Cobalt Red Summary

"Every day, a child in the Congo dies so others can charge their phones." This haunting reality forces us to question the true cost of our technological 'progress.'

1. Cobalt Powers Our World

Cobalt is a rare metal that plays a central role in modern technology. It powers rechargeable lithium batteries used in our smartphones, laptops, and electric cars, creating the illusion of sustainable progress. However, the overwhelming majority of the world's cobalt comes from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where extraction comes at a heavy price.

The demand for cobalt has skyrocketed in recent years as the world shifts toward renewable energy and electric vehicles. The DRC, holding over half of the world's cobalt reserves, is the epicenter of this demand. Unfortunately, this wealth does not benefit its people but instead entrenches them in poverty and suffering. Artisanal miners dig by hand in hazardous conditions, often enduring toxic exposure and physical danger.

Despite claims of ethical sourcing by major tech and car companies, the supply chain remains entangled with informal, unsafe mining practices. Around 30% of the country's cobalt comes from artisanal mines, where exploited labor is prevalent. This means even the green energy movement, aimed at reducing carbon emissions, inadvertently fuels exploitation and harm in the Congo.

Examples

• Over 50% of global cobalt supplies come from the DRC’s mines.
• Artisanal miners use basic tools in dangerous pits, earning roughly $1 a day.
• Claims of "clean cobalt" fail due to mixing artisanal and industrial sources.

2. A Legacy of Resource Exploitation

The DRC’s history is a grim saga of resource exploitation by foreign powers, turning what should be a blessing into a curse. From the ivory and rubber of the colonial period to uranium and now cobalt, external forces have repeatedly profited from the Congo's wealth while its people have suffered.

Colonial exploitation dates back to 1482 when Portuguese explorers began the slave trade. It escalated under King Leopold II of Belgium, who turned the Congo into his personal labor camp. Millions of Congolese were enslaved, mutilated, and killed under Leopold's rule, and even after Congo gained independence in 1960, its wealth remained a source of internal strife and foreign manipulation.

Throughout the 20th century, leaders like Joseph Mobutu and subsequent conflicts perpetuated this extractive dynamic. Today, the cobalt rush mirrors past exploitation, where foreign corporations and governments prioritize mineral wealth over human welfare. There's a distressing continuity between colonial forced labor and the conditions faced by artisanal miners today.

Examples

• Under King Leopold II, millions died due to forced labor in the rubber trade.
• After gaining independence, leaders like Mobutu facilitated resource theft by foreign interests.
• Artisanal mining parallels the inhumane working conditions of Congo’s colonial past.

3. The Daily Struggles of Artisanal Miners

In the cobalt mines of southern DRC, life is a daily gamble with death. Artisanal miners, including children as young as three, dig deep into the earth with no safety gear, facing constant danger. Earning barely enough to survive, they endure injuries, disease, and the psychological toll of a life lived in extreme adversity.

Miners dig tunnels over 60 meters deep in search of cobalt-rich rocks. These tunnels frequently collapse, burying workers alive. Toxic dust and contaminated water cause respiratory diseases, birth defects, and long-term health problems. The stories of individuals like Ikolo, who risks his life for two dollars a day, or Jolie, who lost her family in a tunnel collapse, highlight the human suffering behind our tech gadgets.

Entire neighborhoods, such as Kasulo, have turned into wastelands due to mining operations. Families live in fenceless graveyards, symbolizing the despair that defines these communities. The green revolution rides on the backs of these Congolese workers, their suffering hidden beneath the polished exterior of our modern technology.

Examples

• Ikolo risks death daily for just $2, while Jolie mourns her husband and son, buried in a collapse.
• Toxic contamination causes respiratory illnesses and cancer among miners and their families.
• Children like Dennis and Awilo start mining as early as age 10, with no chance for education.

4. The Hidden Supply Chain

The global cobalt supply chain is deliberately obscure, making it nearly impossible to separate ethically sourced cobalt from that mined under exploitative conditions. The collapse of Congo's state-run mining company in the 1990s led to a rise in unregulated artisanal mining, characterized by unfair pay and dangerous practices.

Chinese-run depots play a significant role in purchasing cobalt from artisanal miners at exploitative rates. These depots mix artisanal cobalt with output from industrial mines, laundering it into the global supply chain. Even industrial mines like the Mutanda site often rely on artisanal labor. This murky system creates multiple layers, distancing major corporations from the inhumane conditions at the bottom.

