Can Doughnut Economics fill Amsterdam’s dietary needs? : a critical examination of the city’s new circular and climate strategy

Abstract

The thesis explores Amsterdam’s engagement with Doughnut Economics as a conceptual tool with policy implications to become an ecologically safe and socially just city. The Doughnut wishes to harmonize humanity’s well-being with Earth’s planetary resources. Accordingly, this research asks: “to what extent and under what conditions can Doughnut Economics be a tool for transformative action within the city of Amsterdam?” This dissertation examines what players gather to form coalitions to advocate for the Doughnut implementation. Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF) and systems thinking provide the theoretical frameworks, and a qualitative methodology supports the primary data collection. The interview findings suggest that there is a fruitful ACF in the city thanks to fluid and diffused actors’ alignments. From its theoretical base, the Doughnut becomes a tool with policy application through the actors’ capacity to align, create learning processes and bring policy change forward in the city.