Buen Vivir: Degrowing extractivism and growing wellbeing through tourism

Abstract

Buen Vivir (BV) is a holistic vision for social and environmental wellbeing, which includes alternative economic activities to the neoliberal growth economy. This article looks at how tourism initiatives under a BV approach can lead to degrowth by drawing on a case study of how BV is put into practice through tourism in the Cotacachi County in Ecuador. We argue that by degrowing socially and environmentally damaging extractive sectors and growing alternative economic activities like community-based tourism, a BV approach could increase social and environmental wellbeing. We refer to LaTouche’s notion of degrowth as a matrix of multiple alternatives that will reopen the space for human creativity. This complements the notion of BV as a plural approach, and in turn works to decolonise the parameters of how we might understand degrowth. In the case of Cotacachi, the vision for tourism is based on the needs of the community, rather than to satisfy a Eurocentric ideal of development supported by a policy of extractivism. BV is key to how this community conceptualises the potentialities of tourism because it considers the wellbeing of the people and the environment. In this case, degrowth is a consequence of BV, rather than the objective.

Keywords:

• Buen Vivir
• Decolonial Theory
• Ecuador
• Degrowth
• Sustainable Tourism
• Wellbeing

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1 Significance is analysed by the number of references across all data methods (interviews, observations and documents).

2 This does not refer to a key informant, rather was part of the participant observation data.

3 Buen Vivir, from the Indigenous Kichwa.

4 As the peaceful existence of diversity

5 The process of which supports a respect for cultural systems.

6 Assumes access to food as a human right, providing dignity to all in the food system, from producers to consumers.

7 Relates to the satisfaction of needs through livelihood, rather than the perusal or wants pertaining to economic growth.

8 Supports the notion of BV as being tailorable to each community based on its particular capabilities.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Natasha Chassagne

Natasha Chassagne recently completed a PhD at Swinburne University of Technology’s Centre for Social Impact.

Phoebe Everingham

Phoebe Everingham is an ECR researcher at the University of Newcastle, Australia.