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Building Sustainable Communities: The Contribution of Equinox Gold
Equinox Gold, a recognized multinational mining company, is taking a significant step toward sustainability by investing in projects that value family farming. In its operations in Brazil, particularly in Riacho dos Machados, in Northern Minas Gerais, the company has incorporated the ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) management model into its business strategy, proving that sustainability can indeed be a game changer.
Investing in Local Agriculture
Mineração Riacho dos Machados (MRDM), one of Equinox Gold’s operating units, has been promoting better agricultural and extractive production practices, directly benefiting the surrounding communities. The initiative, launched in 2021, includes buying fruit pulps from the Cooperativa Grande Sertão (CGS), a collective that brings together the production of small farmers in the region.
Sold in 1 kg packages, the fruit pulps come from various products of the land, such as acerola, passion fruit, guava, mango, cashew, tamarind, and cajá, produced by 123 cooperative members. These pulps are served in MRDM’s cafeterias, where more than 800 direct and indirect employees are fed daily.
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Promoting Sustainable Beekeeping
But Equinox Gold doesn’t stop there. The company also runs the Beekeeping Incentive Project, a partnership with the Association of Family Farmers of the Municipality of Riacho dos Machados (AFARMA). This initiative, carried out in areas of environmental preservation and reforestation, promotes sustainable honey production, benefiting 40 small family producers.
MRDM provides personal protective equipment and training for beekeepers in partnership with the National Rural Learning Service (Senar), demonstrating its commitment to sustainability and family farming.
According to Rodrigo Dhryell, responsible for the Environmental and Social Responsibility area at MRDM, the program represents the state of the art in sustainability and highlights Equinox Gold’s commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those related to sustainable agriculture. Dhryell states: “With this project, it is possible to protect the environment, produce food sustainably, and also generate income distribution for family farmers in the communities near our operation.”
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