Galamsey, Mariusz Śmiejek (Pre-order)

Gold is breaking historic price records on global markets. Yet in Ghana-the largest gold producer in Africa-those who extract it can earn as little as a few cents. This contradiction lies at the heart of 'Galamsey', a seven-year photographic investigation into the human and environmental cost of the global gold trade.

In 2025, artisanal and small-scale mining, known locally as "galamsey", produced and exported more than 100 tonnes of gold, generating over $10 billion in revenue and accounting for more than half of Ghana’s total gold production value. Almost one-third of Ghana’s gold is estimated to be mined illegally, supporting more than 3 million people-around 9% of the population. Some miners earn as little as $3–5 per week.

With few alternatives, widespread unemployment and persistent poverty, many people turn to mining simply to feed their families. In response, the state has increasingly relied on force, with security operations targeting illegal mining sites and reports of live ammunition being used during raids.

Gold from Ghana flows to China, India, Europe, the United States and the UAE, yet corruption and opaque supply chains can make its origins difficult to trace. As global demand has surged and gold reached approximately $180,000 per kilogram in early 2026, the gap between global wealth and local exploitation has continued to widen.

The human and environmental costs are severe. Children work alongside adults in toxic conditions, while miners handle mercury in processes classified by the International Labour Organisation as “exceptionally dangerous.” Armed guards protecting mining concessions have also been linked to violent attacks against miners.

The environmental damage is equally profound. Ghana’s Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources reports the destruction of 5,252 hectares of land and 44 of the country’s 288 forest reserves. Nearly 60% of the state’s rivers and freshwater bodies have been polluted by galamsey discharge, threatening agriculture, fisheries and other local industries.

Through intimate portraits and stark landscapes, 'Galamsey' reveals the hidden human cost behind one of the world's most valuable commodities-and the lives and landscapes sacrificed along its global journey from Ghana's mining communities to international markets.

Foreword by Ed Kashi, renowned photojournalist, filmmaker, speaker and educator, whose career spans four decades.

Introduction by Melani Lea Mennella ESQ, Principal Investigator of the' Unearthing Her Crown' project and Director of Justice Tank.

Mariusz Śmiejek is an independent documentary photographer whose long-term projects focus on overlooked people, communities and places.