What’s the link between lemons grown on an impoverished island at the foot of Italy and a violent criminal organization?
In this article by Len Williams in UK newspaper Independent, Dr Elissaios Papyrakis discusses his research into the so-called 'resource curse'.
Papyrakis summarizes the factors necessary to turn what should be a windfall into a disaster:
- Is the resource only found in one place and therefore in the hands of a relatively small group of people who may have 'protection' enforced upon them?
- Does the country where the resource is found have a relatively weak level of governance, poor rule of law and relatively underdeveloped?
- Is the area ethnically mixed, possibly leading to a reluctance to 'share' resources?
The article takes these factors into account in its investigation of the link between the production of Sicilian lemons and the growth of the mafia in the area.
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