Artisanal and small-scale mining

Abstract

Artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) - low-tech, labor-intensive mineral extraction and processing - is witnessing a rapid expansion across the globe, and is having a deeply transformative impact on the surrounding countryside. This chapter explores how critical agrarian studies can contribute to our understanding of this phenomenon. First, by drawing analytical attention to capital-labour dynamics, it can provide new insights into dynamics of social differentiation, and on who stands to gain from the expansion of ASM. Secondly, it can help us make sense of how ASM, as a repository of cheap and flexible labour, is integrated into the global, capitalist economy.