Post-Growth in the Global South? Some Reflections from India and Bhutan

Gerber, Julien‐François; Raina, Rajeswari S.

doi:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2018.02.020

Cited by 38 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…In so doing, the project gives lie to dominant economic arguments that suggest that through put of materials is a necessary by-product of increasing human material well-being. SJI's activities fit within the ecological economics paradigm of degrowth, a concept that promotes civilizational change toward societies where material consumption is de-emphasized, and local, democratic, place-based values come to the fore, with sharing, healthy relationships, and care for the commons as priorities (Gerber and Raina 2018). Creative crafts projects put villagers into attentive interaction with these materials that formerly seemed to be useless, showing how diverse and novel materials can be incorporated into the Buddhist cosmology.…”

Section: Conclusion: Spiritual Ecology Activism For Waste Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Reincarnation of Waste: A Case Study of Spiritual Ecology Activism for Household Solid Waste Management: The Samdrup Jongkhar Initiative of Rural Bhutan

Allison

2019

Religions

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As rural and subsistence households in the Global South take on the consumption habits of industrialized countries, shifting consumption patterns have contributed to cascades of nonbiodegradable solid waste overwhelming the ability of households, municipal authorities, and governments to manage. As global capitalism expands around the world, spiritual ecology approaches to waste and pollution can provide deeper insight into the attitudes and practices that create a “throw away” society. In rural southern Bhutan, the revered Buddhist teacher, Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche, initiated a waste reduction project based on Bhutan’s guiding development philosophy of Gross National Happiness. Through engaging cultural and spiritual values, and drawing on the inspirational qualities of social and spiritual leaders, the Samdrup Jongkhar Initiative’s Zero Waste project is an example of spiritual ecology activism for household waste management and waste reduction.

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Section: Conclusion: Spiritual Ecology Activism For Waste Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Reincarnation of Waste: A Case Study of Spiritual Ecology Activism for Household Solid Waste Management: The Samdrup Jongkhar Initiative of Rural Bhutan

Allison

2019

Religions

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“…We conclude that the post-growth perspective has a "substantial number of potential contemporary allies in the global South" (Gerber and Raina, 2018). New concepts have been developed at national scales (such as post-extractivism) which are close to post-growth or degrowth or "prosperity without growth" in rich countries in the North.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

Mapping and Analyzing Ecological Distribution Conflicts in Andean Countries

Pérez-Rincón

Vargas-Morales

Martínez-Alier

2019

Ecological Economics

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The extractive sector is increasingly important in the GDP and export basket of the four Andean countries under study (ACs) (Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia). The analysis of an updated inventory of 296 environmental conflicts in the EJAtlas for these four countries reaches the following conclusions: extractivism causes environmental conflicts related to mining, fossil fuels, hydropower and biomass; indigenous, Afro-descendant and peasant communities are the most affected; behind the conflicts, there are not only environmental impacts but also social impacts that concern livelihoods, land deprivation and work insecurity, and also loss of cultural practices and cultural identity; most of the forms of collective action used in protests are peaceful, most notably petitions, street marches, media activism, lawsuits, while States and companies criminalize activists and are often violent (with about 75 cases in which there are deaths or disappearance of environmental defenders); socio-environmental movements (that sometimes include environmental NGOs) have achieved relative success, stopping 59 of the 296 conflictgenerating projects and giving birth to new forms of resistance. While successfully stopping single projects cannot be construed as a general critique of economic growth, such attempts are congruent with post-development, communitycentric, ecologically-balanced and culturally-sensitive Andean visions such as buen vivir or sumak kawsay. They are also congruent with policy proposals put forward from a post-economic growth perspective such as "leaving unburnable fuels in the ground" and "resource extraction caps".

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“…While the literature has pointed to possible pathways for a fundamental transformation towards sustainable modes of production and consumption, researchers from the Global South have had a problematic relationship with a Western notion of 'sustainability' that has conventionally focussed on renewable-resource management, i.e., the ability to function in the future without compromising on the quality of life or depleting resources. Such conception does not acknowledge that systemic problems are tied to narrow conceptions of techno-scientific and economic rationality [25]. This view sidelines local and regional issues of livelihood and social justice which also share a complex relationship with environmental problems.…”

Section: Sustainable Transitions In Agriculturementioning

confidence: 98%

Managing Sustainable Transitions: Institutional Innovations from India

Chebrolu

Dutta

2021

Sustainability

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Despite the widespread disruptions of lives and livelihoods due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it could also be seen as a gamechanger. The post-pandemic recovery should address fundamental questions concerning our food systems. Is it possible to reset existing ecologically unsustainable production systems towards healthier and more connected systems of conscious consumers and ecologically oriented farmers? Based on three illustrative cases from different parts of India, we show how managing transitions towards sustainability require institutional innovations and new intermediaries that build agency, change relations, and transform structures in food systems. Lessons from three diverse geographies and commodities in India are presented: urban farming initiatives in Mumbai, conscious consumer initiatives in semi-urban Gujarat for pesticide-free mangoes, and resource-poor arid regions of Andhra Pradesh. Through these examples, we show that, beyond the technological solutions, institutional innovations such as urban community-supported farming models, Participatory Guarantee Schemes, and Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) can enable sustainable transitions. Sustainable lifestyles in a post COVID-19 world, as the cases show, require collective experimentation with producers that go beyond changed consumer behaviour to transform structures in food systems.

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Post-Growth in the Global South? Some Reflections from India and Bhutan

Cited by 38 publications

References 16 publications

The Reincarnation of Waste: A Case Study of Spiritual Ecology Activism for Household Solid Waste Management: The Samdrup Jongkhar Initiative of Rural Bhutan

The Reincarnation of Waste: A Case Study of Spiritual Ecology Activism for Household Solid Waste Management: The Samdrup Jongkhar Initiative of Rural Bhutan

Mapping and Analyzing Ecological Distribution Conflicts in Andean Countries

Managing Sustainable Transitions: Institutional Innovations from India

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