Additional Context: This quote is attributed to Bandi Mbubi, Executive director of the Fair Cobalt Alliance, or FCA, an initiative of over 20 stakeholders representing different roles across the cobalt supply chain in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, or DRC, including industrial miners, battery manufacturers, downstream companies, and other non-profit organizations.

Their $2 million project promoted advancements in socially and environmentally responsible mining by piloting a new model of legalizing and formalizing the artisanal cobalt sector in Lualaba province was terminated in 2025, shortly after announcement. The FCA notes that although the termination of this grant caused significant operational constraints for the organization, 2025 closed with a new, $5 million grant signed with the Department of Labor within a larger consortium working towards similar goals.

Devex Researcher Note: Artisanal mining serves as the primary source on income for over 200,000 people in the Lualaba province of the DRC. Hazardous working conditions, including the exposure to heavy metals, lack of ventilation, and tunnel collapse due to poor planning and insufficient working conditions consistently threaten the lives of workers in the DRC.

Source: Fair Cobalt Alliance