Bioregional health
Devon Doughnut
A collaborative initiative led by the Bioregional Learning Centre to co-design a Devon Doughnut, adapting Kate Raworth's Doughnut Economics model to create a regenerative and just economy for the region.
The Devon Doughnut project, initiated in October 2020, brings together a diverse collective of over 170 individuals, community representatives, NGOs, academics, and councillors.
This group, known as the Devon Doughnut Collective, has contributed over £36,000 of in-kind volunteer professional time to develop a comprehensive framework for measuring and improving Devon's social and environmental wellbeing.
Key aspects of the project include:
- Adapting the Doughnut Economics model to Devon's unique context, considering both urban and rural areas.
- Establishing contextualized indicators and 'twinned thresholds' for each domain, with parallel pathways to action for policy-makers and citizens.
- Creating a baseline while also revealing innovative actions on human wellbeing, livelihoods, biodiversity, and climate change.
- Developing a framework that goes beyond sustainability to promote regenerative practices.
The Devon Doughnut has gained recognition locally, nationally, and internationally as a leading example of applying Doughnut Economics principles to a whole region. In 2021, the Collective won an international Aix-Marseille University placemaking award in the Economy Development category.
The project is structured around three key task streams:
- Strategy: Developing a unifying process that connects different levels and sectors.
- Metrics: Identifying keystone indicators, doughnut segments, dashboards, and scale.
- Participation/Outreach: Focusing on communications, public programs, and widespread engagement.
The Devon Doughnut aims to provide a tool for citizens and policymakers to realistically take stock and measure change towards making Devon a more just place to live and work. It is designed to evolve and adapt as it is put into use across the region.
"Councils across Devon have made pledges to become carbon neutral by 2030, but response to climate change is largely promoted as an issue of personal responsibility. Commitment to the systemic pathways that would get us there more consciously is lacking. To remedy this lack, the process we’re developing is a way for Devon’s citizens to better understand the relationships between domains and to co-design pathways to action.”
