Buen Vivir versus Green Deal : l'émergence d'un concept en Europe

The paper explores the concept of Buen Vivir, rooted in indigenous Latin American paradigms, and its potential as an alternative to the anthropocentric and growth-based models of development prevalent in Europe. It highlights the tension between Buen Vivir and the 'Green Economy' or 'European Green Deal', arguing that while the latter seeks to 'decouple' growth from resource use, Buen Vivir rejects the logic of infinite economic growth entirely. The authors note that while official EU-Latin American diplomatic recognition of Buen Vivir has been limited and largely stagnant since a 2015 resolution, local-level initiatives in European cities—such as Amsterdam—and countries like Spain and Greece are increasingly adopting practices aligned with Buen Vivir, including agroecology, local currencies, and the promotion of the 'commons'.

• Buen Vivir is a bio-centric paradigm rooted in indigenous traditions, specifically Quechua and Aymara, that rejects the anthropocentrism of modernity and the logic of infinite economic growth in favor of harmony between humans and nature.
• The European Green Deal is characterized as a 'green modernization' program that maintains economic growth as a central pillar, which creates a fundamental conceptual conflict with the Buen Vivir framework.
• Official diplomatic recognition of Buen Vivir in EU-Latin American relations peaked with a 2015 EuroLat Emergency Resolution, but this has not led to tangible effects, and the concept has largely disappeared from official EU-Latin American relations since then.
• While governmental adoption is stalled, local-level 'transition movements' in Europe are implementing practices aligned with Buen Vivir, such as social economy, urban agriculture, and the management of 'commons'.
• Specific European regions hit hard by the 2008 economic crisis, notably Greece and Spain, have seen an increase in Buen Vivir-related political proposals and practices, including agroecology and direct democracy.
• The city of Amsterdam provides a practical example of Buen Vivir's influence, where residents of Czaar Peterstraat proposed a 'Buen Vivir' plan based on the commons that received municipal funding.

APA

Hernández, G., & Laats, H. (2021). Buen Vivir versus Green Deal : l'émergence d'un concept en Europe. Green European Journal. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/buen-vivir-versus-green-deal-lemergence-dun-concept-en-europe/

Chicago

Hernández, Gustavo, and Henkjan Laats. Buen Vivir versus Green Deal : l'émergence d'un concept en Europe. Green European Journal, 2021. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/buen-vivir-versus-green-deal-lemergence-dun-concept-en-europe/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Hernández |first1=Gustavo |last2=Laats |first2=Henkjan |title=Buen Vivir versus Green Deal : l'émergence d'un concept en Europe |publisher=Green European Journal |date=3 March 2021 |url=https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/buen-vivir-versus-green-deal-lemergence-dun-concept-en-europe/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{hernndez2021buen, author = {Hernández, Gustavo and Laats, Henkjan}, title = {{Buen Vivir versus Green Deal : l'émergence d'un concept en Europe}}, institution = {Green European Journal}, year = {2021}, month = mar, url = {https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/buen-vivir-versus-green-deal-lemergence-dun-concept-en-europe/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }