The Lure of the Local: Relocalizing Communities and Organizations

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The Lure of the LocalRelocalizing Communities
and Organizations

• Margaret Adamek, PhD
• Extension Research Fellow
• UMN Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships
• Small Town Symposium Morris, MN
• June 4, 2008

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What is globalization?

• The process of designing, developing, and
  adapting a product for distribution in multiple
  countries
• (www.net-translators.com/ safot/translation_
  glossary. asp)

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What is globalization?

• A growing interdependence of people around the
  world with regard to societal influence,
  economies, and cultural exchanges.
• (http//www.csa.com/discoveryguides/afraid/gloss.p
  hp)

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What is globalization?

• the virtualization of experience, knowledge, and
  innovation so that intellectual property created
  can travel from anywhere to anywhere quickly,
  easily and at minimal cost
• (Steve Bosserman,
• Diary of a Knowledge Broker)

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What is the aim of globalization?

• Move technology to areas of world w/labor cost
  advantage
• Ship goods produced or services back to
  originating point of technology
• Increase market worldwide
• Ramp up subsequent sales in low-cost countries
• (Steve Bosserman, Diary of a Knowledge Broker)

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Emerging and Relevant Factors
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Newtons 3rd Law of Motion

• To every action there is an equal and opposite
  reaction.

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A pendulum swing?
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A pendulum swing?
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Paradigms of Rural Economic Development

• Globalization Model
• Built on local production base
• Export model
• Industrial parks
• Local jobs for non-local products

• Localization Model
• Built on local consumption base as source of
  income and growth
• Investments in re-localization result in ripple
  effect of local consumption-related jobs
• Reshape local consumption patterns
• (Markusen, 2006)

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Will localization replace globalization?
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A New Paradigm Localization

• The emerging paradigm from the coming age of
  connectivity shows a totally opposite point of
  view, expressed by individuals with the claim
  "think global-act hyperlocal".
• Reinhard Knobelspie
• (http//www.hyperlocal.org/)

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Localization is Zone Zero
the place where we live and work the people with
whom we live and work
(Relocalization and the Regeneration of
Community, Michael Brownlee)
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What is localization?

• the production of goods near to end users to
  reduce environ-mental and other external costs
• (wikipedia)

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What is localization?

• The shrinkage of distance between the point of
  production and the point of utilization or
  consumption. It is the conversion of bits and
  bytes into material form as close as possible to
  where that form will be used.
• (Steve Bosserman, Diary of a Knowledge Broker)

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The vision of localization

• A revolution that contains, rather than replaces,
  all prior revolutions.
• Industrial production merges with personal
  expression, which merges with digital design, to
  bring common sense and sensibility to creation
  and application of advanced technologies.
• A future based on widespread access to the means
  for invention rather than one based on
  technocracy.
• (Neil Gershenfeld, http//www.agroblogger.com/tag/
  appropriate-technology)

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Ideal Characteristics of Localization

• Smaller
• Faster
• Stronger
• More embedded
• More intelligent
• Contextual

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Four Quadrants of Localization
global resource network
local community base
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What is RE-localization?

• a strategy to build societies based on the local
  production of food, energy and goods, and the
  local development of currency, governance and
  culture
• (Relocalization Institute, www.relocalize.net/abou
  t/ relocalization)

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What is RE-localization?

• the process by which communities localize their
  economies and essential systems, such as food and
  energy production, water, money, culture,
  governance, media, and ownership
• (http//www.boulderrelocalization.org/relocalizati
  on/index.htm)

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Relocalization

• mandates a drastic reduction in consumption and
  advocates an increase in the local production of
  goods

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Relocalization

• a self sustaining ecosystem of entities working
  on localization

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Drivers for Change to Re-localization

• Fossil fuel economy
• Technology how people appropriate it
• Smaller, faster, stronger, more embedded
  intelligent
• Facilitates localization due to scaling back of
  expense (e.g. cost of shipping, etc)
• Development of domain experts accelerates rate of
  local market application
• Proximity matters

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Relocalization A Networked Movement

• Births a parallel public infrastructure
• Develops bioregions comprised of locally
  interdependent ecocities, eco-towns, sustainable
  food production, and wild areas. Relies on the
  memories of the elders, the wisdom and practices
  of indigenous people
• Led by non-governmental groups working on
  localization, entrepreneurs that want to improve
  the community, dedicated local government
  officials and individuals who understand the
  importance of preparing for an energy-constrained
  future.

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Changing Paradigm of Energy
ENERGY
Globalization Start w/global demand draw from
productive capacity wherever it can be found at
lowest cost
Localization Care for local community Move to
surplus into increasingly distant remote markets
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Current state of alternative energy

• Complex sector which lacks definition or simple
  structure
• Lack of cohesive/cost-effective distribution
  network w/difficulties in delivering product in
  correct quantity and timeframe
• Broad range of expertise required by consumers
  interested in alternatives
• Lack of one-stop resources
• Cost of initial investment development
  dominated by micro-businesses
• Constraints imposed by legislation and
  bureaucracy
• Minnesota cant produce all products demanded by
  consumers in cost-effective manner

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e.g. beer

• St. Louis/Globalization
• HUGE breweries
• Supplies produced elsewhere
• Workers local
• Beer shipped out everywhere else
• Based on consistent flavor and price point

• Portland/Localization
• Microbreweries
• Supplies sourced locally
• Workers local
• Beer stays in region to meet local consumption
  demand
• Based on craftsmanship and flavor of place

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• There is a great need for a culture of guerilla
  relocalisationa movement that would have as its
  goal to partially prepare communities so that
  they may coalesce more readily into autonomous
  regions when the need becomes apparent.
•  
• ("What to do in a Failing Civilization, David M.
  Delaney)