In acknowledging the limitations of GDP as a reflection
of well-being, President Sarkozy set up a commission to deliberate alternative
measures of social progress. Whilst the end report revealed the issue to a
wider public, it failed to contribute any new ideas, writes Jayati Ghosh.
Those advocating for a ‘steady state’ economic model are vastly
outnumbered in mainstream policy circles. Yet there are signs that scepticism about the single-minded pursuit of economic growth may finally be catching on, reveals Susan Arterian Chang.
The planet is moving into an accelerated period of climate
change, driven in a large part by the industrial agribusiness model that dominates
the global food system. The worldwide movement for food sovereignty offers a
promising alternative, argue GRAIN.
Over the past few decades, thousands of alternatives to the
top-down corporate business model have sprouted up across the US. This quiet revolution
is building a democratic economic system based on sharing and cooperation, says
Gar Alperovitz in an interview with Maria
Armoudian.
Despite promises of agrarian reform, the Brazilian
government under Luiz Inácio "Lula" da Silva continues to promote the interests
of agribusiness - privileging a landholding minority at the expense of the
poor, say Chris Tilly, Marie Kennedy, and Tarso Luís Ramos.
The financial crisis has forced a global recognition of the unstable,
unequal and unsustainable nature of our current development model. An opportunity now exists to build a new economic system that is genuinely democratic and people-oriented, writes Jayati Ghosh.
Contrary to commonly held beliefs, migrants typically
contribute more to economic activity than they take out. Lowering barriers to
mobility and improving the treatment of migrant workers could improve the lives
of millions around the world, says the UNDP Human Development Report 2009.
The right to adequate food, enshrined in the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights, obliges governments to ensure food security for every citizen. Meeting this commitment requires a radical
restructuring of national and international agricultural models, writes
Kamalakar Duvvuru.
The IMF claims to have become more flexible in its lending requirements to cash-strapped countries. Yet as this joint report indicates, the Fund is still imposing inappropriate conditions on borrowers that will erode
social protection for the poor.
China is investing heavily in Africa through development
projects aimed at exploiting the continent's natural resources. The potential
outcome is no less disastrous than any misguided colonial project of the past, says Khadija Sharife.
