To summarize, the impact from RPM has been enormous in Paracatu - but this has come mostly from tax payments, and direct and indirect employment, with workers spending their wages locally, rather than from an expanding supply chain. While the economy of Minas Gerais is diversified and mature enough to provide most requirements from the mining sector, Paracatu in particular has not generated strong backward linkages from the mine. There were no conclusive signs that the wealth generated by the operation was strongly reflected on overall social indicators at the time of this study.

The study finished with the identification of key challenges and opportunities facing RPM and Paracatu, in order to maximize economic benefits from the mine (summarized in figure six). Various broader lessons can be derived: one is the divide between elements that have always been, to greater or lesser extent, within Rio Tinto's mandate and area of expertise, and those outside this boundary.

Another lesson is that local economies will not always manage to maximize benefits from mining, per se. Even in the best case scenario, there are limits to the development potential of direct CI, or even the local supply chain. Mining jobs are important, though they will not alone impact unemployment statistics in many circumstances. Economic diversification, as a means of avoiding dependence on mining, demands addressing issues of economic restructuring more broadly.