Resources, commodities and products

Naturally occurring resources provide a source of material support for individuals and the economies of their societies. Commodities are products extracted and processed into other forms for distribution.

Human beings and their cultural heritage may be considered as human resources, especially when individual skills and know how are exploited for economic purposes. Ideas, concepts and insights may be produced, packaged and marketed as non-material products.

Isolation and adaptation of concepts in order to package them for use in economic exchange processes.

There is widespread recognition of people as economic resources or as 'resource persons'. Economic terms such as 'intellectual productivity', 'unproductive concept', and 'resourceful individual' are used. Concepts are 'packaged' and 'marketed'. There is increasing recognition of the herbal lore of so-called primitive cultures as a resources for clues to new drugs. But the emphasis is on a narrow exploitative approach to such resources with only token recognition of the value of such natural cultural resources in their own right and in terms of their contribution to the well-being of society. In effect there is no appreciation of the cultural environment in terms of the 'ecological' importance of such resources.

Classification of resources, commodities and products . Extracting commodities from resources. Stewardship of cultural resources.