Friends of the Earth believes that our economic system should serve communities and the environment, not the other way round. Yet the dominant economic thinking of our time—often referred to as neoliberalism—puts greed and private interests ahead of people and environment. Friends of the Earth supports community resistance to this extreme form of economics and is proud to incorporate economic justice into our campaigns. It’s essential to have empowered communities challenging the narrow interests of multinational corporations that exploit communities and profiteering from environmental destruction.
Friends of the Earth’s Food Co-op and Café and support for the Earthworker co-op demonstrates sustainable business models, while collaborations with the union movement and other community groups has held decision-makers to account for ‘free trade’ deals (such as the Transpacific Partnership) that threaten communities and the environment. Our Vision
• Restructure economic systems to increase equality, a clean environment, and a world with healthy ecosystems. A more equal society will be more capable or responding to climate change and ecological crises.
• That international trade deals have social and environmental justice at their core, rather than corporate greed.
• To remove undemocratic Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) clauses from internation narrow corporate interest.
FoE Groups Working on the Issue
• Friends of the Earth Melbourne Economic Justice Collective – working to stop the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement with community and union groups
• FoE Food Co-op
• Earthworker Co-op
Economics for Earth News
Capitalism and Neo-liberal policies are driving causes of much of the destruction we see on the planet today – we believe there is a better way to do things. Here we go again. The long campaign against the environment movement As the environment and climate movements grow in power and influence, various conservative and anti-environmental forces have… Read more. Senate Committee puts final nail in TPP coffin. Friends of the Earth Australia welcomes the majority report finalising the Senate Committee Inquiry into the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP). Whilst we concur with… Read more. Trump withdraws US from TPP, Turnbull must concede trade deal is dead. After six years of campaigning by grassroots groups across 12 countries, US President Donald Trump has formally begun the process to withdraw from… Read more.