Globalization as a driver of poverty reduction: trade, investment, and productive integration in the World Economy
Economic globalization has been one of the most decisive processes shaping global development over recent decades, coinciding with an unprecedented reduction in absolute poverty worldwide. Despite recurrent criticisms focused on its distributive effects, accumulated empirical evidence robustly shows that trade openness, integration into global value chains, and foreign direct investment have contributed significantly to improving the material living conditions of millions of people, particularly in developing countries. This article examines the main economic channels through which globalization has facilitated poverty reduction, placing emphasis on economic growth, job creation, and technological diffusion associated with international productive integration. It also explores the role of institutional conditions and human capital as factors that amplify the positive effects of globalization on poverty reduction. Finally, the article offers a critical reflection on the current predominance of inequality in the public debate and argues for the need to reorient analysis and public policies towards a primary objective: sustained poverty reduction as the fundamental criterion for evaluating the outcomes of globalization.
Carles Méndez-OrtegaProfessor of Economics at the Faculty of Economics and Business of the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), and director of the master degree in Economic Analysis at the same university. He holds a PhD in Economics, and his research focuses on economic geography and industrial dynamics, analysing territorial development in an integrated manner, with particular attention to rural economies and to the processes of innovation and technological change within companies, especially in knowledge-intensive sectors. His work investigates the reciprocal relationship between territory and business: how the territorial context influences innovative capacity and productivity strategies, and how technological and industrial progress within companies impacts the economic structure and territorial disparities. He combines empirical research with a strong commitment to clear and informative communication.
