The facts and figures of commodities and our dependence on them.
Countries dependent on the export of primary commodities are plagued by conflict, corruption, environmental damage, human rights violations and poverty.
In the Madre de Dios region of the Peruvian Amazon the recent gold rush accelerated deforestation from 2,166 hectares a year before 2008 to 6,145 hectares after 2008 when gold prices soared. It has also led to widespread mercury pollution, affecting the entire food chain.2
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