The hidden cost of the gold rush

Artisanal mining accounts for around 20% of global gold production and generates an estimated $30 billion a year for some of the world's poorest communities. But the trade is also linked to criminal networks and environmental damage. Ed Butler explores the forces behind the global gold rush and who is bearing the cost.

Presenter/producer: Ed Butler

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(Picture: Gold miner Kelly Mbayo in Sierra Leone. Credit: Ed Butler/BBC News)