Degrowth is a democratic, planned reduction in production and consumption to rebalance humanity’s relationship with nature and improve human wellbeing.
I talk a lot about how businesses and industries need to be aware of degrowth as a resilience issue – meaning they need to prepare to adapt and transform as degrowth forces gather and take effect.
Here is an example of degrowth forces in action that will affect businesses:
| Issue | Spain currently consumes more meat than any other EU country Industrial outputs of meat are at ecologically harmful and socially unnecessary levels |
| Actor | Government – Scientific Committee of the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition |
| Action | Policy – national dietary guidance “The adoption by the Spanish population of a varied and balanced diet pattern characterised mainly by a greater predominance of foods of plant origin and a lower presence of foods of animal origin, in line with the Mediterranean diet pattern, can improve the state of health and well-being, while reducing the environmental impact of the food system.” |
| Desired effect of action | Reduce mass consumption of meat |
| Potential impacts | Reduction in resource and energy use Reduction in pollution Improvements in wellbeing Job increases in plant food sector Job losses in the meat sector Stranded assets in the meat sector |
| Necessary response | Plan for a just transition for meat value chain workers and to provide for the needs of communities that are currently centred on meat production |
Featured image by Eiliv Aceron on Unsplash
Heliocene 