Bio-economy, a dynamic equilibrium
By Massimo Pieri
Bio-economy is based on development meant as a continuous process innovation turned to maintain homeostasis which is the attempt to keep its structural and informative level, in opposition to entropy increase. Analytically, it doesn’t need a crisis for process innovation because it operates a constant refinement of the same. Bio-economy, such as natural processes, is a permanent restructuring and moves softly like an acrobat on a string that adjusts his pole almost imperceptibly but steadily. Starting from this premise, which involves the search for a dynamic equilibrium and therefore not detectable by mechanistic criteria, means to move towards a harmonic development (not growth), in which people maintain control over the production of goods and services that are necessary to social needs, with a more conscious use and sharing of the same. There is a clear tendency towards dynamic and homeostatic equilibrium, based on the diffusion of a collective life model focused on appropriate use of consumption and waste, and on perfect competition based on the search for Paretian and ecological improvement, on well-being and satisfaction.
It is also important to note that society’s total wealth isn’t made up only of durable goods, but also by the preservation of natural and ecological capital, by our relationship with animals and plants, by social behavior and leisure time, knowledge, biological and cultural diversity, which allow men to increase their ability to produce wealth, as it happens with indigenous peoples and traditional knowledge. (Borioni, Jappelli).
Moreover, by applying bio-economic principles, during the crisis, it is possible to achieve wellbeing without increasing the consumption of already existing goods and resources, using the production and conservation modes of nature and its diversity, the only certainly sustainable entities. It is possible to reach a certain wellbeing level independently from the economic growth through other development models (not growth models): for instance, through the regeneration of local economies. In this way, the bio-economic model, which combines social, economic, environmental topics as well as those related to common goods, allows to redesign, in agriculture, industry and architecture, the suffering human and environmental settlements, by using the territory and its resources, trying to imitate the natural relationships and links in the light of traditional knowledge. This is how it is possible to dispose of plenty of resources, food, and sustainable food chains at a lower cost in order to meet local needs. This also allows facing the problem of poverty as well as its solution as an economic and ecologic variable of the system itself.
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