More than 16 million people worldwide work in informal gold mines with significant negative impacts on the environment, health and social communities. In 2012, the Fairtrade initiative launched a project in East Africa to establish standards for sus- j tainable gold mining. The first cooperatives were certified in 2017. However, so far only a symbolic quantity of the precious metal has been exported. Obstacles are a lack of a financing concept, or leadership, a lack of geological expertise and prolonged rainy seasons, which can bring production to a stand- \ still for several months. In perspective, the comparatively low yield has the potential to disappoint the participating cooperatives. Only the additional premium for eco-gold will be able to prevent this scenario. In conclusion it seems necessary for a stronger specialisation and breakdown of the areas of mining, production and export to take place within the project.