In this work I seek for peasant common characteristics considered useful for the construction of a sustainable degrowth society. These characteristics are: direct link to the earth as a production resource; inseparability of living and production space; importance of solidarity, reciprocity and inter-knowledge relationships; minimal use of external inputs on the; poli-production systems; common resources sharing; maximization of local economic relationships; relative economic autonomy with regard to global market. Each of those characteristics are of great relevance in the debate of degrowth and related themes, such as Agroecology and Ecological Economics, and they are very often found in peasant communities around the globe and through mankind history. Actually, they sustained mankind for millennia and still sustain many communities and societies around the earth. I do not propose “going back to the past”, but looking back to past (and present) survival experiences and pointing out possible future scenarios.

This media entry was a contribution to the special session „Peasant references for a degrowth society“ at the 5th International Degrowth Conference in Budapest in 2016.