Emerging ASM-LSM linkages in Critical Minerals production in the DRC and Tanzania

The project will critically examine relations between Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM) and Large-Scale Mining (LSM). ASM may play a role in fulfilling demand for Critical Minerals which will outstrip the supply from LSM operators. LSM projects typically take at least a decade to become operational, meaning that existing large-scale miners are likely to try to meet demand through purchasing ASM-sourced minerals. There are existing examples of LSM-ASM cooperation in several countries, including the DRC and Tanzania, and efforts by both governments to promote or codify such cooperation. The research will take a comparative case study approach, and a critical, rather than positivist stance. Key research questions include:

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• What is the current legal framework in each country for ASM-LSM collaboration?
• How does demand for critical minerals shape ASM-LSM relations?
• How do traceability schemes and other forms of due diligence requirements shape ASM-LSM relations, and vice-versa?
• How does the current political/policy context in each country shape ASM-LSM relations?
• How do financial and institutional structures around ASM, such as pre-financing and legal cooperatives, shape ASM-LSM relations?

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