Issue Material demand may feed local conflict where mining meets farming and cities

Summary

The Megatrends 2040 report warns that rising demand for materials could contribute to local conflicts. It points to areas where mining competes with agriculture and urban development as places where such tensions have already been seen. The report ties this to growing material use per unit of GDP, which increases environmental pressure, and to a longer history in which population doubled and GDP rose tenfold within fifty years. As emerging economies keep growing and consuming, demand for minerals, metals and other raw materials is expected to peak. The report lists research on alternative raw materials and a focus on the circular economy among the responses that could ease these pressures.