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
