The state cobalt agency in Democratic Republic of Congo DRC has produced its first 1000 metric tons of traceable artisanal cobalt, a key step in formalising the sector in a country that supplies much of the worlds battery metal.
DRC holds about 72 of global cobalt reserves and accounts for over 74 of supply, much of it from informal artisanal mines.
Artisanal mining is a lifeline for central African country, employing an estimated 1.5 million to 2 million people and supporting more than 10 million people indirectly.
