SUFFiciENcy EcONOMy ANd GRASSROOtS DEvElOPMENt

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168 The Meaning of Sufficiency Economy International Conference Sustainability Sustainability means different things to different people. Sometimes when business people talk about sustainability they are only referring to the ability of a business to continue indefinitely. In stricter circles it is more precisely defined. Six generally accepted essential characteristics of sustainability are discussed below in how they relate to the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy and our research. Triple top-line value production Triple top-line (TTL) value production is more commonly referred to as triple bottom-line value production. This places a premium on creating value not only in financial accounting terms but also in terms of social and environmental impact. The modification in the term to top-line production is to emphasize the importance of all three factors as opposed to the traditional bottom line figure. All of these companies are fully cognizant of the triple top-line and all are actively working toward increasing impact in all three areas. One company while building a financial bottom-line that has been strong enough to allow them to pay back the debt (to themselves) incurred in start-up, triple the number of employees, and double the size of their restaurant, have done this serving only organic foods, recycling all materials, and serving meals to low-income and no-income people six days a week. The TTL demonstrates a basic level of morality in a business. It more specifically displays reasonableness, harmlessness, and generosity. Nature-based knowledge and technology O n e o f t h e k e y t e n e t s o f B u d d h i s m i s t h e c o m p l e x c o n c e p t o f interconnectedness. This is reflected in the interconnection of nature. Nature based knowledge and technology starts with recognizing and understanding that we are a part of a single ecosystem. Like every other participant in this system, what we do impacts the whole system. This understanding should lead a reasonable person to a middle path of moderation rather than a path of over-consumption and overproduction of all things, over-extension debt, and over-use of the environment as a resource and a waste receptacle. Today’s business is overly competitive and aggressive. Studies have shown that aggression in animals is caused by a number of factors. An animal that is injured or whose life is threaten will become aggressive. 11 Other studies have been done to show that additionally aggression in humans is a result of competition. 12 11 Hind, R.A., Aggression in Animals, Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine, 1970 February; 63(2): 162–163 12 Baron, Robert A., Richardson, Deborah R., Human Aggression 2nd Edition, p. 343, Springer, Plenum Press, New York, NY, 1997
The Meaning of Sufficiency Economy International Conference 169 Understanding this can lead to the development of management techniques that decrease the competition, aggression and stress that comes with them. In interviewing both the owners and their associates in these businesses, they almost to a person noted that the lack of stress in the workplace is what made their work so enjoyable. Products of service and products of consumption The term products of service refers to technological products that are returned to the manufacturer in order to create a closed loop system where toxic materials are recycled into new products rather than being released into the environment. Products of consumption are biological products that are consumed and what remains will harmlessly fall back into the ecosystem. Modern business is everything that this is not. Resources are extracted in most immoderate fashion that is creating a system that is dangerously dependent on geographically based natural resources that are readily susceptible to disruptive actions. Waste materials are discarded into the environment with almost total disregard for even potential impact. This model is certainly not one that is set up to “cope with shocks from internal and external changes” but rather, is one that increases the risk of shock. Solar, wind, geothermal, and ocean energy The use of alternative energy sources that do not harm the environment in either extraction or emissions as primary energy sources is essential to sustainability. Some of the networks’ programs include providing information to businesses on how they can avail themselves of wind, solar and other alternative energy sources. Another thing that the networks do is keep businesses informed of opportunities in the development and and opportunities for funding in the development of alternative energy technologies. Western (and particularly U.S.) addiction to energy, particularly fossil fuel based energy, is not moderate, not reasonable, and far from providing a selfimmunity system. Continuous improvement process Providing for means of evaluating for constant improvement of a business whether through location of lower priced resources or new markets or ideas for improved process or quality is essential for sustainability. These networks we looked at provide constant information and knowledge sharing supportive of continuous improvement. They provide simple support networks to encourage entrepreneurs theough tough times, The top-down enabling leadership consolidates much of the time-consuming research and resource management allowing more time in the grass-roots development work for implementation and the evaluatiion required to direct change. This provides a kind of self-immunization safety net.
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SUFFiciENcy EcONOMy ANd GRASSROOtS DEvElOPMENt

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