Is the "Devon Doughnut" rolling towards us? Just in time for Tuesday's launch of the Doughnut Economics Action Lab

We’re always ready for reports and initiatives from that giant laboratory of localism and community power in the South-West of England, Devon. We were sent a summary report this week of the (online of course) Regenerate Devon event in July (here’s the pdf of the report-back).

The event’s YouTube playlist is full of fascinating topics and speakers - but we immediately noticed some ambition (with working groups forming) to explore the idea of a “Devon Doughnut”. This would be (you’ve guessed it) an application of the principles of Kate Raworth’s Doughnut Economics to the Devon region, following DE’s interest in the city-level realisation of their ecological economics, most notably recently in Amsterdam.

Below you’ll see a presentation from Kate herself, outlining how to “downscale the doughnut” from its initial national level (see our post on the Amsterdam initiative). But after that, one of Kate’s colleagues really drills down (and exchanges with Devonites) on what needs to be measured, and assessed, to make the doughnut model work at this level - where human needs and planetary boundaries are both respected, opening up a “safe operating space” for a human community between them (the specific engagement begins at 27.00 mins in).

And of course, important to mention that the Doughnut Economics Action Lab will officially launch on Tuesday 29th September - wishing them all the best on the day.