Artisanal and small-scale gold mining refers to informal or small-batch mining activities that use basic methods to extract gold from ore. The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) estimates that artisanal and small scale mining is responsible for nearly 20% of global gold production, and employs between 10 and 15 million people – including 4 to 5 million women and children. Most artisanal and small-scale gold miners come from socially and economically marginalized communities and turn to mining as a primary income activity. They are forced to risk not only persecution by governments (if their activities are unauthorized) but also mine shaft collapses, and toxic poisoning from a variety of chemicals used unsafely in processing the ore. Despite its many dangers, artisanal and small-scale gold mining operations continue to spread because the demand for the metal is increasing and other livelihoods, such as farming, are becoming less and less economically viable. Indeed, with gold prices skyrocketing, artisanal mining will likely expand even more rapidly than before.