Short Biosketch

Marta Conde holds a degree in Agricultural Engineering (UPC), masters in Environmental Science (Birkbeck College, London) and Ecological Economics (ICTA-UAB). She received her PhD from the Institute for Environmental Science and Technology (ICTA) of the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB). She was post-graduate researcher at Durham University (2016) and ICTA-UAB where she has participated in several European funded research projects (EJOLT, B-MINCOME, NATURVATION).

Research interests

Her research looks at social reactions to the expansion of extractive industries at the commodity frontiers. Using political ecology, ecological economics, political economy and environmental justice she analyses the drivers, strategies and discourses of resistance movements to mining. Her research has expanded to analyse the interaction between science and activism and knowledge co-production processes in these EJ struggles, as well as governance issues in seabed mining and hybrid urban governance. She has linked her research to the environmental justice movement and degrowth, exploring how these groups are contesting successfully the imperative of endless economic growth.

Her latest research project ‘Activism Mobilising Science’ with the University Pompeu Fabra, explores one of the strategies used by resistance movements in socio-environmental conflicts; the alliance between science and activism. Drawing from political ecology and STS, she analyses issues around power, legitimacy, knowledge co-production and expertise.

Selected Publications

• Conde, M. and Le Billon, P., 2017. Why do some communities resist mining projects while others do not?. The Extractive Industries and Society. 
• Conde, M. 2016. Resistance to mining. A Review. Ecological Economics, 132: 80-90.
• Conde, M. 2014. Activism mobilising science. Ecological Economics, 105, 67-77.
• Conde, M., Walter, M., 2014. Commodity Frontiers. In D'Alisa, G., Demaria, F., & Kallis, G. (Eds.)., 2014. Degrowth: A vocabulary for a new era. Routledge.
• Conde, M., Kallis, G., 2012. The uranium rush and its Africa Frontier. Effects, reactions and social resistance. Global Environmental Change 22(3): 596-610