Abstract: ‘Commodity frontiers’ are a result of the increasing social metabolism of industrialised economies that is pushing the search for raw materials into new lands. This expansion is creating social and environmental degradation at these frontiers and fostering socio-environmental conflicts. We review the concept of ‘commodity frontiers’ analyzing its roots through Jason Moore’s theory (2000) bringing concepts of World System theory and the Marxist concept of metabolic rift. We argue that this expansion occurs through the commodification of land, products and relations and explore the social and environmental impacts it causes and the conflicts it triggers. This paper is the introduction to the session of ‘Degrowth from the South’ as it sets the scenario for the responses and alternatives to this expansion that are analysed in the other papers. This paper is part of the forthcoming book Degrowth, vocabulary for a new paradigm.

This media entry was a contribution to the special session "Challenges to growth from the South: Conflicts and alternatives" at the 4th International Degrowth Conference in Leipzig in 2014.

There is no paper for this media entry. This was a contribution to a scientific session at the 4th International Degrowth Conference in Leipzig in 2014, which doesn't exist in written format or is not published under open access.