The Conflict Minerals issue has been around for a few years now, but only recently has it become something that more people are taking notice of. The ambitious Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act was signed into law in 2010 and brought considerable attention to this sensitive subject. For those who may want an overview of the issue, Venkel Ltd. has developed an infographic that illustrates the Conflict Minerals issue.

This infographic briefly defines what a conflict mineral is and follows up with a map that shows worldwide production of each mineral. We have also included a graphical representation of the estimated amount of funds that are going to the armed conflict within the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Below this is a list of the major players involved in the trade of these minerals. We closed out the infographic with several human rights groups that have more information on the subject. We hope that you find this an informative resource. Please feel free to contact us with any questions or suggestions related to this infographic.

Conflict Minerals continue to be a topic of discussion leaving us wanting to learn more. Not to mention, the laws that are now in effect for the electronics industry.

Which brings me to the question; do you really know the affects these minerals have on The Democratic Republic of the Congo?

In our newly redesigned infographic we show you these details in a creative format.

Let’s Rewind  

In 2011 Venkel released our "Conflict Minerals 3TG" infographic. You may have seen this in numerous places on the web or even in a training session or webinar on the topic.

The infographic is based on information from 2009 data made available by the USGS. Since then much has changed. Not just the amount of money funding the war in the DRC but also the top 5 producers of conflict minerals Tin, Tungsten, Tantalum and Gold also known as 3TG.

Fast Forward to the Present

Venkel recently released a 2014 refresh of the infographic, using 2011 USGS data.

Although some parts may look similar to the 2011 infographic, the data has changed in many ways. We will take a look at changes you would see from the 2011 vs 2014 infographic.

As you can see in the table above, the amount being mined in the DRC for Tungsten and Tin has decreased. However, Tantalum and Gold have steadily increased over time. Whether production has decreased or increased, money is still helping fund the war in the DRC. You will see in the next section just how much money is funding the war.  

The most shocking result is the amount of money Gold is funding. Gold is a big and significant part of the funds for the war in the DRC. From 2011 to 2014 the Gold funding the war has dramatically increased over 2 times the amount in 2011.  Though Tin and Tungsten have decreased over time, with Gold still being an issue it is the number 1 mineral helping fund the war as you can see.

Our new infographic can be used as a training tool helping others see the importance of this topic and the severity of trying to get a handle on the supply chains of the manufacturers of products that use either of these minerals. With the increase in demand of electronic components/devices this has made it harder to trace the actual source of these minerals. It is very important that you get with your manufactures and request smelter information to help ensure that products being sold to you are conflict-free so that together we can help slow down this epidemic.

View the updated 3TG Conflict Minerals Infographic and don't forget to sign up for email alerts that will notify you when we release updated conflict minerals content.

Please see our Conflict Minerals compliance page for information on Conflict Minerals and our products.