Factors leading to resource injustice 500px |  Countries' income inequality according to their Gini coefficient – red = high, green = low inequality (World Bank, 2014) The term resource justice as a subcategory of distributive justice was first developed following the repeated observation that natural resources that, supposedly, are a blessing for local populations, turn out to be a curse. This can manifest itself in a number of ways – and for a number of reasons, some of which occur in isolation but more often arise together. Some examples are: Mining or oil drilling result in severe damage to the environment, for example through oil spills, environmental degradation, or contamination. The extraction of resources leads to extreme forms of exploitation of labour and / or creates very hazardous working conditions. Resources are being controlled by a small elite that makes or embezzles all the profits. This often goes along with corruption. People are forced off their land to make place for resource extraction or for large monocultural plantations. Resources in the developing world are being extracted by companies from industrialised countries, with most of the profits going to the latter. Companies extract genetic material, which is then commercially farmed or bred – and often patented.
Factors leading to resource injustice alt= | 500x500px| Countries' income inequality according to their Gini coefficient as of 2018. The term resource justice as a subcategory of distributive justice was first developed following the repeated observation that natural resources that, supposedly, are a blessing for local populations, turn out to be a curse. This can manifest itself in a number of ways – and for a number of reasons, some of which occur in isolation but more often arise together. Some examples are: Mining or oil drilling result in severe damage to the environment, for example through oil spills, environmental degradation, or contamination. The extraction of resources leads to extreme forms of exploitation of labour and / or creates very hazardous working conditions. Resources are being controlled by a small elite that makes or embezzles all the profits. This often goes along with corruption. People are forced off their land to make place for resource extraction or for large monocultural plantations. Resources in the developing world are being extracted by companies from industrialised countries, with most of the profits going to the latter. Companies extract genetic material, which is then commercially farmed or bred – and often patented.
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– red = high, green = low inequality (World Bank, 2014)
as of 2018.