Countless products from paints to cosmetics and from cars to laptops contain mica, albeit mostly in relatively small volumes. The biggest buyers of mica are the electronics and automotive industries. Since the publication of reports by Terre des Hommes and the Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO) in 2016 and 2018, awareness has grown about the harsh conditions and the suffering of children in the depths of illegal mica mines in India. The 2016 study estimated that in the Indian states of Jharkhand and Bihar 22,000 children were involved in mica mining. The research concluded that industries and companies using mica sourced from this country are linked to the worst forms of child labour. Together with key stakeholders from the private sector and the government, Terre des Hommes works towards better livelihoods for mica communities in India. As a result, more and more corporates – such as those that are part of the Responsible Mica Initiative, but also individual companies and industry initiatives – are trying to address this problem in their supply chains.
