Reclaiming the neglected minerals of development
Daniel M. Franks
Abstract
The global discourse on mining and development suffers from a fundamental distortion. Mining, is almost ubiquitously framed as the international trade of metals, energy minerals and precious gemstones, neglecting the industrial minerals and construction materials that are most important for local and domestic development and that dominate global mineral production. In this paper I argue for a rethink in the role of minerals in global development and ask whether the development community has been overlooking key commodities, issues, actors and development pathways. The paper also serves as an introduction to a special issue on Development Minerals, i.e. minerals and materials that are mined, processed, manufactured and used domestically in industries such as construction, manufacturing, infrastructure and agriculture. The special issue interrogates the relationship between minerals, development, livelihoods and poverty reduction with papers covering issues of industrialization, urbanization and agriculture and the role of minerals in the structural transformation of developing countries. The paper ends with a call to action for greater prioritization of Development Minerals and the circumstances of their production as a topic of policy making and development programming.