Au-delà de la croissance - Une feuille de route pour éradiquer la pauvreté – Olivier De Schutter

Au-delà de la croissance - Une feuille de route pour éradiquer la pauvreté – Olivier De Schutter

by Université de Lausanne

Humanities, Social Sciences & Thought Economics & Finance KCSEconomic systems and structuresKCSVDegrowth
🎙 Université de Lausanne 👥 36K 📅 April 30, 2026 ⏱ 132 min 👁 969 📄 expert opinion 🧭 2026-08-02
Available in: English (current) Français

Keywords

poverty eradicationpost-growthsustainable developmentsocial protectionecological limits

Summary

In this conference at the University of Lausanne, Olivier De Schutter, UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, presents the ‘Roadmap for eradicating poverty beyond growth’. He begins by acknowledging the work of Julia Steinberger and colleagues on growth dependencies, referencing a systematic review of 248 studies identifying 112 growth dependencies. He then traces the historical origins of GDP as a measure, developed by Simon Kuznets in the 1930s, and explains how Western economies became addicted to growth after the 1973 oil crisis. He describes the ‘Fordist compromise’ of the post-war era, where growth was shared among shareholders, the state, and households, enabling social protection and poverty reduction. However, he argues that this model is now facing three main impasses: ecological limits (exceeding planetary boundaries), social limits (rising inequality and precariousness), and economic limits (diminishing returns of growth). He then presents the alternative: a roadmap that decouples poverty eradication from growth, focusing on universal social protection, progressive taxation, and the redistribution of wealth and power. The roadmap includes measures such as a global wealth tax, minimum income schemes, and the strengthening of public services. He emphasizes the need to shift from a growth-dependent economy to a well-being economy that respects human rights and planetary boundaries. The conference concludes with a panel discussion and Q&A session.

217 words

Critical Evaluation

The conference provides a compelling and well-argued case for rethinking poverty eradication in a post-growth context. Olivier De Schutter, as a UN Special Rapporteur, brings authoritative expertise and a human rights perspective, grounding his arguments in international law and empirical evidence. He references a systematic review of 248 studies identifying 112 growth dependencies, which lends scientific credibility to his claims about the structural barriers to decoupling. The historical analysis of the Fordist compromise is clear and helps contextualize the current crisis. The presentation is logically structured, moving from diagnosis to proposal, and the roadmap is presented as a concrete policy framework. However, the talk is primarily an expert opinion rather than an original study, and while it cites the systematic review, it does not provide detailed methodological scrutiny. The roadmap’s proposals, such as a global wealth tax and universal basic services, are ambitious but may face political feasibility challenges, which are not deeply explored. The speaker acknowledges the need for political mobilization but does not delve into the practical obstacles. The adéquation between title and content is excellent, as the talk directly addresses the roadmap. The audience’s questions, if any, are not included in the transcript, but the panel discussion likely added depth. Overall, the conference is highly informative and rigorous, suitable for an academic audience, and contributes to the discourse on sustainable development and social justice.

227 words

Title / Content Match

The title accurately reflects the content, which focuses on a roadmap to eradicate poverty beyond economic growth.

Quality & Reliability

9/10

The speaker is a renowned UN Special Rapporteur with extensive academic credentials, and the content is based on a recently published UN roadmap. The presentation is well-structured, references a systematic review of 248 studies, and is hosted by a university, ensuring academic rigor.

Chapters

Cited Sources

  • Roadmap for eradicating poverty beyond growth — The roadmap is a key output of the UN Special Rapporteur's mandate, presented in this conference.
  • Systematic review of growth dependencies — Referenced as a study involving Julia Steinberger that identified 112 growth dependencies from 248 studies.

Concurring Sources

  • Doughnut Economics — The concept of balancing social and ecological limits is central to the roadmap.
  • IPES-Food — Olivier De Schutter co-chairs this panel, which focuses on sustainable food systems, relevant to his broader work.

Dissenting Sources

Contribution & Novelties

The conference introduces the ‘Roadmap for eradicating poverty beyond growth’, a policy framework that challenges the conventional reliance on economic growth for poverty reduction. It synthesizes existing research on growth dependencies and proposes concrete measures such as universal social protection, progressive taxation, and a global wealth tax. The novelty lies in integrating human rights law with ecological economics, offering a rights-based approach to post-growth policies.

Pour aller plus loin :

  • Doughnut Economics — A model for sustainable development that balances social foundations and ecological ceilings, relevant to the roadmap’s approach.
  • Universal Basic Services — A policy concept that could complement the roadmap’s proposals for social protection.
  • Post-growth — A broader movement and academic field that questions the primacy of GDP growth, aligning with the conference’s themes.

126 words

Radar Profile

The radar profile shows high scores in quantity and quality of information, reflecting the depth and reliability of the content. The technical level is moderate, indicating accessibility to a general academic audience. The overall reliability is high, consistent with the speaker's expertise and the institutional setting.

Reliability 9/10