The world's richer nations use tremendously more of its resources than do the poorer ones.  Because the depletion of natural resources will affect everyone, the current situation is highly unfair from the Third World's perspective.

The United States, with only 5% of the global population, uses 30% of the world's natural resources.  Other major industrialized countries also consume natural resources to a far greater extent than an equitable distribution would allow.

Only about 25% of the world's people live in developed countries, yet they use 80% of its non-fuel minerals.  Many of these minerals originate in the less developed countries.  Some experts say that the richer nations underpay the poorer ones through domination of international trade.

Less developed countries need to sell their natural resources to developed nations to acquire capital necessary for their own economic development.

However, in the future, the economic growth of less developed countries may be severely impaired by a lack of the resources they are now selling.  Also, some people say that rather than promoting the economic growth of undeveloped countries, the current trade relationship only serves to encourage growth in the developed nations.

Many people in less developed countries have advocated major changes in the world economy that would seek to distribute wealth more equally.  This could be accomplished though debt relief, removal of trade barriers, and increasing the power of less developed countries in groups like the IMF.