UWSpace is currently experiencing technical difficulties resulting from its recent migration to a new version of its software. These technical issues are not affecting the submission and browse features of the site. UWaterloo community members may continue submitting items to UWSpace. We apologize for the inconvenience, and are actively working to resolve these technical issues.
 

Tracing Conflict Minerals in the Great Lakes Region of Africa: Drivers, Barriers and Opportunities

dc.contributor.authorNlandu Bayekula, Jean-Oscar
dc.date.accessioned2016-12-21T14:02:51Z
dc.date.available2016-12-21T14:02:51Z
dc.date.issued2016-12-21
dc.date.submitted2016-12-07
dc.description.abstractTraceability has played a significant role in numerous product sectors – including food, agricultural and fish/seafood products – in assurance of product safety and quality, material origin and sustainability attributes. Since 2010, traceability has been adopted and implemented in tin, tantalum and tungsten (3T) supply chains to assist in removing conflict-related minerals from global supply chains, and ensuring the conflict-free origin of minerals. However, while factors impacting traceability in other commodity chains are fairly well studied, those impacting traceability in minerals supply chains are unknown. This study aims at understanding the drivers that motivate 3T supply chain actors to participate in the industry supply chain system and the barriers that inhibit traceability in conflict minerals supply chains in the Great Lakes Region of Africa, specifically in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). To achieve these objectives, a grounded theory approach was employed. Primary data were collected using semi-structured interviews with ten key informants holding high ranking positions in various organizations within and outside the physical supply chain. Collected data were analyzed inductively via coding. The study identified three drivers that motivate participation in traceability of 3T minerals in the DRC, with market access being mentioned more often than legal requirement and social pressure. The study found that barriers to traceability of conflict minerals in the DRC are institutional, contextual and people-related. According to the informants, the most significant institutional barriers involve government and the industry traceability system, with the DRC government being the biggest barrier to traceability of 3T minerals due to its weak governance over minerals trade, which is epitomized in the deficient monitoring system of mine sites, trade routes, and trading points, weak legal system and corruption. In addition, among the ten barriers identified, four are unique to conflict minerals traceability, which constitutes the originality of this study. This research contributes to the literature on traceability on two fronts. First, it fills the knowledge gap in commodity traceability literature. Second, this research opens new grounds for research in traceability of minerals. Moreover, this study provides significant recommendations that can be used to improve traceability of 3T minerals in the DRC. Key Words: traceability, conflict mineral, driver, barrier, opportunity, improvement, 3T minerals, chain of custody.en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10012/11120
dc.language.isoenen
dc.pendingfalse
dc.publisherUniversity of Waterlooen
dc.subjectTraceabilityen
dc.subjectsocial responsibility of businessen
dc.subjectmineralsen
dc.subjecttinen
dc.subjecttantalumen
dc.subjecttungstenen
dc.subjectCongo (Democratic Republic)en
dc.titleTracing Conflict Minerals in the Great Lakes Region of Africa: Drivers, Barriers and Opportunitiesen
dc.typeMaster Thesisen
uws-etd.degreeMaster of Environmental Studiesen
uws-etd.degree.departmentSchool of Environment, Enterprise and Developmenten
uws-etd.degree.disciplineSustainability Managementen
uws-etd.degree.grantorUniversity of Waterlooen
uws.contributor.advisorYoung, Steven B.
uws.contributor.affiliation1Faculty of Environmenten
uws.peerReviewStatusUnrevieweden
uws.published.cityWaterlooen
uws.published.countryCanadaen
uws.published.provinceOntarioen
uws.scholarLevelGraduateen
uws.typeOfResourceTexten

Files

Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Name:
NLANDU_BAYEKULA_JEAN-OSCAR.pdf
Size:
1.76 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
license.txt
Size:
6.17 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description: