Boosting welfare sustainability by solidarity: Opportunities resulting from circular social economy in Portugal

Boosting welfare sustainability by solidarity: Opportunities resulting from circular social economy in Portugal

Authors

  • Helena Reis da Luz University of Coimbra, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences Integrated Researcher at the Interdisciplinary Studies Center (CEIS20), Portugal https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1592-0953

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22458/rna.v12i2.3983

Keywords:

SUSTAINABILITY, WELFARE, SOLIDARITY, SOCIAL ECONOMY, CIRCULAR ECONOMY

Abstract

Aims: To analyze welfare and sustainability concepts framed by United Nations 2030 Agenda highlighting its commitment towards poverty and hunger; to discuss the concept of circular economy exploring the dimensions of sustainability to which it is associated; to analyze the relationship between the circular economy and the social economy, and to distinguish practices based on the assumptions of the circular economy with an inclusive impact at the level of confronting situations of vulnerability/poverty in Portugal.

Method: This is a theoretical reflection based on a review of current literature, documentary analysis and searching on websites, on the opportunities of the social economy embedded in solidarity sector to foster welfare (social) sustainability by pursuing circular economy principles.

Findings: The issues of poverty and hunger are central to understand the welfare concept and occupy a pole position in the agenda of human sustainability. The circular economy approach has been distinguished mainly as an alternative philosophy of growth (focusing on business) and (environmental) sustainability. Social economy anchored in solidarity organizations reveals the (neglected) social dimension of circular economy due to circular economy principles that they adopt connected to their mission.

Conclusions: The opportunities of circular economy to address welfare sustainability, especially for responding to multiple social needs (e.g., basic needs) coming from the circular social economy stakeholders must be reinforced in discourses and political agendas. Also, that opens space to reconfigure the concept of circular economy widening its scope and focus on a complete approach committed to sustainability, being this a direction, that research can deepen.  

References

Assembleia da República.2013. “Lei n.º 30/2013”. Diário da República, 1.ª série, 88 (maio):2727-2728. https://data.dre.pt/eli/lei/30/2013/05/08/p/dre/pt/html

Assembleia da República.2015. “Lei n.º 76/2015”. Diário da República, 1.ª série, 145 (julho): 5051 - 5052. https://data.dre.pt/eli/lei/76/2015/07/28/p/dre/pt/html

Ávila, Rafael and José Monzón Campos. 2018. “La economía social ante los paradigmas económicos emergentes: innovación social, economía colaborativa, economía circular, responsabilidad social empresarial, economía del bien común, empresa social y economía solidaria”. CIRIEC-España,Rrevista de Economía Pública, Social y Cooperativa nº 93 (Agosto): 5-50. doi:10.7203/ciriec-e.93.12901

Banco Alimentar Contra a Fome. 2021. Retrieved at 20 may 2021. https://www.bancoalimentar.pt/; https://www.bancoalimentar.pt/quem-somos/pagina-noticias/noticias-federacao/bancos-alimentares-contra-a-fome-angariam-2125-toneladas-de-alimentos-em-dois-dias/

Blau, Joel and Mimi Abramovitz. 2003. The Dynamics of Social Welfare Policy. New York: Oxford University Press, Inc.

Bonciu, Florian. 2014. “The European Economy: From a Linear to a Circular”. Economy Romanian Journal of European Affairs 14, nº4 (December): 78-91.

Bonet Fernandez, Dominique, Isabelle Petit and Agnès Lancini. 2014. “L'économie circulaire: quelles mesures de la performance économique, environnementale et sociale?” Working Papers 2014-232, Department of Research, Ipag Business School. https://faculty-research.ipag.edu/wp-content/uploads/recherche/WP/IPAG_WP_2014_232.pdf

Cambrigde Dictionary Online. 2021. https://dictionary.cambridge.org/

Chaves-Avila, Rafael and Juan Gallego-Bono.2020. “Transformative Policies for the Social and Solidarity Economy: The New Generation of Public Policies Fostering the Social Economy in Order to Achieve Sustainable Development Goals. The European and Spanish Cases”. Sustainability 12, 4059; doi:10.3390/su12104059

Costa, Fernanda. 2008. “Poverty and Human Rights: From Rhetoric to Legal Obligations a Critical Account of Conceptual Frameworks”. International Journal on Human Rights 5, nº9 (December): 80-107.

