The Marketplace of Life: Water, a public good or commodity?
Examples of such commodities and goods that illustrate this dilemma include markets for energy, oil, and quite recently water resources. Focusing on water, they suggest that the commercialization of public water in a variety of countries, growth of water banks and international transfer and sales of water resources will grow and turn into a global problem of competition between firms and nations.
In so doing Patsiaouras, Saren and Fitchett show how the rise of water markets has intensified the dilemma about whether water resources should be considered as a public good or private commodity and they argue that with the increasing privatization of water, access to water will become increasingly unequal, with greater numbers of people in the world having limited or no access to this vital commodity.
They also will present aspects of a macro-marketing system that can have a positive effect on economic and social development that will involve a) elaborating on the implementation of public policies for the sustainable consumption of water, b) commercializing environmental awareness and c) communicating consumers’ responsibilities towards the use of water.
“The Marketplace of Life:Marketing systems the emerging concept of Water Marketing” will be presented at the 37th Annual Macromarketing Conference: Sustainable Development of Markets and Marketing Systems in a Globalized World, in Berlin, June 13–June 16.
