While there may be disagreement as to the potential benefits of globalisation, it has certainly not halted the increase in world poverty.

Almost half of the world's six billion people now live on less than $2 a day, while 1.2 billion people live on less than $1 a day.

In addition, the gap between the richest 20% of the world's population and the poorest 20% has doubled in the past 40 years. The assets of the world's three richest billionaires exceed the gross national product of all 48 least developed countries and their 600 million people.

The big question remains. Is this growth in inequality a result of globalisation, or has globalisation stopped it from being even worse? There is no doubt that the globalisation of the world economy has created significant wealth. Yet it is far less clear whether that new wealth has gone to the poor who need it most, or whether it is responsible for increasing the gap between the haves and the have-nots.

Inequality between countries | Inequality within countries | Financial instability | Impact on workers | Impact on farmers | Impact on indigenous people | Impact on environment