Degrowth: A call for radical abundance. [o]
Planning for Post-Corona: Five proposals to craft a radically more sustainable and equal
SUMMARY OF KEY POINTS (see full text here):
• It is critical to view this pandemic in historical context in order to avoid repeating past mistakes when we plan for the future.
• This model demands ever-growing circulation of goods and people, despite the countless ecological problems and growing inequalities it generates.
• People who recently confronted the government in their struggles for recognition and decent salaries are now, remarkably, considered to have ‘vital professions’ in healthcare, elderly care, public transport and education.
• A weakness in the current system is the link between economic development, the loss of biodiversity and important ecosystem functions, and the opportunity for diseases like COVID-19 to spread among humans.
• It is therefore necessary to envision how this current situation could lead to a more sustainable, fair, equitable, healthy, and resilient form of (economic) development going forward.
The Amsterdam Flower Market. [o]
THE FIVE-PROPOSALS
We propose five key policy proposals for a post-COVID-19 development model, all of which can be implemented immediately and sustained after this particular crisis has subsided:
1) A MOVE AWAY FROM DEVELOPMENT FOCUSED ON AGGREGATE GDP GROWTH to differentiate among sectors that can grow and need investment (the so-called critical public sectors, and clean energy, education, health and more) and sectors that need to radically degrow due to their fundamental unsustainability or their role in driving continuous and excessive consumption (especially private sector oil, gas, mining, advertising, and so forth);
2) AN ECONOMIC FRAMEWORK FOCUSED ON REDISTRIBUTION, which establishes a universal basic income rooted in a universal social policy system, a strong progressive taxation of income, profits and wealth, reduced working hours and job sharing, and recognizes care work and essential public services such as health and education for their intrinsic value;
3) AGRICULTURAL TRANSFORMATION TOWARDS REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE based on biodiversity conservation, sustainable and mostly local and vegetarian food production, as well as fair agricultural employment conditions and wages;
4) REDUCTION OF CONSUMPTION AND TRAVEL, with a drastic shift from luxury and wasteful consumption and travel to basic, necessary, sustainable and satisfying consumption and travel;
5) DEBT CANCELLATION, especially for workers and small business owners and for countries in the global south (both from richer countries and international financial institutions).
As academics, we are convinced that this policy vision will lead to more sustainable, equal and diverse societies based on international solidarity...
We urge politicians, policy-makers and the general public to start organizing for their implementation sooner rather than later.
