Esmeralda English Version ed

INTERVIEW
SOCIAL IMPACT
ESMERALDA
In China there are
places that have 1,500
jewelry stores. Putting
emeralds in each store
would require batches
of 1,500 gems. But the
supply is low. There
are other countries
and other stones,
sapphires and rubies,
which are produced in
greater quantities.
region in social matters. From there,
they invest in diverse sectors, for
example in health. They have invested
in studies so that municipalities
can update their land use planning
(EOT) to generate development.
This is an essential issue. If a municipality
does not have an updated
EOT, it loses investment. For example,
if a company wants to build a
hotel and cannot use the land, then
they cannot build. Updating the
EOTs is necessary to carry out any
type of project, not just mining. In
that way FNE is important to develop
the region, and as always
they continue to promote emeralds,
organize fairs, and support
small merchants.
How has tourism improved
in western Boyacá?
Tourism has been growing, and
improving roads has also helped a
lot. Many kilometers of roads have
been improved, so now you can
practically go by car to San Pablo de
Borbur, for instance, and do a tour.
What are the current
challenges for the industry?
Right now, our priority is to coordinate
goodwill between companies,
new local mayors and the government
to permanently solve the issue
of waste, which is always a critical
issue in the region. We also want
to encourage more investment and
develop value chains relating to cutting
and tourism.
To what degree are
emeralds valued
internationally?
We believe that the market will
continue to demand the best emeralds
in the world, which are Colombian
emeralds. However, we
want to analyze what future factors
could impact the industry, such as
laboratory emeralds. On the other
hand, it is important that our emeralds
continue to fulfill a social role
in Boyacá so that they continue to
be recognized not only as the best
in the world regarding quality, but
also in sustainability.
What can be done to
encourage investment
in the Colombian
emerald industry?
I believe that it is very important
that those involved, mainly institutions,
help promote investment and
development in the mining industry.
The world emerald market demands
more emeralds than we produce,
and that the social benefits for
the region could be greater if there
is greater investment in emeralds
and therefore more employment
opportunities.
Currently, the three largest emerald
operations don’t reach 800
hectares. It’s very small. There are
more than 200 unexploited mining
titles. Obviously, you can’t do mining
everywhere, but there is still
a very big potential to grow as an
industry and continue to scale and
position Colombian emeralds.
Can you
outline the potential?
The lack of production means we
don’t have the growth that should
be taking place, and industries
aren’t being reached. In China there
are places that have 1,500 jewelry
stores. Putting emeralds in each
store would require lots of 1,500
gems. Our current supply is low,
and there are other countries and
other stones, such as sapphires and
rubies, which are produced in greater
quantities. Those same jewelry
stores choose to not use Colombian
emeralds and use either other
origins or other gems. If Colombian
emeralds manage to be sustainable
in terms of production, the potential
will grow much more.◆
As a result of management by Fedesmeraldas and resources
from the National Emerald Fund, social contributions in
western and eastern Boyacá are palpable and are seen
in diverse projects that improve the quality of life for
local communities.
Social Transformation
in Emerald-producing
AREAS
ESMERALDA
20
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