Natural resources

Within less democratic countries, the presence of resources such as diamonds, gold, oil, and
forestry increases the prevalence of corruption. Corruption includes industrial corruption,
consisting of large bribes, as well as petty corruption such as a poacher paying off a park
ranger to ignore poaching. The presence of fuel extraction and export is unambiguously
associated with corruption, whereas mineral exports only increased corruption in poorer
countries. In wealthier countries, mineral exports such as gold and diamonds are actually
associated with reduced corruption. The international Extractive Industries Transparency
Initiative seeks to create best practices for good governance of gas, oil, and minerals,
particularly focusing on the state management of revenue from these resources. Any valued
natural resource can be affected by corruption, including water for irrigation, land for
livestock grazing, forests for hunting and logging, and fisheries.
The presence or perception of corruption also undermines environmental initiatives. In
Kenya, farmers blame poor agricultural productivity on corruption, and thus are less likely to
undertake soil conservation measures to prevent soil erosion and loss of nutrients. In Benin,
mistrust of government due to perceived corruption led small farmers to reject the adaptation
of measures to combat climate change.