Cruz Vermelha Portuguesa. n.d. “Loja Social”. Retrieved at 20 may 2021. https://www.cruzvermelha.pt/apoio-social/grupos-vulner%C3%A1veis/loja-social.html

Ellen Macarthur Foundation. 2013. “Towards the Circular Economy. Economic and business rationale for an accelerated transition”. https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/assets/downloads/publications/Ellen-MacArthur-Foundation-Towards-the-Circular-Economy-vol.1.pdf

ENTRAJUDA.2021. Retrieved at 20 may 2021. https://www.entrajuda.pt/; https://www.bancodebensdoados.pt/; https://www.bancodeequipamentos.pt/;

Eurostat. 2020. Living conditions in Europe - poverty and social exclusion. European Union. https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Living_conditions_in_Europe_-_poverty_and_social_exclusion

European Commission. 2015. “Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions
Closing the loop - An EU Action Plan for the Circular Economy”.
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/resource.html?uri=cellar:8a8ef5e8-99a0-11e5-b3b7-01aa75ed71a1.0012.02/DOC_1&format=PDF

European Commission. 2020.”Comunicação da Comissão ao Parlamento Europeu, ao Conselho, ao Comité Económico e Social Europeu e ao Comité das Regiões -Um novo Plano de Ação para a Economia Circular Para uma Europa mais limpa e competitiva”. https://op.europa.eu/pt/publication-detail/-/publication/9903b325-6388-11ea-b735-01aa75ed71a1/language-pt

European Economic and Social Committee. 2017. Recent evolutions of the social economy in the European Union. Belgique: European Union.

European Union. 2010. “Social Economy”. European Parliament resolution of 19 February 2009 on Social Economy (2008/2250(INI)). Official Journal of the European Union.

FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP and WHO. 2020. “The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2020. Transforming food systems for affordable healthy diets”. Rome, FAO. https://doi.org/10.4060/ca9692en

Foladori, Guillermo. 2002. “Avanços e limites da sustentabilidade social”. Revista Paranaense de Desenvolvimento nº102 (jan/jun):103-113.

Fusco, Alessio, Anne-Catherine Guio and Eric Marlier. 2010. “Income poverty and material deprivation in European countries”. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/283867683

Greve, Bent. 2008. “What is Welfare?” Central European Journal of Public Policy 2, nº1 (July):50–73

Hespanha, Pedro, Alcina Monteiro, A. Ferreira, Fernanda Rodrigues, M. Nunes, M. Hespanha, Rosa Madeira, Rudy Hoven and Sílvia Portugal. 2000. Entre o Estado e o Mercado. As fragilidades das Instituições de Protecção Social em Portugal. ed. 1. Coimbra: Quarteto.

Hämäläinen, Timo. 2013. Towards a Sustainable Well-being Society-Building blocks for a new socioeconomic model. Helsinki: Sitra

Hediger, Werner. 2000. “Sustainable development and social welfare”. Ecological Economics 32, 481-492. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0921800999001172

Hirvilammi, Tuuli. 2020. “The Virtuous Circle of Sustainable Welfare as a Transformative Policy”. Sustainability 12, 391, 1-15. doi:10.3390/su12010391

Instituto Nacional de Estatística (INE). 2019. “Destaque à comunicação social - Conta Satélite da Economia Social 2016”. https://cases.pt/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/19ContaSatEconSocial_2016.pdf

Instituto Nacional de Estatística (INE). 2021. “Rendimento e Condições de Vida 2020 (Dados provisórios)”. https://www.ine.pt/ngt_server/attachfileu.jsp?look_parentBoui=482413323&att_display=n&att_download=y

International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD). (2021). “Oslo Rountable on Sustainable Production and Consumption”. https://enb.iisd.org/consume/oslo004.html

Ivankina, Lubov and Tatjana Latygovskaya. 2015. “Modern social welfare in the light of the sustainability model” Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 166, 111-115. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877042814066312

Jorge, Miriam. 2015. “A cultura da sustentabilidade social, um instrumento de humanização. Dissertação Mestrado. Universidade de Coimbra.

Leitão, Alexandra. 2015. “Economia circular: uma nova filosofia de gestão para o séc. XXI”. Portuguese Journal of Finance, Management and Accounting 1, nº2 (September): 149-171.

Lötter, HPP. 2007. “The moral challenge of poverty's impact on individuals”. Koers 72, nº 2, 261-282.

Lalanda, Piedade.2013. Governo dos Açores é parceiro da Rede de Lojas Eco Solidárias. Jornal Açoriano Oriental, 10 .05.2013. https://www.acorianooriental.pt/noticia/governo-dos-acores-e-parceiro-da-rede-de-lojas-eco-solidarias

Luz, Helena. 2020. “Cidades Sociais” e economia social circular- cruzamentos para a equação da sustentabilidade urbana do futuro”. Intelcities, August, 2020.

