COLTAN FROM AFRICA AND GOLD FROM BRAZIL. PLEASE READ THIS, BEFORE BUYING A NEW SMARTPHONE

COLTAN: a conflict mineral Many investors are no doubt aware of tantalum’s conflict mineral status, so it should come as no surprise that coltan falls under the same banner. There have been reports that neighboring countries in Central Africa, including Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi, have smuggled Congolese coltan from the DRC [Democratic Republic of Congo] to fund war and conflicts in the region, although all countries deny that is the case. A 2001 Amnesty International report states, “By one estimate, the Rwandan army made at least US$250 million over a period of 18 months through the sale of coltan, even though no coltan is mined in Rwanda.” Demand for the technological material has only grown in the almost two decades since. So where does all of this coltan end up? Its path is hard to trace, but regulatory authorities are doing their best to ensure that electronics corporations are not funding conflict in the DRC by buying coltan and thus contributing to human rights violations. However, not all electronics companies are transparent about their supply chains. COLTAN: harmful for gorillas It's worth noting that coltan mining has caused significant destruction of gorilla habitats in the DRC. Gorilla habitats have been reduced as forests are cleared to make way for mining operations, leaving a population of only about 6,800 Grauer's gorillas — the world's largest primate. Mountain gorilla habitats have also been impacted by the illegal coltan-mining and smuggling industry. The ongoing conflict and issues around mining and sourcing coltan have prompted calls to the Congolese government and local leaders to strengthen the conflict minerals law.

Natural resources such as gold and copper are fundamental in the manufacturing process of electronic products. And since these resources are so valuable, there are many illegal mining companies around the world. Unfortunately, it seems that Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Amazon have been buying gold illegally mined in Brazil for their products. The local Brazilian newspaper Repórter Brasil revealed on Monday that these four major tech companies used illegal gold from Brazilian indigenous lands located in the Amazon rainforest. This gold was primarily destined for smartphones and computers from Apple and Microsoft, as well as servers from Google and Amazon. APPLE PRODUCTS: may have gold from illegal miners. Documents seen by the authors of the report confirm that the companies bought gold from the Chimet and Marsam refineries between 2020 and 2021. Both refineries have been under investigation by the Brazilian Federal Police for illegal extraction of natural resources, in addition to several charges related to environmental damage. Although the extraction of natural resources on indigenous lands is prohibited in Brazil, there are several illegal mining companies that extract and sell these resources to other companies around the world. This is because mineral extraction results in deforestation of the Amazon forest and contamination of rivers with mercury. At the same time, the illegal extraction of natural resources also finances organized crime. In Brazil, the number of armed attacks on indigenous peoples has grown considerably in recent years as these mining companies expand their operations Every company listed on the US stock exchange is required to report its natural resource suppliers. However, although Chimet and Marsam are under investigation in Brazil, these refiners are currently certified in the United States and Europe. Although tech companies argue that they use clean materials, it seems that not all of them are really interested in learning where these materials come from.