Financialization of nature: A roundtable discussion pt.1

During the World Bank/IMF spring meetings IPS hosts an examination of how nature is being "financialized" and the growing international reaction from civil society.

The financial crisis has left major investors with trillions of dollars on hand and in a desperate search for new ways to make the huge returns they became accustomed to during the wild 1980s and 90s. Many investors see increasing scarcity in a number of natural resources as an opportunity to reap those large profits and have begun to take over food, energy and metal markets.Not satisfied with these essential markets, investors are working with national governments and international agencies to create new markets for other aspects of nature. Water, land, carbon, species, habitats and biodiversity markets are being created, not so much to protect natural resources, but to provide new ways for the financial sector to profit.

With the upcoming Rio+20 Earth Summit focusing on building a "green economy" and institutions like the World Bank developing ways to put a price on nature, this discussion is more relevant than ever. Panelists and participants will examine the ways that nature is being "financialized" and the growing international reaction from civil society. By highlighting on-the-ground examples the roundtable will question whether commodification and financialization the best way to manage local resources globally, or if there are better ways forward.

Presenters:

Antonio Tricarico, Campagna per la Riforma della Banca Mondiale
Daniel Moss, Our Water Commons
David Kane, Maryknoll Office of Global Concern
Devlin Kuyek, GRAIN (Montreal)
Shayda Naficy, Corporate Accountability International
Mitch Jones, Food & Water Watch

Sponsoring organizations: Corporate Accountability International, Food & Water Watch, Friends of the Earth US, Heinrich Boell Foundation, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, Institute for Policy Studies, Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns, and Public Citizen.

Financialization of Nature: A Roundtable Discussion pt.1 from IPS on Vimeo.