Post-COVID: A New Economic Manifesto

Post-COVID: A New Economic Manifesto
Published: May 03, 2020
Standfirst
The Dutch are tall in more ways than one. A manifesto signed on April 11 by 170 Dutch academics calls for their government to implement five key policy strategies for moving forward during and after the Covid-19 crisis. "The manifesto shows," says Guiseppe Feona, Associate Professor of Social Change for Sustainability at Utrecht University, "that these concerns are close to the hearts and minds of many academics who may not (yet) see themselves as part of the degrowth community."
Body

Post Covid Manifesto, journal of wild culture, ©2020

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.

 

 

Amsterdam-The-Flower-Market, journal of wild culture

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.

 

Metropolis by Fritz Lang, journal of wild culture, ©2020

Source: Metropolis, by Fritz Lang (1927) [o]

 

Add new comment