G5 Article dissertation
Transitioning towards sustainable development in Tanzania: The case of mercury and cyanide in artisanal and small-scale gold mining
Authors: Tomassi, Oliver
Publishing place: Turku
Publication year: 2026
Series title: Annales Universitatis Turkuesis
Number in series: 431
ISBN: 978-952-02-0617-8
eISBN: 978-952-02-0618-5
ISSN: 0082-6979
eISSN: 2343-3183
Publication's open availability at the time of reporting: Open Access
Publication channel's open availability : Open Access publication channel
Web address : https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-02-0618-5
Abstract
Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is a vital economic sector supporting millions of rural livelihoods across Africa, offering direct employment and broader income opportunities in regions with limited alternatives. Within this sector, mercury amalgamation has been the dominant extraction method despite its severe impacts on human health and the environment. In recent decades however, ASGM has undergone significant technological change, with cyanide leaching emerging as a prominent alternative that provides higher gold recovery rates, especially as ASGM faces declining ore grades that make mercury amalgamation methods less effective. This dissertation draws on the case of ASGM in Tanzania and situates it within the Multi-Level Perspective and Just Transitions frameworks of the Sustainability Transitions (ST) field. It investigates how technological change interacts with organizational practices, institutional arrangements, and knowledge systems, and how these interactions shape sustainability outcomes and inequalities within the sector. The study integrates qualitative and quantitative data collected during fieldwork in Tanzania between 2022 and 2024, including 119 semi-structured interviews and 116 survey responses. The findings show that mercury amalgamation remains predominant not only because it is inexpensive, widely accessible, and requires minimal skills, but also because it is deeply embedded in existing relationships, livelihoods, and extraction practices. While cyanide technology provides a mercury-free alternative and up scaling of extraction, it demands significantly higher costs and specialized knowledge, restricting its uptake to few entrepreneurs, deepening socio-economic inequalities in ASGM. Overall, these findings raise questions about whether a transition from mercury to cyanide can truly be considered a transition toward sustainable development, and call for policies that ensure an inclusive transition for all ASGM stakeholders while protecting the environment and natural ecosystems.
Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is a vital economic sector supporting millions of rural livelihoods across Africa, offering direct employment and broader income opportunities in regions with limited alternatives. Within this sector, mercury amalgamation has been the dominant extraction method despite its severe impacts on human health and the environment. In recent decades however, ASGM has undergone significant technological change, with cyanide leaching emerging as a prominent alternative that provides higher gold recovery rates, especially as ASGM faces declining ore grades that make mercury amalgamation methods less effective. This dissertation draws on the case of ASGM in Tanzania and situates it within the Multi-Level Perspective and Just Transitions frameworks of the Sustainability Transitions (ST) field. It investigates how technological change interacts with organizational practices, institutional arrangements, and knowledge systems, and how these interactions shape sustainability outcomes and inequalities within the sector. The study integrates qualitative and quantitative data collected during fieldwork in Tanzania between 2022 and 2024, including 119 semi-structured interviews and 116 survey responses. The findings show that mercury amalgamation remains predominant not only because it is inexpensive, widely accessible, and requires minimal skills, but also because it is deeply embedded in existing relationships, livelihoods, and extraction practices. While cyanide technology provides a mercury-free alternative and up scaling of extraction, it demands significantly higher costs and specialized knowledge, restricting its uptake to few entrepreneurs, deepening socio-economic inequalities in ASGM. Overall, these findings raise questions about whether a transition from mercury to cyanide can truly be considered a transition toward sustainable development, and call for policies that ensure an inclusive transition for all ASGM stakeholders while protecting the environment and natural ecosystems.
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