This took place within the DGI initiative that enables small-scale mining operations to meet international standards; specifically the Development Gold Ghana Performance Standard.

This pivotal achievement represents the culmination of years of collaborative efforts and marks a new era in the formalisation of the small-scale mining sector, positioning Ghana as a credible source of environmentally and socially compliant gold from small-scale mining entrepreneurs.

Max Afriyie-Barwuah, President of Development Gold International (DGI), said: “This is a major milestone in the Ghanaian gold industry that has been many years in the making, working with mines in the field to build their technical capacity to meet international standards. It signals the serious intention of small-scale miners in Ghana to meet international standards and of LBMA Good Delivery List (GDL) refiners to recognise Ghana as a source of formal and responsible gold from small-scale mines. Our goal is to reduce environmental degradation and enable these miners to access responsible gold markets globally at scale.”

Kwaku Afrifa Nsiah-Asare, CEO of Typhoon Greenfield Development Ltd, said: “We are thrilled to pioneer this home-grown Ghanaian responsible mining initiative DGI, and the first small-scale mining business to have our operations assessed to the Development Gold Ghana Performance Standard. Doing so has opened the opportunity to work with the most respected businesses in the international gold market such as the LBMA GDL refinery, MKS PAMP. Partnering with DGI has also assisted us operationally, building our team’s capacity and enhancing our operating systems for greater efficiency and management of our mines’ environmental and social aspects. I expect others to follow and the formalisation of small-scale mining in Ghana to scale rapidly”.

Omar Liess, Chief Commercial Officer of MKS PAMP, said: “This partnership represents a significant step forward for responsible sourcing in the artisanal and small-scale mining sector in Ghana. We’re proud to support this initiative and look forward to continued collaboration with our partners in Ghana to scale these efforts and inspire similar initiatives globally.”

DGI’s Development Gold Ghana Performance Standard was developed in conjunction with mining industry experts at TDi Sustainability, to independently assess and verify the responsible practices of small-scale gold miners. The standard exists to create opportunities for Ghana and other nations to redefine small-scale gold mining, following a history of illegal mining, leading to ESG issues including deforestation, pollution, water contamination, habitat loss, safety risks, and social instability.

The initiative not only enhances the traceability of the gold supply chain through DGI’s tech mine-to-export platform, MineTrace, but also ensures that mining practices are environmentally sustainable and socially responsible.

Assheton Carter, Executive Chair of TDi Sustainability, said: “DGI is doing something very important; providing an indigenous Ghana-appropriate, progressive good-practice framework facilitating mine-site improvement at small-scale mines. It is creating an assurance process to demonstrate compliance with international due diligence expectations and, crucially, the technical assistance and capacity development support to uplift this vital sector for the country.

“TDi has a long history of developing responsible value chains for minerals and ASM gold in particular. It is never easy to do and takes time; in this case, four years of hard work on the ground. We are unbelievably proud to be involved in the launch and roll out of this truly African initiative.”

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