IMPACT / DATA & ACHIEVEMENTS
The Responsible Mica Initiative (RMI) drives measurable, long-term improvements across mica-extracting regions by transforming supply chains, strengthening governance, and empowering mining communities. Our impact is rooted in collaborative action and supported by a clear, evidence-based strategy designed to deliver lasting change.
RMI’s impact is guided by a comprehensive Theory of Change, which links our activities to short-, mid-, and long-term results. This framework ensures that each intervention – whether related to workplace standards, community programs, or advocacy efforts – contributes to meaningful and durable improvements.
By clarifying causal pathways and identifying conditions needed for success, the Theory of Change strengthens program design, highlights where support is most needed and provides the foundation for consistent monitoring and evaluation.
Over the course of nine years, as of October 2025 RMI supported:
Communities benefitting 114,061 villagers including 50,725 children
Mica processors participating in workplace programs
training sessions for Indian & Malagasy processors
3rd-party processor audits
RMI’s Community Empowerment Programs (CEP) deliver concrete benefits that improve daily life in mining communities by addressing the social and economic root causes that drive vulnerability and creating a safer, more resilient environment for children and adults alike. Programs work at the village level to empower mica-dependent communities and children through access to quality education, capacity building, improved health and nutrition, and opportunities for alternative livelihoods. The Initiative also works towards payment of fair prices for mica which contributes to the availability of fair incomes and living wages for workers. By supporting improved livelihoods for adults and awareness of child rights, this pillar aims to permanently break the cycle of poverty and child labor.
RMI began its programs in India in 2018 and has seen increased response year over year as community confidence in RMI has grown.
€3,450 k invested on Community Empowerment Programs
RMI began to work in Madagascar during 2024 and had its first full year of operation in 2025.
RMI relies on partners who develop and assess Community Empowerment Programs, providing valuable external support to RMI staff and affected communities.
RMI members commit to the principle of supply chain transparency, recognizing that responsible sourcing begins with traceability of supply chain actors. Every member commits to support their upstream suppliers – including mines, artisanal mining groups, and processing units – to adopt responsible workplace standards and progress towards safer, and more responsible labor practices.
RMI's programs generate direct, measurable impact in mica-producing areas of India and Madagascar, where poverty, informal mining, and limited access to services heighten risks for workers and children.
RMI promotes responsible sourcing and accountability throughout the mica value chain. By implementing workplace standards and verification systems at mica processing sites and mines, members ensure safe, responsible and transparent operations. In 2022, RMI developed and introduced the Global Workplace Standard for Mica Processors which includes training modules and guidelines for third-party auditors. The standard may be used by both RMI member processors and non-members. In 2025, RMI released the Mica CRAFT Code, developed in partnership with the Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM), and designed specifically for artisanal and small-scale mica mining (ASM) operations. A third voluntary standard entitled the Global Workplace Standard for Small to Medium Semi-Mechanized Mica Mines is expected to be released in 2026.
The standard has been in use with processors in India since 2022 and in Madagascar since 2025, the first full year in which RMI was engaged there.
Audits of processors in India has demonstrated significant progress. Cumulative first-time audit performance scores averaged compliance of 64.5%. After corrective action plans were recommended and implemented, compliance increased to 79.22% during follow-up audits. The overall follow-up audit compliance score among RMI member processors was 86%.
Because the auditing program in Madagascar began in 2025 and only eight audits have been conducted, there is insufficient historical data to draw conclusions.
NB: the Global Workplace Standard for mines is currently being formalized and will be rolled out shortly.
The mica CRAFT Code has only been introduced in Madagascar, reflecting more formal recognition of small-scale mining compared to India. Worker associations help organize workers which facilitates training.
The Mica CRAFT Code is still in its implementation phase. Audits and compliance data will become available once initial and follow-up audits have been conducted at scale.
RMI works with civil society organizations (CSOs), local businesses, government agencies, and sector experts to promote clear, enforceable legal frameworks that protect workers, prohibit child labor, and enable responsible mica extraction.
