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Cristina Villegas

Building Mine-to-Market Strategies that Work

The panel will be moderated by Monica Stephenson (ANZA Gems, Moyo Gems), and will also feature Eric Braunwart (Columbia Gem House), Cristina Villegas (PACT Worldwide), Eunice Negele (TAWOMA), Monica Gichuci (African Women in Mining Association), and Conny Havel (Fairmined).

They will discuss the challenges of creating market strategies for small-scale mining organizations and examine the things that must be done to promote their effective participation in responsible supply chains.

Director of Mining, PACT

Cristina a mining & rural development specialist focused on responsible mining and sourcing. She works with all scales and types of mineral producers, from industrial mining companies to artisanal and small-scale miners (ASM). She is known for her specialization in gemstones, diamonds, gold and other jewelry-relevant materials, but she has previously worked in cassiterite (tin), tantalum, tungsten, coal, salt, and other materials around the world. She has an emerging interest in mica in cosmetics supply chains.

In 2019, Cristina led a team to co-found Moyo Gems, a first-of-its kind responsible mine to market sourcing program working with ASM to source beautiful colored gemstones, assure their provenance, improve their mining, and bring these traced stones to market. More at www.moyogems.com

Cristina specializes in ethical sourcing/risk management in artisanal mining supply chains, improving the social performance of mining companies, ASM-LSM, rural development strategies, ASM market development, mineral sector governance, gender & mining, and reducing child labor in mining. She has particular expertise in fragile and post-conflict economies.

Cristina is a member of the following international technical groups: (all by invitation only)
- Advisory Board, Gemstones & Sustainable Development Knowledge Hub
- Advisory Council, Ethical Metalsmiths
- Nominee (2019), Board of Directors, Jewelry Industry Summit
- Advisory Committee, CRAFT Standard for ASM (mining standard)
- Co-creator, CRAFT for Gemstones (mining standard)
- Fairtrade Technical Advisory Group for Gold
- ASM Gold Expert, UNEP Global Mercury Partnership
- Expert Associate Group, Artisanal Gold Council

Cristina has more than 15 years of international development-sector experience, including field work in Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Ghana, Indonesia, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mongolia, Mozambique, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda, Venezuela, Zimbabwe, and beyond.