Signed
1. Ana Aceska, Wageningen University
2. Murat Arsel, Erasmus University Rotterdam
3. Ellen Bal, Vrije University Amsterdam
4. Bosman Batubara, IHE, Delft University en University of Amsterdam
5. Maarten Bavinck, University of Amsterdam
6. Pascal Beckers, Radboud University
7. Kees Biekart, Erasmus University Rotterdam
8. Arpita Bisht, Erasmus University Rotterdam
9. Cebuan Bliss, Radboud University
10. Rutgerd Boelens, Wageningen University
11. Simone de Boer, Leiden University
12. Jun Borras, Erasmus University Rotterdam
13. Suzanne Brandon, Wageningen University
14. Arjen Buijs, Wageningen University
15. Bram Büscher, Wageningen University
16. Amrita Chhachhi, Erasmus University Rotterdam
17. Kristen Cheney, Erasmus University Rotterdam
18. Robert Coates, Wageningen University
19. Dimitris Dalakoglou, Vrije University Amsterdam
20. Jampel Dell’Angelo, Vrije University Amsterdam
21. Josephine Chambers, Wageningen University
22. Freek Colombijn, Vrije University Amsterdam
23. Tine Davids, Radboud University
24. Sierra Deutsch, Wageningen University
25. Madi Ditmars, Afrika Studiecentrum Leiden
26. Guus Dix, Leiden University
27. Martijn Duineveld, Wageningen University
28. Henk Eggens, Royal Tropical Institute
29. Thomas Eimer, Radboud University
30. Flávio Eiró, Radboud University
31. Willem Elbers, Radboud University
32. Jaap Evers, IHE Delft University
33. Giuseppe Feola, Utrecht University
34. Milja Fenger, Erasmus University Rotterdam
35. Andrew Fischer, Erasmus University Rotterdam
36. Robert Fletcher, Wageningen University
37. Judith Floor, Open University en Wageningen University
38. Des Gasper, Erasmus University Rotterdam
39. Lennie Geerlings, Leiden University
40. Julien-François Gerber, Erasmus University Rotterdam
41. Jan Bart Gewald, African Studies Centre Leiden
42. Sterre Gilsing, Utrecht University
43. Cristina Grasseni, Leiden University
44. Erella Grassiani, University of Amsterdam
45. Joyeeta Gupta, University of Amsterdam
46. Wendy Harcourt, Erasmus University Rotterdam
47. Janne Heederik, Radboud University
48. Ignas Heitköning, Wageningen University
49. Henk van den Heuvel, Vrije University Amsterdam
50. Silke Heumann, Erasmus University Rotterdam
51. Thea Hilhorst, Erasmus University Rotterdam
52. Helen Hintjens, Erasmus University Rotterdam
53. Geoffrey Hobbis, Groningen University
54. Stephanie Hobbis, Wageningen University
55. Barbara Hogenboom, University of Amsterdam
56. Michaela Hordijk, University of Amsterdam
57. Sabine van der Horst, Utrecht University
58. Henk van Houtum, Radboud University
59. Edward Huijbens, Wageningen University
60. Kees Jansen, Wageningen University
61. Freek Janssens, Leiden University
62. Rosalba Icaza, Erasmus University Rotterdam
63. Verina Ingram, Wageningen Economic Research en Wageningen University
64. Rivke Jaffe, University of Amsterdam
65. Shyamika Jayasundara-Smits, Erasmus University Rotterdam
66. Joop de Jong, Amsterdam UMC
67. Rik Jongenelen, African Studies Centre, Leiden
68. Joost Jongerden, Wageningen University
69. Emanuel de Kadt, Utrecht University
70. Coco Kanters, Leiden University.
71. Agnieszka Kazimierczuk, African Studies Centre Leiden
72. Jeltsje Kemerink-Seyoum, IHE Delft University
73. Thomas Kiggell, Wageningen University
74. Mathias Koepke, Utrecht University
75. Michiel Köhne, Wageningen University
76. Anouk de Koning, Leiden University
77. Kees Koonings, Utrecht University en University of Amsterdam
78. Stasja Koot, Wageningen University
79. Michelle Kooy, IHE Delft University
80. Martijn Koster, Radboud University
81. Rachel Kuran, Erasmus University Rotterdam
82. Arnoud Lagendijk, Radboud University
83. Corinne Lamain, Erasmus University
84. Irene Leonardelli, IHE Delft University
85. Maggi Leung, Utrecht University
86. Rik Leemans, Wageningen University
87. Yves van Leynseele, University of Amsterdam day
88. Janwillem Liebrand, Utrecht University
89. Trista Chich-Chen Lin, Wageningen University
90. Andrew Littlejohn, Leiden University
91. Mieke Lopes-Cardozo, University of Amsterdam
92. Erik de Maaker, Leiden University
93. Žiga Malek, Vrije University Amsterdam
94. Ellen Mangnus, Wageningen University
95. Hans Marks, Radboud University
96. Jemma Middleton, Leiden University
97. Irene Moretti, Leiden University.
98. Esther Miedema, University of Amsterdam
99. Toon van Meijl, Radboud University
100. Miriam Meissner, Maastricht University
101. Adam Moore, Radboud University
102. Tsegaye Moreda, Erasmus University Rotterdam
103. Oona Morrow, Wageningen University
104. Farhad Mukhtarov, Erasmus University
105. Nikki Mulder, Leiden University
106. Mansoob Murshed, Erasmus University Rotterdam
107. Paul Mutsaers, Radboud University
108. Femke van Noorloos, Utrecht University
109. Martijn Oosterbaan, Utrecht University
110. Meghann Ormond, Wageningen University
111. Annet Pauwelussen, Wageningen University
112. Peter Pels, Leiden University
113. Lee Pegler, Erasmus University Rotterdam
114. Lorenzo Pellegrini, Erasmus University Rotterdam
115. Yvon van der Pijl, University Utrecht
116. Liedeke Plate, Radboud University
117. Fernande Pool, Erasmus University Rotterdam
118. Metje Postma, Leiden University
119. Nicky Pouw, University of Amsterdam
120. Crelis Rammelt, University of Amsterdam
121. Elisabet Rasch, Wageningen University
122. Marina de Regt, Vrije University Amsterdam
123. Ria Reis, Leiden University Medical Center
124. Andro Rilović, Erasmus University Rotterdam
125. Tobias Rinke de Wit (University of Amsterdam
126. Claudia Rodríguez Orrego, Erasmus University Rotterdam
127. Eva van Roekel, Vrije University Amsterdam
128. Mirjam Ros-Tonen, University of Amsterdam
129. Martin Ruivenkamp, Wageningen University
130. Ary A. Samsura, Planologie, Radboud University
131. Annemarie Samuels, Leiden University
132. Ton Salman, Vrije University Amsterdam
133. Younes Saramifar, Vrije University Amsterdam
134. Federico Savini, University of Amsterdam
135. Joeri Scholtens, University of Amsterdam
136. Mindi Schneider, Wageningen University
137. Lau Schulpen, Radboud University
138. Peter Schumacher, Utrecht University
139. Amod Shah, Erasmus University Rotterdam
140. Murtah Shannon, Utrecht University
141. Karin Astrid Siegmann, Erasmus University Rotterdam
142. Sven da Silva, Radboud University
143. Giulia Sinatti, Vrije University Amsterdam
144. Lothar Smit, Radboud University
145. Marja Spierenburg, Leiden University
146. Rachel Spronk, University of Amsterdam
147. Antonia Stanojevic, Radboud University
148. Nora Stel, Radboud University
149. Marjo de Theije, Vrije University Amsterdam
150. Louis Thiemann, Erasmus University Rotterdam
151. Lisa Trogisch, Wageningen University
152. Wendelien Tuyp, Vrije University Amsterdam
153. Esther Veen, Wageningen University
154. Lieke van der Veer, Radboud University
155. Courtney Vegelin, University of Amsterdam
156. Hemalatha Venkataraman, Radboud University
157. Willemijn Verkoren, Radboud University
158. Gerard Verschoor, Wageningen University
159. Hebe Verrest, University of Amsterdam
160. Bas Verschuuren, Wageningen University
161. Mark Vicol, Wageningen University
162. Oanne Visser, Erasmus University Rotterdam
163. Anick Vollebergh, Radboud University
164. Roanne van Voorst, Erasmus University Rotterdam
165. Pieter de Vries, Wageningen University
166. Vincent Walstra, Leiden University.
167. Saskia Werners, Wageningen University
168. Maaike Westra, African Studies Centre Leiden
169. Mark Westmoreland, Leiden University
170. Nikkie Wiegink, Utrecht University
171. Saskia Wieringa, University of Amsterdam
172. Angela Wigger, Radboud University
173. Han Wiskerke, Wageningen University
174. Margreet Zwarteveen, University of Amsterdam
And the Dutch Footprint Group.
Source: Metropolis, by Fritz Lang (1927) [o]
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