Kate Raworth (born 13 December 1970) is an English economist known for "doughnut economics", an economic model that balances between essential human needs and planetary boundaries.[1] Raworth is senior associate at Oxford University’s Environmental Change Institute and a Professor of Practice at Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences.

Kate Raworth
Kate Raworth in 2018
Born (1970-12-13) 13 December 1970 (age 53)
NationalityBritish
SpouseRoman Krznaric
Children2
RelativesSophie Raworth (sister)
Academic career
InstitutionsUniversity of Oxford
University of Cambridge
Alma materUniversity of Oxford (BA, MSc)
InfluencesTim Jackson, Elinor Ostrom
Websitekateraworth.com

Family and education

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Raworth was born in 1970 to a florist mother and a businessman father; she has an older sister, Sophie.[2] She grew up in Twickenham[3] in Middlesex, and attended St Paul's Girls School.[4] She then studied Politics, Philosophy and Economics at the University of Oxford, influenced by Andrew Graham. She achieved first-class honours, and followed this with an MSc in Development Economics. Raworth holds an honorary doctorate from Business School Lausanne.[5]

Career

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From 1994 to 1997, Raworth worked to promote micro-enterprise development in Zanzibar as a fellow of the Overseas Development Institute. From 1997 to 2001, she was an economist and co-author of the United Nations Development Programme's Human Development Report, writing chapters on globalization, new technologies, resource consumption, and human rights. From 2002 to 2013, Raworth was a senior researcher at Oxfam.[6] She is currently[as of?] a senior research associate, tutor, and advisory board member of the Environmental Change Institute of the University of Oxford,[7][8] a senior associate at the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership,[9] and a member of the advisory board at the ZOE Institute for Future-fit Economies.[10]

In 2017, Raworth published Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st-Century Economist[11] which elaborates on her concept of doughnut economics, first developed in her 2012 paper, A Safe and Just Space for Humanity. Her 2017 book is a robust counter-proposal to mainstream economic thinking,[according to whom?] and she advocates for conditions to create a sustainable economy. Raworth argues for a radical re-consideration of the foundations of economic science, and is particularly critical of the outdated principle of unfettered growth, in that it is destructive of planetary resources while ill-serving human needs including quality of life.[12] Instead of focusing on the growth of the economy, Raworth focuses on a model where there can be ensured that everyone on earth has access to their basic needs, such as adequate food and education, while not limiting opportunities for future generations by protecting the ecosystem.[13][14][15] The book was longlisted for the 2017 Financial Times and McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award.

In 2020, Raworth was inaugurated as professor of practice at Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences.[16] In this role, she serves as a strategic advisor to the Doughnut Hub: a place where students, lecturers, and researchers, in collaboration with stakeholders in the Amsterdam area, develop knowledge based on the principles of her work.[citation needed]

In 2021, Raworth was appointed to the World Health Organization's Council on the Economics of Health For All, chaired by Mariana Mazzucato.[17]

Personal life

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Raworth lives in Oxford.[18] She is married to Roman Krznaric, an Australian philosopher. They met in New York, and are the parents of twins.[19] Her sister Sophie Raworth is a BBC journalist and broadcaster.[20]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "What on Earth is the Doughnut?…". 28 April 2013.
  2. ^ Hermione Eyre (19 February 2006). "Sophie Raworth: The autocutie with brains". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 13 June 2023. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  3. ^ Buckland, Danny (26 July 2006). "The £50 million secret garden". The Telegraph.
  4. ^ "The planet's economist". The Guardian. 8 June 2023. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  5. ^ "Kate Raworth". Great Transition Initiative. 14 April 2015. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  6. ^ "Kate Raworth". Our World. United Nations University. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  7. ^ "Finding the sweet-spot for the planet and humans: Kate Raworth to present her 'Big Idea' of doughnut economics for the 21st Century at the ECI". Environmental Change Institute. University of Oxford. 4 October 2017. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  8. ^ "About". Kate Raworth. 28 April 2013.
  9. ^ "Kate Raworth, Senior Associate — Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership". University of Cambridge. 5 November 2014.
  10. ^ "Prof Kate Raworth – ZOE Institute for Future-fit Economies". Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  11. ^ "Search Results for Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st-Century Economist | Penguin Random House".
  12. ^ Toye, Richard (8 June 2017). "Doughnut Economics by Kate Raworth review – forget growth, think survival". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  13. ^ "Book Review: Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think like a 21st-Century Economist by Kate Raworth". 17 June 2018.
  14. ^ Hughes, Kate (6 March 2018). "Only doughnut economics can save us, says influential 'renegade economist' Kate Raworth". i (newspaper). Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  15. ^ Nugent, Ciara (22 January 2021). "Amsterdam Is Embracing a Radical New Economic Theory to Help Save the Environment. Could It Also Replace Capitalism?". Time. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
  16. ^ "Kate Raworth inaugurated as first AUAS Professor of Practice - AUAS".
  17. ^ "Global experts of new WHO Council on the Economics of Health For All announced". World Health Organization. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
  18. ^ "Kate Raworth - Chelsea Green Publishing". www.chelseagreen.com. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
  19. ^ "The planet's economist". The Guardian. 8 June 2023. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  20. ^ "Cultureshock | Life and style | The Guardian". amp.theguardian.com. Retrieved 30 April 2023.

Further reading

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  • Raworth, Kate (2017). Doughnut economics: seven ways to think like a 21st-century economist. New York, United States: Random House. ISBN 978-184794138-1.
  • Raworth, Kate (2019). "Chapter 25: A new economics". This Is Not a Drill: An Extinction Rebellion Handbook. Penguin Books. pp. 146–154. ISBN 9780141991443.
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