Martin, Chris. 2016. “The sharing economy: A pathway to sustainability or a nightmarish form of neoliberal capitalism?” Ecological Economics 121,149–159. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2015.11.027

Mairie Paris and Agence de L'environnement et de la Maitrise de L'energie. (ADEME). 2015. “Livre blanc de l'économie circulaire du Grand Paris”. http://temis.documentation.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/docs/Temis/0084/Temis-0084165/22459.pdf

Marks, Stephen. 2017. “Human Rights: A Brief Introduction”. Harvard University

Ministério da Solidariedade, Emprego e Segurança Social. 2014. “Decreto-Lei n.º 172-A/2014”. Diário da República, 1.ª série, 221 (novembro): 5882-(2)- 5882-(26). https://data.dre.pt/eli/dec-lei/172-a/2014/11/14/p/dre/pt/html

Milios, Leonidas. 2018. “Advancing to a Circular Economy: three essential ingredients for a comprehensive policy mix”. Sustainability Science 13, 861–878. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-017-0502-9

Muñiz, Noel.2019. “¿Qué entendemos por bienestar inclusivo y sostenible?” Orkestra Instituto Vasco de Competitividad. https://www.orkestra.deusto.es

Noya, Antonella and Emma Clarence, eds. 2007. The Social Economy Building Inclusive Economies. OECD.

Ng, Alex, Abdul Farinda, Fock Kan, Ai Lim, and Teo Ting. 2013. "Poverty: Its Causes and Solutions". International Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 7, nº 8, 2471 - 2479.

Observatório da Economia Social em Portugal (OBESP). 2011. “A Economia Social: Conceito Proposto pelo OBESP”. https://cases.pt/wp-content/uploads/OBESP_Conceito_de_Economia_social_09_DEZ_2011.pdf
O’Riordan, Timothy. 2013. “Sustainability for wellbeing”. Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions 6, 24- 34. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.eist.2012.12.001

Osmani, Siddiqur. 2005. “Poverty and Human Rights: Building on the Capability Approach” Journal of Human Development 6, nº 2, 205-219. doi: 10.1080/14649880500120541

Preston, Felix. 2012. “A Global Redesign? Shaping the Circular Economy”. Energy, Environment and Resource Governance, 2, 1-20. https://www.chathamhouse.org/sites/files/chathamhouse/public/Research/Energy,%20Environment%20and%20Development/bp0312_preston.pdf

Portal dos dados abertos da Administração Pública. 2021. “Lojas Sociais”. Retrieved at 20 may 2021. https://dados.gov.pt/pt/datasets/lojas-sociais/#_

Koumparou, Dimitra. 2018. “Circular Economy and Social Sustainability”. Proceedings of Solid Waste Management & its Contribution to Circular Economy, (December): 14 - 15.

Ribeiro, Leonor. 2020. “Economia Social e Economia Circular: Articulações Indutoras da Sustentabilidade Social e o Papel do Serviço Social no Contexto de Lojas Sociais” Dissertação Mestrado., Universidade de Coimbra.

Rogers, Deborah, Anantha Duraiappah, Daniela Antons, Pablo Munoz, Xuemei Bai, Michail Fragkias and Heinz Gutscher. 2012. “A vision for human well-being: transition to social sustainability”. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability 4:61–73. DOI 10.1016/j.cosust.2012.01.013

Social Economy Europe. 2015. “Social Economy…Taking back the initiative Proposals to make the social economy into a pillar of the European Union”. Social Economy Europe. www.socialeconomy.eu.org

SUSY Consortium. 2018. “Maximizing Dignity through social and solidarity economy”. www.solidarityeconomy.eu

Sachs, Jeffrey. 2005. The End of Poverty - Economic Possibilities for Our time. New York: Penguim Press.

The Hunger Project. 2021. Poverty. New York: The Hunger Project. https://thp.org/what-we-do/issues/poverty/

United Nations. 2002. “Report of the World Summit on Sustainable Development”. https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/478154

United Nations. 2015. “Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 25 September 2015 -Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”. https://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/migration/generalassembly/docs/globalcompact/A_RES_70_1_E.pdf

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). 2015. Sustainable Consumption and Production - A Handbook for Policymakers- Global Edition. UNEP.

Vadakkepatt, Gautham, Karen Winterichb, Vikas Mittalc, Walter Beitelspachere, John Aloysiusf, Jessica Gingerg and Julie Reilmanh. 2021. “Sustainable Retailing”. Journal of Retailing 97, nº1, 62–80. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretai.2020.10.008

Walker, Robert. 2005. Social Security and Welfare: Concepts and Comparisons. Berkshire: Open University Press.
World Bank. 2015. Ending Poverty and Hunger by 2030 An Agenda for the Global Food System. Washington: World Bank Group

World Bank. 2001.World Development Report 2000/2001: Attacking Poverty. New York: Oxford University Press. https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/11856

World Bank. 2020. Poverty and Shared Prosperity 2020: Reversals of Fortune. Washington: The World Bank Group. https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstream/handle/10986/34496/9781464816024.pdf

Published

2022-01-25

How to Cite

da Luz, H. R. . (2022). Boosting welfare sustainability by solidarity: Opportunities resulting from circular social economy in Portugal. The National Administration Review, 12(2), e3983. https://doi.org/10.22458/rna.v12i2.3983
Loading...