Footprint and Biocapacity Atlas of Francophonie Member Nations

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  We are in a new era of resource constraints, with countries becoming increasingly dependent on resources they do not have. As a result, more countries are competing in an accelerated race for limited global resources. We call this new dynamic « The global auction. » To remain economically competitive, countries with ecological defi cits need new tools for successful policy and investment decisions. Economic planners and private investors who ignore this new reality put their assets in peril.Even the strongest economies will not operate without fuel, water, food and fi bers. Input of primary resources keeps economies on the move.

During the 20th century, such inputs were easily available. Prices were falling. As a result, most countries became dependent on large amounts of natural resources they did not have-both non-renewables (such as fossil fuels) and biological resources and services (such as food, water, fi bers and carbon sequestration). While resources are still relatively cheap today, growing global demand has led to a supply crunch. This new situation is reshaping the rules of competitiveness for all economies.

The Ecological Footprint represents humanity’s demand on the planet for natural resources and ecosystem services. Biocapacity tracks Earth’s supply of these same resources and services. Both Ecological Footprint and biocapacity results are expressed in a globally comparable, standardized unit called a « global hectare » (gha)-a hectare of biologically productive land or sea area with world average bioproductivity in a given year.

The purpose of this publication is to summarize the resource situation of member nations of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie, using the Ecological Footprint and biocapacity indicators, and to identify how resource constraints carry implications for their economic performance. The full Footprint Atlas will be published in 2013.