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Material flow accounting in Chile, Ecuador, Mexico and Peru (1980-2000)

Author

Listed:
  • Daniela Russi

    (Departament d'Economia i d'Història Econòmica, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona)

  • Ana Citlalic González

    (Departament d'Economia i d'Història Econòmica, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona)

  • José Carlos Silva-Macher

    (Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona)

  • Stefan Giljium

    (Sustainable Europe Research Institute)

  • Joan Martínez Alier

    (Departament d'Economia i d'Història Econòmica, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona)

  • María Cristina Vallejo

    (Departament d'Economia i d'Història Econòmica, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona)

Abstract

In this paper we compare the resource flows of Chile, Ecuador, Mexico and Peru between 1980 and 2000. In this time span, the domestic extraction of materials increased in the four countries, mainly due to the mining sector in Chile and Peru, biomass and oil in Ecuador and construction minerals in Mexico. Imports and exports increased too, due to the increasing integration in the international markets, prompted by the liberalization policies undertaken by the four countries between the late 1970s and the late 1990s. The four countries had a negative physical trade balance for most of the period analyzed, meaning that their exports exceeded their imports in terms of weight. However, the increase of imports reduced the physical deficit in Chile, Mexico and Peru. Ecuador’s physical deficit was the highest and did not decrease in the period analyzed. Also, a diversification of exports away from bulk commodities could be observed in Chile and Mexico, and to a lesser extent in Peru, whereas in Ecuador the export sector remained mainly based on oil and biomass. More research is needed to explore the environmental effects of this phenomenon. Also, the indirect flows associated to the direct physical flows deserve to be subject to further analysis.

Suggested Citation

  • Daniela Russi & Ana Citlalic González & José Carlos Silva-Macher & Stefan Giljium & Joan Martínez Alier & María Cristina Vallejo, 2007. "Material flow accounting in Chile, Ecuador, Mexico and Peru (1980-2000)," UHE Working papers 2007_05, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Departament d'Economia i Història Econòmica, Unitat d'Història Econòmica.
    • Handle: RePEc:aub:uhewps:2007_05
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Behrens, Arno & Giljum, Stefan & Kovanda, Jan & Niza, Samuel, 2007. "The material basis of the global economy: Worldwide patterns of natural resource extraction and their implications for sustainable resource use policies," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 64(2), pages 444-453, December.
    2. Ana Citlalic González Martínez, 2007. "Material Flow Accounting of Mexico (1970-2003). Sources and Methods," UHE Working papers 2007_01, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Departament d'Economia i Història Econòmica, Unitat d'Història Econòmica.
    3. Dierk Herzer & Nowak-Lehnmann Felicitas, 2006. "What does export diversification do for growth? An econometric analysis," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 38(15), pages 1825-1838.
    4. Stefan Giljum, 2004. "Trade, Materials Flows, and Economic Development in the South: The Example of Chile," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 8(1‐2), pages 241-261, January.
    5. Perez-Rincon, Mario Alejandro, 2006. "Colombian international trade from a physical perspective: Towards an ecological "Prebisch thesis"," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 59(4), pages 519-529, October.
    6. Mario Alejandro Pérez Rincón, 2006. "Colombian international trade from a physical perspective: towards an ecological "Prebisch thesis"," UHE Working papers 2006_03, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Departament d'Economia i Història Econòmica, Unitat d'Història Econòmica.
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