Companies at risk of fueling war and human rights abuses when purchasing metals are exploring the use of blockchain to reduce the likelihood that unethically mined minerals will enter their supply chains.
Tracking ore from a mine to a point of sale remains extremely challenging for phonemakers, auto manufacturers, and others that risk a backlash from buyers if their metals are supporting conflict or are poorly extracted, Clare Church, research officer with the International Institute for Sustainable Development, said March 14.
“The tracking is very much not where we’d like it to be,” said Church, who studies the sourcing ...