COMMUNITY INITIATIVES AND SOCIAL INNOVATION AS PATHWAYS TO SOCIO-TERRITORIAL TRANSFORMATION AND DEGROWTH

This thesis explores the role of alternative economies in mitigating socio-economic and environmental shortcomings, such as inequality and environmental degradation, of conventional capitalism. It postulates that community-led initiatives, rooted in the frameworks of community economies and social innovation, are pivotal for engendering socio-territorial transformations and potentially fostering degrowth. Focusing on empirical evidence from France—particularly through "La Doume," a local currency project, and "Le Biau Jardin," an organic farm that promotes localised food supply chains in Clermont-Ferrand—the research investigates how these initiatives can stimulate socio-territorial transformation processes. In conjunction with other satellite projects within the so-called 'French Empty Diagonal,' results from these case studies challenge the notion of territorial emptiness, uncovering a landscape rich in social innovation and economic activities that bolster regional dynamism. Beyond this conceptual redefinition, the research further posits that these areas are fertile hubs for sustainable development with the potential to drive wider socio-economic changes. Utilising an ethnographic approach, the study examines how these initiatives contribute to a degrowth strategy in a post-growth context. It advocates fora paradigm shift towards economic models that prioritise social justice, economic equity, and ecological sustainability.