Editor’s Note
This article highlights the stark paradox within Colombia’s emerald mining industry, where immense mineral wealth coexists with profound local poverty. It examines the systemic failures that prevent resource-rich communities from sharing in the prosperity they help generate.
Despite Colombia being one of the world’s leading producers of emeralds, the communities living in its primary mining regions continue to face severe poverty and stark inequality. The wealth generated from these precious stones often fails to reach the local populations who live and work in the extraction zones.
The report highlights the historical challenges of informal mining, land disputes, and the concentration of profits in the hands of a few large companies and intermediaries. While the industry provides some employment, jobs are often precarious, low-paid, and hazardous.
Efforts to formalize the sector and ensure better revenue distribution have seen limited success. Environmental degradation from mining activities further compounds the difficulties for these communities, affecting water sources and agricultural land.