The Poverty of Growth

‘Lucid, calm and compelling – Olivier De Schutter tackles the big question – how do we move forward from outdated economic thinking to a sustainable prosperity for all?’ Kate Pickett, co-author, The Spirit Level: Why Equality is Better for Everyone

How do we combat poverty and rising inequality? In our age of impending climate catastrophe, the conventional wisdom around economic growth is no longer fit for purpose; a rising tide sinks all boats.

Oliver De Schutter believes that we must fundamentally rethink the fight against poverty. The quest for growth not only clashes with the need to remain within planetary boundaries, but also creates the very social exclusion it is intended to cure: eroding human rights, widening inequality, and modernising poverty without eliminating it.

The Poverty of Growth is a clarion call to forge a new path demanding progress that is no longer focused on wealth and profit.

Olivier De Schutter is the United Nations Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights. Previously, he has been the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food, and a member of the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. He is the co-author of The Escape from Poverty and Social Innovation in the Service of Ecological and Social Transformation: The Rise of the Enabling State.