Protection of soil and natural space increasingly important

When it comes to the survival of humanity, securing natural space and soils become more and more important. To do this, today’s economic system must free itself from unrestrained competition and growth thinking and redefine it altogether. Economic growth just for the sake of growth is nonsensical. The starting point must be the question: What do we need and how can we produce it so that the natural resources are preserved, perhaps even increased or improved, says social scientist Brigitte Kratzwald, who will be part of the International Tourism Forum of the European Tolerance Talks on 5 June in Villach.

For Kratzwald the problem of today’s competition lies in the dependence on investors. The focus is therefore always on the lowest possible prices and high profits. The author does not see competition and economic growth as fundamentally negative. However, the question must be asked whether both serve life and whether one can stop growing when the needs are satisfied. The social scientist sees a way out in alternative forms of economy, such as commons, subsistence and solidary agriculture. More in the press-text interview. (Ws)