钻石的经济意义

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摘要：本文从影响钻石行业的各种因素中分析了其各种利益的分配，并且从反面分析了“血钻”的来源即钻石行业高利润的代价，结合这两方面探究了钻石所产生的经济意义和未来钻石行业的走向。

关键词：钻石 因素 利益 代价

Introduction

Diamonds today carry many connotations with them to some， they’re the ultimate symbol of love and commitment； to others， a mark of terrible conflict and economic exploitation； and to others yet， a source of potential future well-being for the countries where they are mined. We theorize that while the exportation of diamonds provides certain benefit to any country as a whole， oftentimes laborers and those who live near the mines pay the majority of the costs.

The Economic Impact of Diamond Mining

Benefits and Costs of Diamond Mining

Before further analyzing international diamond mining， it is important to discuss the trends in the above cases and summarize the overall benefits and costs of diamond mining that can be seen in most， if not all， countries where operations occur.

In terms of benefits， the positive aspects of diamond mining follow general economic trends： they allow a country to trade in a highly-demanded commodity and increase their exports， therefore increasing the well-being of the country as a whole； it encourages foreign investment in the country， in both direct mining operations and developing infrastructure to further assist production； and finally， the industry supplies a country with the opportunity for a number of jobs， both directly （the miners themselves， engineers， etc.） and indirectly （increased traffic to villages/cities results in higher economic prosperity in those areas）.

However， these benefits must be considered against the costs of mining itself， which often hurts individuals and smaller communities located near the mines. Further， while the sale of diamonds may increase GDP and the wealth of the country as a whole， these gains may be concentrated only in those who own and operate the mines， further highlighting and often exacerbating inequalities in income and the standard of living. Even in countries where the government has assisted in more evenly redistributing the gains from exporting diamonds （such as Botswana， where revenue from diamond mining have helped it develop a free educational system and infrastructure）， it is cities removed from the actual mining sites that truly benefit， while the miners and villages closer to operations suffer.

Factors of Benefit Distribution

Generally， these determining factors are： stability of the government， structure of the country’s mining industry， regulation of the mining companies themselves， and economic condition of the country.

As seen in South Africa and Botswana， a stable government with low levels of corruption and a lack of conflict in the area allows for the government to make effective use of revenues from diamond mining by improving infrastructure （such as in healthcare， education， road building， etc.）. These revenues obtained through joint ventures with mining companies and/or taxation from the sale of the diamonds can help provide much-needed resources to people in countries （specifically in Africa） with some of the most rampant levels of poverty in the world. However， if the government is fairly unstable or faces continuous conflict from either war or political strife （as is somewhat the case in Angola）， it is much less likely that benefits will be redistributed to consumers/individuals. As an article in the Economist sums up： “Many Angolans， however， have yet to savour the benefits. Oil and diamonds make up 60% of the economy， most of the government’s revenue and almost all the country’s exports， but these industries do not employ many people. Most Angolans， despite the rise in average income， remain dirt poor. Though the government is busy building schools and clinics， there are often no teachers and doctors to staff them” （“Marching Towards...”）.

A second factor contributing to the structure of benefit distributions is the structure of the mining industry itself； more specifically， to what extent mining in the country is comprised of operations by mining companies versus independent or “artisanal” miners. For the former scenario， as is the case again for both South Africa and Botswana， large mining companies such as De Beers supply capital and structure to the industry， ensuring to some extent the ethical treatment of workers （in so far as these companies are held accountable）. Conversely， for the latter scenario， individual or small groups of laborers work in informal mines， usually with a much higher risk of dangers such as mudslides and collapsing walls. Further， artisanal miners are often taken advantage of or forced into labor， being paid little （if any） wages， and in some cases assaulted or even killed if their mining is not sanctioned by the government （Cahill， “Grim Reality...”）.

The third factor regulation is somewhat unique in that its effects are dependent on the first two factors， government stability and structure of the industry. With a stable government and non-artisanal industry， as is the case in a developed nation such as Canada， regulation of diamond can be consistently applied and to the benefit of labor， but often leaves those living on the land without compensation or recourse. In countries throughout Africa， even where the government is （for the most part） stable and has a well-established mining industry， regulation is present， but oftentimes lacking issues such as environmental degradation to surrounding farmland （which destroys the livelihood of local farmers） and child labor still run rampant.

The final factor economic condition of the country primarily influences wages of the laborers and the overall cost to the agricultural sector. Similarly to the previous factor， highly developed nations and economies tend to see higher wages on average for laborers， whereas less developed economies and/or those with exceptionally high levels of unemployment often have wage levels that continue to place laborers in poverty and make significant use of child labor. Further， individuals and small communities in countries that still rely heavily on agriculture and subsistence farming （including Angola and Botswana） are harmed significantly， as land typically used for farming is either taken away for mining or made infertile due to extraction processes. As has been consistent throughout all these factors， smaller communities and individual laborers that live closest to mining operations in economically poor and developing nations are ironically and unfortunately the ones to face the greatest costs of said mining. Conversely， cities and skilled laborers along with mine owners receive the majority of benefits distributed from operations.

Conclusion

It is without a doubt that one can claim that diamond mining/production in any country will benefit its economy exports and GDP increase， various jobs are created， and the government earns revenues through both taxation and joint ventures. However， these gains from trade are rarely distributed equitably between capital （those who own the mines） and labor （those who work at and around the mines）， leading to the latter bearing the totality of the costs in terms of exceptionally low wages， violence and danger associated with mining， environmental degradation， and loss of land. By redistributing these gains and following ethical guidelines （such as the Kimberly Process） through local and national government bodies， though， the entire populations of mining countries may largely benefit from production； with a more knowledgeable consumer base and a focus on improving labor conditions， this may be accomplished and the diamond mining industry will have as glistening a future as the gems they sell.