Localism

Localism (from Latin place) is a doctrine which is to focus on what is local but set limits border, to promote participatory democracy, social cohesion and local production, local employment and therefore preserving the environment through a lower carbon footprint related to transport of goods.

History

Appeared in the twentieth ^century, the concept of localism was strongly inspired by the writings of Leopold Kohr , Ernst Friedrich Schumacher , Wendell Berry and Kirkpatrick Sale , among others. The British Labour Party MP Alan Milburn said this "make services more locally accountable, devolving more power to local communities and in the process, forging a modern relationship between state, citizens and services."

During the 1980s, a local trend has developed in the U.S. .

Operational Application

Foundations

Localism open (or "neo-localism") - cosmopolitan and diverse - is to reorient the organization of human community life by managing economic, social and political proximity. According to its proponents, is that all life should be reterritorialise ( Serge Latouche , live locally), including interpersonal relationships. It offers an alternative to globalization to which he assigns the following consequences: development of a consumerist world where the environment suffers the consequences, particularly in terms of consumption of fossil fuels and pollution related to transport of goods; trend transformation of social rules in favor of competitiveness; dilution of living together through a-personal relationships are developed through global media and abstract forms of communities, etc..

Geopolitics

The relocation of both the economic life (bring the production tool of consumer), social life (expand human relations) and political (implementation of a participatory democracy ) in particular through a reorganization of the territory into "urban villages" (eg the intermunicipal ) that would meet the maximum needs locally. This form of localism is not presented as a self-sufficient , because certain decisions and production would be at broader levels based on existing national and international institutions. Localism has no geographical boundaries but the principle of maximum approximation is the rule: for example moving from a production unit to another continent to a unit in a neighboring country could be a local response or satisfactory for some ultimate property.

Production / consumption

From a technical standpoint, localism can for example be based on a variable tax according to the origin of finished products and raw materials used. Less coercive: the principle of carbon label, which is closely linked to the Anglo-Saxon notion of food miles (or food miles) , can steer consumers eco-friendly to purchase local products. With regard to trade food , direct sales from producer to consumer, such as AMAP in France, is seen as a localist approach. The concept of vertical farm also appears as a solution to urban food self-sufficiency. Localism may also lead to public investment in local production or to promote the social economy . The use of inter-firm mobility in the form of a scholarship exchange positions could also help limit the flow of individual vehicles daily between several urban areas.

To arrive at distances sufficiently limited trade, the doctrine localist induces a structural reorganization of the production system through the implementation of a multitude of production units of appropriate size corresponding to the urban community.

Financial System

According to its proponents, localism should be based on banks' management and investment, apart from speculative action that diverts the proximity principle in favor of profitability. Which would encourage community involvement in the financial system through public banks or cooperatives even microfinance , philanthropy or social savings in more marginal. In a depth where the notion of localism localism money .

Philosophy

The doctrine is presented as a localist orientation humanist , in that local activity is a means for man to meet his needs and grow with his family, and not only an end to the prosperity of individuals or entities. Trade proximity fosters social interaction, and therefore human relationships, while requiring the involvement of all in the collective effort of production, hence the emphasis on work ethic. For the French philosopher Pascal Engel , "the philosophy of today must go through before reaching the local global".

Political positioning

Localism is not part of a vision "right / left" of the traditional political spectrum. Localist doctrine may appear as both an alternative and as a synthesis of political models from the industrial era, providing a balance between the benefits and excesses of political models.

Localism and Capitalism

The doctrine would not be localist in opposition to capitalism in the sense that it does not limit the creation of wealth, the local economy favoring a more direct wealth produced by relying heavily on the participation of all production ( labor value ). But localism is not compatible with a global market economy and deregulated.

Localism and socialism

Localism also not in opposition to socialism in the sense that the community is closely involved in local economic activity by ensuring maintain social cohesion by a reasonable gap of income and minimizing the evaporation of wealth in the international financial system. More localism therefore support employment integration through access to a job that paid enough.

Localism and nationalism / regionalism

Since there is no limit in the notion of border nearest origin of products consumed, localism does not stop at administrative territory. For example, do not reasonably create an aviation hub in each urban community, localism leans more on a continental scale. However the food production of a department should be able to provide much of the needs of its population . Moreover, localism is not based on any assertion of particular identities, although the doctrine is based on a social proximity thereby consolidating the cultural heritage.

Localism and protectionism

Localist doctrine might appear similar to an extreme form of protectionism in the sense that it gives highest priority to the local economy to limit the escape-related trade purchases distant. At the same time, it is not protectionism, since the state localism has no boundaries and defines progressive taxation and not binary (producing internal / external production). For example, the social VAT , applied by some European countries in particular, can look like a local measure, but it is about protectionism aimed at improving the competitiveness of the production of a State over its domestic market. Then, localism does not dematerialized services (Internet) or the productions at very low footprint (hydroelectric power). Finally, the organization in small production units multiplied by as many urban communities would likely result in a global market of IP, that is to say a license trade between companies in the world.

