Agroecology and the Struggle for Food Sovereignty ... - Yale University

levins
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Equity Versus Sustainability?
All peoples and many governments aspire to a rising standard of living. But if that
standard of living takes the form of the Euro-North American way of increasing consumption
of energy and materials, it is clearly unsustainable. There is an apparent
contradiction between justice and ecology. But I have found that it is a good working
hypothesis that when two humane, just, necessary objectives seem to be incompatible,
we are asking for too little. The two goals become not only compatible, but much
more mutually supportive, if we interpret a rising standard of living to mean mostly
an improving quality of life.
We have to be careful here not to fall into the trap of romantic asceticism, the
disdain of the comfortable for their “mere material possessions.” However, we can
distinguish among three main categories of material goods. First, there are the real
necessities of life, including the means for improving the quality of life. My rough
guess is that this requires a national income equivalent to $5,000 to $10,000 per
capita. Second, there are the created necessities such as the private car to get to work
because of existing settlement patterns of residence and workplaces, or the real need
for airplane travel for “business” in a competitive marketplace.
Finally, we have the symbolic patterns of consumption when there are hierarchies
of prestige attached to goods and services. It seems to be the case that a dominant
world power endows its own way of life with a special prestige. After the fall of ancient
Israel, the deported Israelites were boggled by the splendors of Babylon, and by the
time Cyrus the Great allowed them to return home, most of them did not. In Roman
times, Herod hung out in Rome, networking, partying, and aping Roman styles.
Colonial and semi-colonial peoples all have terms such as “imitation foreigner” or
“pitiyanqui” to denote those who seek prestige by copying the rulers. Today, Coca-
Cola and McDonald’s have a worldwide acceptance far beyond any intrinsic taste or
health merits of these products. This kind of consumption is reinforced by the
trillion-dollar advertising industry to convince people that particular goods will
bring fulfillment. Here is where changing values in a non-hierarchical society is an
ecological necessity.
All peoples and many governments aspire to a rising standard of living. But if that
standard of living takes the form of the Euro-North American way of increasing consumption
of energy and materials, it is clearly unsustainable. There is an apparent
contradiction between justice and ecology. But I
have found that it is a good working hypothesis that
when two humane, just, necessary objectives seem
to be incompatible, we are asking for too little. The
two goals become not only compatible, but much
more mutually supportive, if we interpret a rising
standard of living to mean mostly an improving
quality of life.
The possibility of a rising standard of living
based on quality of life is the Cuban strategy. The
rate of economic growth is slower than it could be
Richard Levins. Photographer:
Steve Taylor.
yale school of forestry & environmental studies