Ecomafia is an Italian

neologism A neologism Greek νέο- ''néo''(="new") and λόγος /''lógos'' meaning "speech, utterance"] is a relatively recent or isolated term, word, or phrase that may be in the process of entering common use, but that has not been fully accepted int ...

for criminal activities related to organized crime which cause damage to the environment. The term was coined by the Italian environmentalist organization Legambiente in 1994, and has since seen widespread use. In Italy,

environmental crime Environmental crime is an illegal act which directly harms the environment. These illegal activities involve the environment, wildlife, biodiversity and natural resources. International bodies such as, G8, Interpol, European Union, United Natio ...

is one of the fastest growing and most profitable forms of criminal activity. As of 2012, an estimated 30% of Italy's waste is disposed of illegally by organized crime syndicates. The

United Nations Environment Programme The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is responsible for coordinating responses to environmental issues within the United Nations system. It was established by Maurice Strong, its first director, after the United Nations Conference on ...

estimated that criminal organizations earned approximately $20-30 billion USD from environmental crimes.

Activities

The primary activities in which the ecomafia is involved are the illegal trafficking and disposal of waste, illegal construction, and the trafficking of exotic animals and stolen art. The Italian ecomafia is closely connected. In Italy, the term ''ecomafia'' is generally used to describe criminal syndicates which traffic and illegally dispose of industrial, commercial, and

radioactive waste Radioactive waste is a type of hazardous waste that contains radioactive material. Radioactive waste is a result of many activities, including nuclear medicine, nuclear research, nuclear power generation, rare-earth mining, and nuclear weap ...

. Mafia-related organizations frequently illegally bury waste in southern Italy and build real estate on top of the dumps. Between 2008 and 2010, an estimated 17,000 houses were built on illegal waste dumps. The

'Ndrangheta The 'Ndrangheta (, , ) is a prominent Italian Mafia-type organized crime syndicate and secret society, criminal society based in the peninsular and mountainous region of Calabria and dating back to the late 18th century. It is considered one of ...

and

Camorra The Camorra (; ) is an Italian Mafia-typeMafia and Mafia-type orga ...

syndicates are frequently implicated in environmentals crimes, particularly the illegal disposal of hazardous waste. In the 21st Century, the criminal organizations in Italy have allied with the

Chinese mafia A triad ( zh , t=三合會 , s=三合会 , cy=sāam hahp wúi , j=saam1 hap6 wui6‑2 , hp=sān hé huì , first=t,j ) is a Chinese transnational organized crime syndicate based in Greater China and has outposts in various countries with significa ...

, and cooperate with them on enterprises related to environmental crime. Although public perception in Italy attributes most environmental crime to criminal organizations, corporations in Italy commit environmental crimes more frequently than criminal organizations with mafia ties. Waste disposal is also used as a cover by criminal organizations to conceal the trafficking of

drugs A drug is any chemical substance that causes a change in an organism's physiology or psychology when consumed. Drugs are typically distinguished from food and substances that provide nutritional support. Consumption of drugs can be via inhalat ...

human trafficking Human trafficking is the trade of humans for the purpose of forced labour, sexual slavery, or commercial sexual exploitation for the trafficker or others. This may encompass providing a spouse in the context of forced marriage, or the extr ...

, and other illicit activities.

Impact

The unsafe disposal of waste in lakes and grazing land around the

Caserta Caserta () is the capital of the province of Caserta in the Campania region of Italy. It is an important agricultural, commercial, and industrial ''comune'' and city. Caserta is located on the edge of the Campanian plain at the foot of the Camp ...

region of Italy have contributed to rising levels of toxins in the dairy and agricultural produce of the region, which forced Italian authorities to declare certain regions off-limits for grazing.

Police operations

In response to the emergence of widespread environmental crimes, the

Carabinieri The Carabinieri (, also , ; formally ''Arma dei Carabinieri'', "Arm of Carabineers"; previously ''Corpo dei Carabinieri Reali'', "Royal Carabineers Corps") are the national gendarmerie of Italy who primarily carry out domestic and foreign poli ...

, a police branch of Italy's military, has created a separate branch which specializes in environmental crime. In 2015, environmental police discovered a dump containing industrial waste, medical waste, asbestos, and building materials behind a house in

Casal di Principe Casal di Principe (Campanian: or simply ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Caserta in the Italian region of Campania, located about northwest of Naples and about southwest of Caserta. It has a population of approximately 21,000 ...

connected to the

Camorra The Camorra (; ) is an Italian Mafia-typeMafia and Mafia-type orga ...

organized crime syndicate. The region of

, where the dump was found, has been associated with the ecomafia since the 1980s when illegal dumping began. The region became known as the "Land of

pyres A pyre ( grc, πυρά; ''pyrá'', from , ''pyr'', "fire"), also known as a funeral pyre, is a structure, usually made of wood, for burning a body as part of a funeral rite or execution. As a form of cremation, a body is placed upon or under the ...

" (''terra dei fuochi'') because of the common criminal practice of burning toxic waste to dispose of it.

Activities

Impact

Police operations

See also

References

Further reading