Localism and ecology

Localism is to preserve the ecosystem in that its goal is to minimize the environmental footprint of trade in goods, whether in terms of fossil fuel consumption or CO ₂ that wear on mobile transportation equipment (cars, trains ...) and static (roads, bridges ...). More localist doctrine incorporates energy independence through a proactive policy to save energy (development of passive houses , rationalization of public lighting ...) and promotion of renewable energy (solar panels, Individual wind ...). The French ecologist Nicolas Hulot and said about the systemic crisis occurred in 2008 it will "relocate some of our economies to regional markets, to streamline the energy flows and material transport.

Localism and co-development

According to its proponents, to move seamlessly from a globalized model to a local model for exchange of material goods, it would be necessary to optimize the co-development in trade - commercial or otherwise - of technical, scientific, cultural ... Co-development and reduces the flow of goods by a lesser dependence on imports distant opening to the gradual reshaping of the productive space for new local markets by increasing the activity of redistribution of wealth. Moreover localism annihilates the risk of imports of counterfeit products, thereby developing the market of intellectual property industry.

Localism and alterglobalism

Localism is more adaptable to a standard political territory rather than any genuine desire for world politics. In this sense, notions such as decay or fair trade are not necessarily related to the doctrine localist. Between localism obviously in opposition to the principle of global liberal market exchanges of material goods but remains in a logic of free trade planetary intangible goods and services (research, culture, etc..).

Criticisms of localism

Beyond a simple single political tendency, local action comes up against international rules of trade as those of the WTO , for example, which are intended to facilitate the globalization of trade, or as the Union European economic policy which is based on free movement of goods. However, given the environmental threats facing the planet and following the 2008 crisis including highlighting the extreme fragility of the international financial system, liberalism total global marketplace is increasingly controversial. U.S. economist Paul Craig Roberts suggested For example, following the G20 in November 2008, a local measure modulating the corporate tax based on location creating added value.

Moreover localism can exist only by a very proactive policy to deal with industrial lobbies with vested interest in their catchment area stretch worldwide and it also implies a very significant overhaul of the existing production system by break into smaller local units where substantial investments together with a need to adapt on-site labor and engineering.

Insofar as it is opposed to increasing development of international trade, the doctrine appears to localist some as a "backward". Supporters of localism then demonstrate the reliability of this model by the fact that the organization was local companies since the origins of mankind until the industrial revolution. Yet it is precisely since the beginning of the industrial age has been set in motion a process enhanced by the phenomenon of globalization, a phenomenon that emerged only since the second half of the twentieth ^century and jeopardizing the future of humanity in the face Global ecological damage that accompanied economic damage and social problems affecting Western countries through various crises increasingly close and increasingly violent.

Finally localism policy, which mainly trade in goods and services, is to differentiate University of localism (local preference in the recruitment of faculty) or localism identity claimed by certain groups of extreme right which relies on the ethnic origin of individuals as a neutral principle of geographical location between supply and demand.

Action and local organizations

The carbon label

On January 29, 2008, signs of trade and distribution, the CDF and Medad signed an agreement for a five-year eco-friendly. Registered under the Grenelle Environment Forum , including it opens the way for a doubling within three years, the number of products with an ecolabel, a carbon label .

The experimental and unique in Europe, environmental labeling products has already begun. Since spring 2008, two stores Leclerc group in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais experimenting with the display of carbon cost - ie their "carbon footprint" - food. The CO ₂ balance of products is listed next to their price and the total balance of the races shown on your receipt. In addition, products that reduce the balance sheet are reported in radius. The operation is supported by the Regional Council and ADEME.

Another example, the Casino Group, drawing on the expertise of the ADEME and the company Bio Intelligence Service specializes in sustainable development, also offers its customers to discover the carbon cost of its products. Its carbon index, expressed in g CO _{2 emissions} to 100 g, considers the entire lifecycle of products from the brand. When the package allows, the carbon index is accompanied by a slide showing the environmental impact (low to high) and information on the recycling rate of packaging.

The Transition Towns (Cities in Transition)

Many movements are currently being developed around the concept of energy descent around the world. Of these movements, the Transition Towns initiatives . First to be launched in 2006, the town of Totnes in Great Britain has set up a "Plan of energy descent" over 15 years whose main goal is to make the transition from a traditional economy and economy relocated.

In less than three years of existence, the movement Transition Networks has already been developed in 64 localities in the Anglophone world, and more than 700 groups have come forward to join the movement. The guide initiatives transition has been translated in France in 2008.

