The Perea Family

In stark contrast to the uncontrolled, mechanised mining, the certified families of the Oro Verde ® programme employ a method of extracting the gold that does not involve the use of mercury, cyanide or machinery and in return receive a direct economic incentive in the form of a premium for their metals. Using traditional, ancestral mining techniques, the miners pan for gold using round, shallow wooden plates and separate the gold from the soil using juice extracted from three different types of plants that grow locally. By extracting the gold in this method, the Oro Verde ® programme is protecting more than 7900 hectares of tropical rainforest. I met with three generations of the Perea family, a certified Oro Verde ® productive family unit.

Gualdino Perea

Eneida Perea.

Gualdino Perea's daughter and son, Juan and Eneida Perea.

Eneida Perea.

Juan Andres, Gualdino's Grandson

Eneida's green gold.