Dr Anjani Ganase continues to envision a different direction for Trinidad and Tobago, setting a path to social well-being without depleting our natural resources.
“Forward and upward” has always been the mantra of human progress, in the words of British economist, Kate Raworth in her TED Talk. The GDP (Gross Domestic Product) is the only metric used to assess country progress, regardless of whether or not citizens are thriving. There is need to revise this outlook to truly reflect the complexities of human prosperity.
Growth measured by GDP was invented in the 1930s, a world very different to the one we experience today. Then, the market economy was in its inception.
Fast forward 100 years, we have significantly progressed quality of life, reduced extreme poverty to less than ten per cent (still some 700 million people), and we are at the height of growth in the era of mass consumerism and entertainment. Unfortunately, the benefits we have reaped come at a severe cost to biodiversity and habitat loss and climate change, which threaten to reverse the progress made in social well-being. This is the point where we need to shift gears toward maintenance and maturation.
Endless growth is unnatural, and does not happen without significant consequences to the planet itself. In the natural world, no system, neither organism nor ecosystem, grows endlessly with the exception of cancer. We are a population of over eight billion people consuming more resources than ever before, so how do we maintain quality of life without endless growth? Try a doughnut, says Raworth.
[caption id="attachment_1147373" align="alignnone" width="1024"] The Doughnut Economic model for thriving societies -[/caption]
The Doughnut Economics model developed by Raworth, highlights the sweet spot for thriving economies, meeting social needs without overshooting the planetary boundaries for survival. Instead of one measurement for prosperity, there is a balanced framework for human success that is measured by a dashboard of indicators, from social needs – education, equity, health, food, water, and ecological metrics – to biodiversity loss, nutrient pollution, climate change, habitat destruction, chemical and air pollution.
Current global indicators show that we are falling short in many aspects of social well-being, while overshooting our planetary limits. Consider biodiversity loss, pollution and climate change which can potentially have cascading impacts on society derailing socio-economic progress. We need to stop thinking “forward and upward” and consider natural cycles. Think about farming practices that follow the seasons and support biodiversity. Imagine manufacturing in which all materials are valuable; there’s no waste. And distribution models that provide easy access to all. Doughnut economies have been implemented in several cities around the would including Amsterdam, Brussels and Melbourne, as well as countries, such as Curacao and UK.
Thriving in TT
If we apply the metrics of the Doughnut to TT, what does a thriving TT c
