Creative Economy: A Feasible Development Option

derived from biodiversity, including those originating from thecreative industries, could be part of the solution to thisproblem. Research shows that market interest and demand forbiodiversity products and services is growing, giving countriesrich in biodiversity a comparative advantage. 80The year 2010 is providing prime opportunities for thepromotion of biodiversity. The United Nations GeneralAssembly has declared 2010 as the International Year ofBiodiversity with the objective to increase awareness of theimportance of biodiversity by promoting actions at the local,regional and international levels. Moreover, increased interestin ethical consumerism has seen companies and consumersquestion the true value of what they buy and sell. Recentreports suggest that this trend is continuing, even during timesof economic hardship. Those creative businesses able to placesustainable business practices at the centre of their businessthinking will be better positioned to succeed in the long termenabling them to make a valuable contribution to the globalchallenges presented by poverty and environmental degradation.In this context, the creative economy and the so-calledgreen economy can reinforce each other, since they share theobjective of promoting development that is more sustainableand inclusive. Many creative industries are already offeringsolutions to the environmental, social and economic problemsand are experiencing success. Examples include eco-friendlyfashion, including jewellery and accessories, handicrafts andinterior design products as well as biodiversity-driven sectorssuch as natural health, cosmetics and the ecotourism industriesthat work in harmony with nature. Because these industriesprofit from healthy natural resources and culture-based creativity,they have a stake in protecting ecosystems, biodiversity andtraditional knowledge. Finally, many creative industry companies,including the digital industry, are leaders in terms oflower energy and water use.Thanks in part to the power of the media, another creativeindustry, consumers are becoming more conscious of theenvironmental and social impact of their purchases. Businessesare realizing that their success depends on responsible behaviourtowards the environment and communities. Governmentsare realizing that they need to support sustainable business inorder to protect the natural and cultural capital on which theireconomies depend. Multilateral agencies currently have a significantfocus on promoting green economies and equitablebiodiversity-based business. International non-governmentalorganizations have readily stepped in to assist governmentsand businesses to achieve sustainability, biodiversity, povertyreduction and global security goals.Much of the world’s population depends on biodiversenatural resources for their livelihoods. By investing in creativeindustries governments can move more quickly towardsachieving biodiversity targets, as well as sustainability andpoverty reduction goals. International and national policyefforts must ensure support for the creative economy, wherecultural, intellectual and artistic talents, as opposed to theunsustainable use of non-renewable natural resources, are themost valuable inputs to creative production. Attempts shouldbe made to encourage policymakers, the business communityand the civil society to embrace measures that safeguard biodiversityand forge a more sustainable and creative path foreconomic recovery.2The development dimensionBox 2.9Thai life and tradition: Thai silk.The people, kingdom and government of Thailand have capitalized on their culture, creativity and natural resources to nurture a silk yarn and wovenfabric industry that supports a fashion industry worth 17 per cent of the country’s GDP. With annual exports of more than $6 billion per year, textiles andgarments rank as one of the nation’s leading export industries. Thailand is among the largest garment exporters, with a 2 per cent share of the global exportmarket. The Thai people have developed a type of silk that is considered one of the finest fabrics in the world, with a unique production method originatingfrom traditional folk craft. Following ancestral methods, women in the northeast of Thailand reared silkworms fed on leaves of the mulberry tree, and spunand dyed the thread. Every piece of hand woven Thai silk is a timeless, unique work of textile art. Although Empress Si Ling Chi of China is credited withdiscovering silk, archaeologists have found silk 3,000 years old in the ruins of Baan Chiang, Thailand. Today, sustainability in the silk industry includes “peacesilk”, which allows the moth to emerge from the cocoon, and biodynamic farming that emphasizes the balance of soil, plants and animals as aself-nourishing system.Source: Thailand-Life.com.80Since 1996, UNCTAD, through its BioTrade Initiative, has been working to promote trade and investment in biological resources to further sustainable development in line with theobjectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity.CREATIVE ECONOMY REPORT 201065