Latin America faces resource extraction and consumption inequality

A new analysis by FLACSO Ecuador highlights a dimension of inequality in Latin America and the Caribbean regarding the unequal circulation of materials, energy, and natural resources. The study, titled ‘Material Inequality and Physical Trade in Latin America and the Caribbean,’ examines the gap between territories that extract resources and those that consume them.

Using the concept of social metabolism, the research analyzes the flows of materials and energy between the economy, nature, and society. It utilizes two primary indicators: domestic extraction (ED), which counts materials obtained within a country's territory, and the material footprint (HM), which calculates the resources required to satisfy an economy's consumption, including those used in other countries to manufacture imported goods.