Witnessing Resilience: How AGC's Initiatives are Shaping Colombia’s Chocó Region

Chocó is a truly magical place, celebrated for its breathtaking biodiversity and lush, vibrant landscapes. Despite being one of Colombia’s most resource-rich regions, it remains among the country’s most economically challenged provinces. Yet, it’s the people of Chocó who make it unforgettable—their warmth, resilience, and kindness are unmatched. Everywhere you go, you’re greeted with bright smiles, heartfelt embraces, and shared laughter. It’s the people who make you fall in love with Chocó.

During my recent two-day visit to a project completed by AGC’s Colombia team two years ago, I witnessed the profound, lasting impact it has had on the local community. Since its implementation, the community has thrived, staying committed to their environmental management plan. By ensuring that proceeds from gold mining directly benefit their community, they’ve diversified their economic activities and supported significant land reclamation and reforestation efforts.

Our primary purpose was to see this "success story" firsthand and to explore how we might extend these initiatives to neighboring communities. I like to think of this as our “water ripple effect” strategy: with secured international funding, we aim to replicate these successful practices, spreading them to other communities and fostering a sustainable mining ecosystem. This approach not only preserves local biodiversity but also promotes socially and environmentally responsible practices that are built to last.

I must clarify that I don’t claim to be an expert in environmental management or gold mining—I’m an economist motivated by a desire to address “wicked problems.” Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is certainly one of those. The credit for our achievements in Chocó goes entirely to our incredible local team and our dedicated partner, the EMAGROAUP cooperative (Empresa Agrominera y Ambiental Unión Panamericana SAS).

As Don Carlos, a respected local leader, shared with me, “Once you visit Chocó, you never want to leave.” He’s absolutely right—especially when you witness meaningful, achievable solutions coming to life. These solutions are cost-effective, deeply rooted in the community’s ingenuity, and showcase their remarkable ability to collaborate and find common ground.

I’m hopeful to return soon to launch what I envision as phase two of our Chocó initiative. My commitment is to knock on every door—reaching out to donors, international agencies, and anyone who believes in the transformative power of sustainable development—to bring this vision to life.