It is the third international award to be made from the sustainably mined metal

The Olympic Laurel is a new award from the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and it is made of Fairmined Gold.

The Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM) reports that the prize is the third international award made from Fairmined Gold (the others are the Nobel Peace Prize and the Palme d’Or).

The trophy will be presented at each opening ceremony of the Olympic Games to “an outstanding individual with great contributions to Olympism in terms of culture, education, development, and peace,” according to a release.

The 2016 recipient, the first, was Kenyan runner and four-time Olympic medalist Kip Keino (pictured), who was honored for his dedication to education.

“When we founded ARM and created the Fairmined Certification, the aim was to show the world that artisanal and small-scale mining can be a sustainable tool for development with a great potential for social impact,” said ARM board member and cofounder Patrick Schein. “Today, more than 10 years later, our vision becomes real: billions of people were watching the handover of the Olympic Laurel made of artisanal Fairmined Gold, which contributes to sustainable human development.”

(Photo courtesy of @fairminedofficial)

JCK