Bioregional Economies

by the North American Bioregional Congress Economics Committee

This piece was originally published in Home! A Bioregional Reader, edited by Van Andruss, Christopher Plant, Judith Plant, and Eleanor Wright, New Society Publishers, copyright 1990.

The Congress reached consensus on the following statement and strategies.

Vision Statement

A bioregional economy manifests itself through qualities of gift, trust, and compassion. Bioregional economics is a tool for implementing a social agenda informed by relationships, interdependence, and diversity; and is sensitive to the scale of the Earth’s systems. Bioregional economics distributes the gifts of Earth to sustain the health and richness of the biosphere in which we live and through which human needs are fulfilled. Decision-making is based on principles of local, democratic self-control and, secondarily, through mutually friendly, cooperative and compassionate relationships between and among individuals, groups, communities, bioregions, federations, and all species. A bioregional economics is expressive of a universe of beings evolving and working harmoniously toward the fulfillment of our individual destinies and our common future. A bioregional economy reflects the oneness of all life.

Sustainability of the bioregion is the hallmark of the bioregional economy. The following principles characterize the quality of action in a bioregional economy.

1. Balance between individual freedom, social equity, and responsibility to the web of life.
2. Respect for the Earth community and responsibility to the future as a context for local decentralized control.
3. Equitable access to the gifts of Earth.
4. Respect for individual freedom within community.
5. Attention to scale in relation to ecology, economy, and decentralization.
6. Friendly and cooperative economic relationships.
7. Ecologically prudent design, production and distribution of durable goods (to minimize waste).
8. To engage in the exchange of goods and services by relying less upon taking as much as possible for the smallest possible payment, and to rely more upon giving as much as one is able and trusting that the gift is returned as others are able.

Strategies

(It was noted that the Congress was adopting the strategies, not necessarily the specific examples given here.)

1. Oppose and undercut the dominant system in those areas where it is not in alignment with bioregional principles:
• boycotts
• divestiture
• socially responsible investment
• live simply/right livelihood
2. Redirect the energies and power of the old industrial/consumerist system into emerging sustainable systems:
• support revolving loan funds
• buy locally
• organize urban/rural partnerships
• appropriate technologies
3. Establish new sustainable systems in alignment with bioregional principles:
• intentional communities
• local currencies
• be creative!

Excerpted from North American Bioregional Congress III Proceedings, 1989.