oro Verde

Combatting Environmental Degradation in Colombia 

Oro Verde® reverses environmental degradation caused by uncontrolled mining in Colombia’s Chocó Bioregion by developing certified responsible mining practices.  Artisanal miners who extract gold and platinum comply with strict ecological standards. They preserve the Chocó Bioregion, one of the world’s biodiversity reservoirs, by fostering sustainable use of natural resources between the mining communities. Both the miners and the tropical rainforest are protected from contamination produced by the use of mercury or cyanide in normal commercial mining practices. The responsibly extracted gold and platinum is then sold under the Oro Verde brand name and Fairtrade and Fairmined label to ethical jewellers in green and fair trade markets mainly in Europe and North America . In 2009, Oro Verde was the winner of the SEED Initiative Gold Award.

SEED 2012 Case Study Series

This case study showcases the innovation, the partnership, the support from SEED and the overall impact of the enterprise and is part of the SEED 2012 Case Study Series. This Case Study Series showcases locally-driven, innovative eco-inclusive enterprises and examines the barriers and enabling factors that hinder or aid these eco-inclusive enterprises.