The vertical farms

The vertical farm consists of towers designed to accommodate a large share of local agriculture. It is a possible solution to the problems of hunger and lack of agricultural land, because the vertical farm is intended to be located in the city. The first vertical farm could soon see the day in Las Vegas (USA) and others should follow in Incheon (Korea), Abu Dhabi and Dubai (UAE), Nashville (USA) or in the future eco-city Dongtan, China.

The AMAP

An association for the maintenance of peasant agriculture (CSA), in France, a close partnership between a consumer group and a local farm, based on a distribution system of "baskets" consisting of farm products. It secured a contract based on a financial commitment of consumers, who pay in advance all their consumption over a period defined by production type and geographic location. The system thus operates on the principle of trust and consumer empowerment.

In 2008 France had about 700 AMAP after 8 years of existence of the concept.

The name "Produit en Bretagne"

Logo Produit en Bretagne Logo Produced in Britain

Founded in 1993, the combination product in Britain is the first network of economic policymakers Breton, the first collective regional brand, and the first step to inclusive and sustainable regional brand in France. In 2010, 230 companies registered for membership on the four departments of Brittany and the Loire-Atlantique.

This initiative is more akin to the regionalism of localism as pure as it is good to promote local products, thus travel distance reduced, however, local interest is lower for consumers neighboring departments another region.

Slow food

The Slow Food is a movement founded in Italy in 1986 by Carlo Petrini in response to the emerging pattern of consumption fast food. The movement seeks to preserve the eco-regional cuisine as well as plants, seeds, domestic animals and farming techniques associated with it.

The Locavores

The Locavores appeared in San Francisco in 2005 on a simple idea: eat only foods produced within 100 miles (160 kilometers). United States and Canada, this movement is experiencing a revolution in public, and gradually spreading to Europe.

The cooperative societies of collective interest

A cooperative society of collective interest ( SCIC ) is a limited company or limited liability company that combines around a salaried players, actors recipients (customers, users, residents, suppliers ...) and contributors (associations, communities, etc..) to produce goods or services of collective interest for the benefit of a territory (geographic or sectoral).

From the law of 17 July 2001 and the Decree of 21 February 2002, the SCIC are largely inspired by Italian social cooperatives emerged in the 60s. In France, the 117 Scic licensed since 2002, 103 were in operation at June 30, 2007. Italy has more than 7,000 social cooperatives employ about 250,000 people.

The SEL

SEL or a local exchange system is an alternative trading system, built next to the dominant system of market economy. LETS associations are declared or de facto non-profit, locally based, and which allow their members to exchange goods, services and knowledge without resorting to traditional currency.

In France, the transactions made under the SEL are exempt from VAT and income taxes to the extent that it is a non-recurring and ad hoc, such as "helping hand" and not within As part of a profession. The first SALT modern France was created in 1994, Ariege. Ten years later, there are nearly 300 SEL in 96 departments, more or less modest size (two to several hundred members) depending on the region, allowing more than 20 000 people to exchange.

Beavers

The Beaver is a movement of self Cooperative born after World War II in France. It now operates nationally and has nearly 50,000 members.

The cohousing

The cohousing or cooperative housing is a concept that refers to groups of people together as an association or cooperative. Sharing materials, skills, arrangements or even household chores is at the heart of the concept but each home has its own private accommodation and retains its full privacy. This type of habitat is widespread in the countries of northern Europe, began to appear in France ^{, , , ,} and adapts to the city or campaign.

The Kibbutz

The Kibbutz concept located in Israel, is a population unit whose members are organized into community based on common ownership of property, advocating individual work, equality among all and the cooperation of all members in all fields of production, consumption and education. .

Microcredit

The activity of microcredit and microfinance encourages the micro-local. This helps to induce mutations at the base. " These are often more effective and have a greater ripple effect - by creating economic linkages in the country - that certain infrastructures or large industrial projects. This leverage allows us to act effectively to those who take the initiative in engaging personally, that is to say, contractors or craftsmen.

Common House

Founded in 2008 by Laurent Ozon , Community House , otherwise known as "local motion", is a leading French political initiatives to bring all local sensitivities beyond the traditional political positions. However relations between Serge Latouche , the MAUSS and Laurent Ozon suggest that the latter is influenced by the radical and systematic critique MAUSS towards economic liberalism. Other positions of this movement seems much more conservative, for example Community House does not hesitate to defend a form of protectionism and even isolationism continental European level (within a federal framework). The thesis of Laurent Ozon also seem to inspire the movement identity.

References

See also

Related articles

• AMAP
• Local currency
• Self-sufficiency
• Principle of subsidiarity

External Links

• (En) Site Ministerial Environment Grenelle
• (En) SEL'idaire - National Coordination SEL France
• (En) Transversel - Portal Systems nonmonetary exchanges

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