Millions of people in economically poor countries are engaged in mineral extractive practices today. These informal extractive practices have been described as Artisanal and Small-scale Mining (ASM), described here as informal mining. Those who engage in these practices are often the poorest and most exploited labourers, performing the most insecure and dangerous tasks. They produce enormous amounts of mineral resources and in the process establish a livelihood (and often a path out of poverty).