Abstract: The ecological footprint method proposed by Merkel (2009) was used to calculate the support area related a population consumption profile in Ibiúna county, São Paulo state in Brazil. It was verified that when family income grows the support area becomes greater. The excessive consumption of products that are not primary necessities and wealthy lifestyle which leads some families to occupy more area than needed for housing can explain this. This research reveals that Ibiúna’s population with familiar income above 1 minimum salary, (300 US$/month), requires a support area of 2,2 ha / family. If the consumption profile and the lifestyle of the whole population were similar to the population that earns up to 1 minimum salary, the municipality area of Ibiúna would be enough to sustain the entire population of the region. It is also possible to observe that the use fuel consumption for transportation is the main factor of the increase of support area.

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.