(Ecofin Agency) - Canadian jeweler Fair Trade Jewellery Co said it has imported 238 g of artisanal gold from the Ituri province in DR Congo. This is the first conflict-free and traceable artisanal gold export from the country to Canada.

According to a press statement reported by APO, this was possible through the Just Gold project, which put in place a traceability system that makes Congolese gold legal, looking at supply chain, from mining site to exporter. This project was created by Partnership Africa Canada (PAC). “Sourcing from Congo was a new and exceptionally ambitious process, but one to which our organization is committed to and capable of achieving thanks to partners on the ground, like Partnership Africa Canada,” said Robin Gambhir, Fair Trade Jewellery Co. co-founder.

The Just Gold Project which was launched in 2015 by PAC in the Ituri province, offers artisanal gold miners the chance to sell their product legally to responsible consumers, at a fair and transparent price. It currently has over 600 miners registered across six mining sites.

Partnership Africa Canada is committed to developing innovative solutions that will help insure appropriate management of natural resources in high-risk profile regions recording conflicts, such as DR Congo.

Louis-Nino Kansoun