ContemporaryBeginnerBook

Doughnut Economics

Kate Raworth

Ecological economics

An influential rethinking of economics for the twenty-first century. Raworth argues that economics should aim not at endless GDP growth but at meeting everyone's needs within the ecological limits of the planet — a 'safe and just space' she pictures as a doughnut, bounded below by a social foundation and above by an ecological ceiling. Accessible and widely adopted by cities and policymakers, it reframes the goal of the economy around human and planetary well-being rather than expansion.

About the author

British economist (b. 1970), based at Oxford's Environmental Change Institute and Amsterdam's Doughnut Economics Action Lab. A former Oxfam researcher, Raworth developed the 'doughnut' model of social and planetary boundaries; her work has been adopted by Amsterdam and other cities and made her a leading voice in ecological and post-growth economics.

Synopsis

Raworth offers seven ways to rethink economics: change the goal from growth to the doughnut, see the big picture of the embedded economy, nurture human nature beyond 'rational economic man', get savvy with systems, design to distribute, create to regenerate, and be agnostic about growth. The core image — a social foundation no one should fall below, an ecological ceiling we must not overshoot — reframes prosperity as thriving in balance rather than expanding without limit.

Core passage idea

Paraphrase · Modern copyrighted work

Raworth argues that a thriving economy should meet the essential needs of all people without overshooting the planet's ecological limits — a 'safe and just space' between a social foundation and an environmental ceiling.

By replacing GDP growth with the doughnut's dual boundary as the goal of economics, Raworth reframes prosperity around sufficiency and balance rather than endless expansion. The image gave the post-growth and ecological-economics movement an accessible, actionable model.

To avoid a bubble

Pair with growth-oriented and market economists who argue that growth remains essential to lifting people from poverty and funding innovation, and that Raworth's framework is more a compelling metaphor than an operational economic model.

Reading note

Accessible and visual. Read it as the popular framework for post-growth, ecological economics, alongside The Limits to Growth, and against growth economists who defend expansion as essential.

Best paired with

Donella Meadows et al., The Limits to Growth; Mariana Mazzucato, The Entrepreneurial State.

Find this book

Search onlineSearch libraryBuy on Amazon