Villages forcibly relocated to mining zones have become hubs of exploitation. Entire families work under militia or army supervision for crumbs of pay. The result is a supply chain that allows corporations to turn a blind eye to the abuses that enable their profits.

Examples

• Artisanal miners’ cobalt flows to Chinese depots and then to global markets.
• Villagers in mining zones face forced relocation and harsh conditions.
• Mutanda mine employs thousands in stateless, hazardous artisanal labor.

5. Environmental Wasteland

Cobalt mining exacts not only a human toll but also a devastating environmental cost. Areas surrounding mines are marked by ruined landscapes, contaminated water sources, and poisoned air, forcing communities into unhealthy living conditions.

Researchers have documented heavy metal contamination in mining regions, leading to long-term health crises. Toxic chemicals seep into water supplies, affecting crops and drinking water. The destruction of land through open-pit mining drives residents away from their homes, leaving ghost towns in its wake.

While green vehicles promise a sustainable future, the processes that fuel them degrade ecosystems. The scars of mining are visible from space, vivid reminders of the environmental price we pay for modern conveniences.

Examples

• Heavy metal contamination in water leads to cancer and birth defects.
• Open-pit mining devastates landscapes, reducing areas to barren wastelands.
• Nearby farms and drinking water supplies are poisoned, forcing displacement.

6. Tech Companies’ Role and Responsibility

Despite profiting immensely from cobalt, major tech and auto companies often refuse to acknowledge their role in the exploitation of miners in the DRC. This denial perpetuates a system of inequality and suffering.

Many corporations claim their supply chains are clean, but evidence suggests otherwise. Auditing processes often fail to account for artisanal cobalt, leaving room for labor abuses. The extreme income disparity between corporate executives and miners highlights the moral bankruptcy of this system.

Transparency and accountability from these companies could make a world of difference to Congolese miners. Without it, the system of modern slavery will persist, hidden beneath the facade of technological progress.

Examples

• Tech CEOs earn in an hour what miners make in a year.
• Ethical sourcing claims often lack verification for artisanal mining.
• Audits ignore the complex layers obscuring child labor and exploitation.

7. Failed Attempts at Regulation

Efforts to regulate the cobalt industry in the DRC have largely failed. Initiatives like the Musompo Trading Centre, designed to provide fair trading conditions, stand empty. Mining cooperatives routinely exploit workers, demanding bribes and providing no protection.

Even model mines, like those run by CDM and KEMAF, fall short. Workers still endure unsafe conditions, exploitation, and paltry wages. Without systemic reform, these solutions remain superficial, failing to address the root causes of exploitation in mining.

Examples

• Musompo Trading Centre remains unused, a failed regulatory attempt.
• Cooperatives exploit miners instead of protecting their rights.
• Model mines fail to deliver safe, equitable working conditions.

8. COVID-19 Worsened an Already Dire Crisis

The pandemic has deepened the struggles of Congolese miners. With cobalt demand rising, miners face harsher conditions, lowered incomes, and an increasing burden to constantly work to survive.

Illness from COVID-19 spread rapidly in mining regions, where access to medical care is nonexistent. Families plunged further into poverty, with children abandoning school to join the mines. Tunnel collapses and mining accidents occurred more frequently as safety degraded amidst increased demand.

Examples

• COVID-19 forced schools to close, pushing children into labor.
• Kamilombe tunnel collapse buried 63 workers alive.
• Rising global demand led to harsher conditions and lower wages for miners.

9. A Moral Obligation for Change

The exploitation in Congo’s cobalt mines asks us to rethink how we value progress. Should our technology come at the cost of humanity? The answer must be no.

By demanding transparency and fair treatment of miners, consumers can drive change. Greater pressure on corporations to ensure safe working conditions and fair wages could break the cycle of exploitation. The global community holds the power to use innovation not as a tool of oppression but as a means to uplift even the least powerful among us.

Examples

• Consumer demand for transparency could force better corporate practices.
• Ethical tech projects can inspire fairer standards in mining.
• Supporting fair-trade initiatives improves miners’ lives directly.

Takeaways

1. Demand greater transparency from companies about where and how they source materials for our devices.
2. Support organizations and brands working toward ethical mining practices in the DRC.
3. Make informed buying decisions, choosing products that prioritize fair trade and worker dignity.