{"product_id":"galamsey-mariusz-smiejek-pre-order","title":"Galamsey, Mariusz Śmiejek (Pre-order)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGold 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 '\u003c\/span\u003eGalamsey'\u003cspan\u003e, a seven-year photographic investigation into the human and environmental cost of the global gold trade.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn 2025, artisanal and small-scale mining, known locally as \"\u003c\/span\u003egalamsey\"\u003cspan\u003e, produced and exported more than \u003c\/span\u003e100 tonnes of gold\u003cspan\u003e, generating over \u003c\/span\u003e$10 billion in revenue\u003cspan\u003e and accounting for more than\u003cstrong\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003ehalf of Ghana’s total gold production value\u003cspan\u003e. Almost \u003c\/span\u003eone-third of Ghana’s gold\u003cspan\u003e is estimated to be mined illegally, supporting more than \u003c\/span\u003e3 million people-around 9% of the population\u003cspan\u003e. Some miners earn as little as \u003c\/span\u003e$3–5 per week.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWith 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.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGold from Ghana flows to \u003c\/span\u003eChina, India, Europe, the United States and the UAE\u003cspan\u003e, yet corruption and opaque supply chains can make its origins difficult to trace. As global demand has surged and gold reached approximately \u003c\/span\u003e$180,000 per kilogram in early 2026\u003cspan\u003e, the gap between global wealth and local exploitation has continued to widen.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe 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 \u003c\/span\u003e“exceptionally dangerous.” \u003cspan\u003eArmed guards protecting mining concessions have also been linked to violent attacks against miners.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe environmental damage is equally profound. Ghana’s Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources reports the destruction of\u003cstrong\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e5,252 hectares of land\u003cspan\u003e and \u003c\/span\u003e44 of the country’s 288 forest reserves\u003cspan\u003e. Nearly \u003c\/span\u003e60% of the state’s rivers and freshwater bodies\u003cspan\u003e have been polluted by galamsey discharge, threatening agriculture, fisheries and other local industries.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThrough intimate portraits and stark landscapes, '\u003c\/span\u003eGalamsey'\u003cspan\u003e 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.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eForeword by Ed Kashi\u003cspan\u003e, renowned photojournalist, filmmaker, speaker and educator, whose career spans four decades.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIntroduction by Melani Lea Mennella ESQ\u003cspan\u003e, Principal Investigator of the' \u003c\/span\u003eUnearthing Her Crown'\u003cspan\u003e project and Director of Justice Tank.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMariusz Śmiejek\u003cspan\u003e is an independent documentary photographer whose long-term projects focus on overlooked people, communities and places.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Self-Published","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54023420772699,"sku":null,"price":30.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0526\/2540\/8163\/files\/Untitleddesign-5_cdd0d6a0-0210-4d4f-83cb-ab4a28447d2c.png?v=1789042180","url":"https:\/\/shop.photomuseumireland.ie\/products\/galamsey-mariusz-smiejek-pre-order","provider":"Photo Museum Ireland","version":"1.0","type":"link"}