In Madre de Dios, Perú, where mining communities face conflicts, social unrests and environmental degradation, diversifying income is not just an option but essential. Our team partnered with the Centro de Innovación Científica Amazónica (CINCIA), a leading research and innovation institution in the Amazon that generates scientific capacity and knowledge, integrating them into productive and environmental management initiatives to promote sustainable development. During our project we co-created a report recommending how additional income sources such as floating cage fish farming, ecotourism and regenerative agriculture could support miners in earning a steady income even during mine suspensions or violent unrests.
By regenerating degraded lands through reforestation and using available resources like abandoned mining ponds for fish farming, communities can reduce reliance on mining while protecting pristine areas. These activities are not only an economic buffer but also foster environmental restoration and social security for seniors, offering safer, less physically demanding jobs for older miners and new opportunities for youth. Embracing a circular economy through these diverse ventures creates a pathway to a sustainable future for people and the planet.
Gold mining in Madre de Dios faces economic instability due to mining conflicts, its unsustainable finite resource extraction and the expansion of illegal gold mining in response to global gold price increase. Environmental costs include deforestation and mercury contamination which have been estimated to cause significant economic losses impacting agriculture, tourism and public health. Supplementary livelihood activities offer a possible pathway to reduce dependency on mining while restoring degraded lands.
The business framework developed in our project serves as a roadmap to assess, select and implement viable supplementary livelihoods. It consists of a series of steps evaluating personal capacity, identifying local resource availability, analyzing market demands and estimating startup and recurring costs. This structured approach is important for ensuring that chosen activities not only generate income but also align with environmental best practices.
The participatory workshop held during our community visit to Peru with the Red de Mujeres network members revealed key priorities among women miners through the use of a participatory worksheet. Financial constraints, safety concerns and need for technical support were their top hurdles. However, the women demonstrated a strong interest in investing in supplemental activities that offer flexibility, decent return on investment and reduced physical labor, particularly fish farming. These insights suggest that lower risk ventures can potentially build financial resiliency during mining conflicts or government interdictions.