In dialogue - consumption

Viewpoints and trends on key issues related to Cotton made in Africa

The Greening of Green
How the “green” lifestyle is changing markets and consumers

Cars no longer pollute the air. Instead, fenders dotted with algae perform photosynthesis, generating oxygen and turning gas guzzlers into air fresheners. Homes no longer suck up energy. Instead, they produce more than they consume. Dinner is whatever the farmer next door happens to be selling. These are not idle fantasies, but visionary ideas taken from an ecological movement that sees itself as marching to the beat of a different drum. They call themselves “Lohas,” subscribe to “Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability,” and are poised to take over the world.

Their approach argues that consumption and sustainable, ecologically friendly, and fair production are not mutually exclusive, but can be combined. If products are healthful, organically produced, and fairly traded, nothing stands between consumers and their desires – but the economy goes topsy-turvy. And not just the economy, as Matthias Horx, founder of the Future Institute, writes in an anthology by its current fellows: “Ecology is poised to become the leitmotif of our century, the value system that lends significance to all realms of life.” What that means has been researched in scrupulous detail by authors Eike Wenzel, Anja Kirig and Christian Rauch. They examined developments in both our markets and our lifestyles. What emerged from their efforts is not a mountain of data, but a peephole into a future that has already begun: the synthesis between ecology and the economy.

The Lohas are everywhere

The beginnings came with “whole grain freaks and biodynamic missionaries” who dreamed of dropping out of mainstream society. Today’s “granolas” differ in more than name: “Lohas” have become a mass movement situated within mainstream culture, the authors contend. “They seek to reconcile health and enjoyment, lifestyle and responsibility; they are a new consumer avant-garde, and in the foreseeable future, they will make up one-third of the German population.” And Lohas are ensuring that our economy turns a sustainable shade of green. The paradigm shift will take place under the banner of “greenomics,” triggered by concerns about climate change, Wenzel, Kirig, and Rauch argue.

The food industry led the way by demonstrating that ideals like health, enjoyment, ecological balance, sustainability, and quality of life are reflected in the bottom line. The organic supermarket chains Alnatura and Basic, for example, have recorded double-digit revenue growth several years in a row. Alnatura’s growth for 2006 was 26 percent over 2005, up to 182 million Euros. Basic grew in the same period by 37 percent, to 72.6 million Euros. But the trend is even more widespread, the authors say: “In coming years, these same criteria will transform financial services, high tech, and the automobile industry into Lohas markets and will play a crucial role in determining the viability of economic regions in global competition.”

Doing well by doing good

The key factor in success is quality, regardless of the industry and regardless of what needs are being met. “Handcrafts, originals, basics – in a word, authenticity – is more important to Lohas than entertainment and distraction.” That begins with product design. Take Google, for example: The popular gateway to the internet is pure functionality. A mere six services await the user. At MSN the figure is 50, at Yahoo more than 60. “Feature hedonism, the conglomeration of options on cell phones, online, at the stove, or on a bicycle: All that belongs to the industrial world of yesterday,” the authors say. Design today has the task of easing access to what is truly essential – to the nature of things – including open space, and nature in particular: For Lohas, the preservation of nature is a central concern.

When Lohas go on vacation, for example, they use the online emissions calculator from atmosfair.com to determine how much their flights burden the environment and determine the cost in Euros of equivalent mitigation through climate protection projects. When they invest in the stock market, they concentrate exclusively on environmentally conscious and sustainable funds that take not only ecological but social and ethical repercussions into account. Or when they turn their attention to their own bodies: Instead of synthetic products, Lohas reach for natural cosmetics not under suspicion as allergens or carcinogens, and free of novel compounds subject to animal testing.

Greenomics, the Lohas’ economic theory, does not confine sustainability to spicing up food alone. It is also seen influencing fashion and leisure, tourism, and housing construction and habitation. This little green book provides information on its scope and manifestations, along with a Who’s Who of ecological entrepreneurs, ideas, and futuristic visions. Its reassuring message: With the rise of the Lohas, the fate of the planet may be in good hands.

Review by Florian Michl
Photo: Paul Hahn, laif

Book:
Eike Wenzel, Anja Kirig, and Christian Rauch:
Greenomics.
Wie der grüne Lifestyle Märkte und Konsumenten verändert.
Redline Wirtschaft, München 2008.
220 pages, 19.90 Euros (in German).