The first bar of Fairtrade-certified gold has been unveiled in London
Age: Old.
Appearance: Gold.
What's it done now, then? It's gone ethical. Well, some of it. The first ever bar of Fairtrade-certified gold has just been unveiled in London.
Meaning what? Meaning no child labour or poisonous chemicals, a fully traceable supply line leading right the way back to the mine, and fair, fixed wages for every labourer along the way. The new, ahem, gold standard is the result of years of work by the Alliance for Responsible Mining, the Fairtrade Foundation and campaign group Solidaridad.
I didn't realise normal gold was so evil. Nor did many of the people selling it. Stephen Webster, one of 20 British jewellers who will be stocking the gold, visited mines in Ayacucho in Peru to witness the conditions first-hand. At the unveiling, he described an eye-opening trip to a miners' village: "It looked like it was built on hell, and that's their home."
What's so bad about being a miner? Apart from the fact it's one of the most dangerous jobs in the world, you mean?
Apart from that, yeah. Many mines make unregulated use of mercury in the extraction process, which often finds its way into the local water supply. To be certified Fairtrade and Fairmined, miners must follow strict safety regulations and, where possible, eliminate dangerous chemicals entirely.
So what's in it for these jewellers? Is it more expensive? It costs 10% more, but many jewellers stocking it will absorb the costs in the hope that consumer demand will slowly make it cheaper. The aim is for it to make up 5% of the market by 2025.
It must be good PR for them at least? Well, yes. Doing the right thing does tend to reflect well on a company.
I'm struggling to be facetious and cynical about this. Then don't. It's that rarest of topics: good news.
Do say: "At last ? guilt-free solid-gold bath features."
Don't say: "If it's anything like Fairtrade chocolate it won't taste half as good as normal gold."
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/2011/feb/13/pass-notes-gold
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