Doughnut Economics is a conceptual framework created by economist @Kate Raworth to redefine prosperity beyond the pursuit of perpetual GDP growth. Introduced through an Oxfam report in 2012, it envisions a “safe and just space for humanity” — the area between a social foundation that guarantees essential human needs and an ecological ceiling that safeguards planetary boundaries. The inner foundation encompasses access to food, water, health, education, income, equity, and justice, while the outer ring represents limits such as climate stability, biodiversity, and pollution. Raworth’s model encourages economies to thrive within these bounds by adopting regenerative and distributive principles. Her book Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st-Century Economist (2017) outlines key shifts in economic thinking, from valuing cooperation over competition to prioritizing systems design that restores rather than depletes natural capital. Cities like Amsterdam have applied the framework to policymaking, making Doughnut Economics an influential guide in the global transition toward sustainable and equitable growth. The elegance of Raworth’s model lies in how it turns complexity into clarity — a visual philosophy for balance. I resonate with its refusal to treat growth as sacred, and its insistence that prosperity depends on boundaries honored, not breached.
Reflections
"Today we have economies that grow whether or not they make us thrive, and what we need—especially in the richest countries—are economies that make us thrive whether or not they grow." ~ @Kate Raworth
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