{"id":14959,"date":"2024-10-03T14:33:42","date_gmt":"2024-10-03T13:33:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/?p=14959"},"modified":"2024-10-03T14:37:33","modified_gmt":"2024-10-03T13:37:33","slug":"agrowth-the-agnostic-approach-part-one","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/news\/2024\/10\/agrowth-the-agnostic-approach-part-one\/","title":{"rendered":"Agrowth: The Agnostic Approach &#8211; Part One"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-cover alignfull curved-bottom\"><span aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-cover__background has-background-dim-0 has-background-dim\"><\/span><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" src=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/simon-wilkes-S297j2CsdlM-unsplash-scaled.jpg\" class=\"wp-block-cover__image-background wp-post-image\" alt=\"Tree\" data-object-fit=\"cover\" srcset=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/simon-wilkes-S297j2CsdlM-unsplash-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/simon-wilkes-S297j2CsdlM-unsplash-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/simon-wilkes-S297j2CsdlM-unsplash-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/simon-wilkes-S297j2CsdlM-unsplash-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/simon-wilkes-S297j2CsdlM-unsplash-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/simon-wilkes-S297j2CsdlM-unsplash-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><div class=\"wp-block-cover__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-cover-is-layout-flow\"><h1 class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-post-title\">Agrowth: The Agnostic Approach &#8211; Part One<\/h1><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-date\"><time datetime=\"2024-10-03T14:33:42+01:00\">3 October 2024<\/time><\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"lead\"><strong>We continue our series with this&nbsp;lesser-known economic model that <\/strong><strong>avoids both growth and degrowth.<\/strong> <strong>Agrowth advocates for indifference toward Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth and prioritises broader social goals like environmental sustainability and social welfare.<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We continue our&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/news\/?tag=economics&amp;category_name=\">series exploring alternative economics models<\/a>. Here, in the first of two parts, we look at Agrowth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The \u201cALMOST AGNOSTIC, ATHEISTIC\u201d OPTION<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>We were first introduced to agrowth economics during our&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/news\/2021\/10\/a-booming-success-population-matters-2021-conference\/\">\u2018<em>Boom or Bust? Economy, wellbeing and population<\/em>\u2019<\/a> conference,&nbsp;by Professor Jeroen van den Bergh from the Universitat Aut\u00f2noma de Barcelona. Unlike traditional growth models, agrowth &#8211; an idea developed by van den Bergh &#8211; emphasises that growth is neither inherently good nor bad. Its value depends on societal and environmental contexts. Van den Bergh <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=2JYR1KVp-A8&amp;list=PLoSGXu2qwXzHAHIjz7XxTiO1IWDy87Ete&amp;t=18s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">explains<\/a> that it\u2019s better to be <em>\u201calmost agnostic or atheistic\u201d<\/em> about growth.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull has-blue-background-color has-background is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Jeroen van den Bergh, Population Matters Conference 2021: Agrowth and sustainability\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/2JYR1KVp-A8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>This <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/idea-of-green-growth-losing-traction-among-climate-policy-researchers-survey-of-nearly-800-academics-reveals-213434\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">&#8220;neutral&#8221;<\/a> model suggests that policy decisions should aim for broader goals like environmental health and social equality, without being constrained by the pursuit of GDP increases. Like other models we\u2019re <a href=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/news\/2024\/09\/doughnut-economics-bold-blueprint-for-a-sustainable-future\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">exploring<\/a>, agrowth prioritises wellbeing, sustainability and environmental preservation. However, its distinguishing feature is its indifference toward &#8220;growth&#8221;, remaining <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whp-journals.co.uk\/JPS\/article\/view\/632\/387\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">critical<\/a> of both green growth and degrowth. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><em>If people cannot be convinced that policies will not harm growth then such policies will not receive majority support. What we know for sure is that current growth is not sustainable and that for a while, during a transition phase, it will remain unsustainable&#8230;One way out of this dilema is to refrain from trying to convince voters and politicians that green growth is possible.\u201d<\/em> <\/p>\n<cite>Professor van den Bergh<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>To van den Bergh they \u2018<a href=\"https:\/\/www.whp-journals.co.uk\/JPS\/article\/view\/632\/387\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">signal fear<\/a> that serious climate policies will reduce the rate of economic growth\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Don&#8217;t shrink the economy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Professor van den Bergh expresses scepticism toward ideas such as shrinking the market economy, zero growth, negative GDP growth, reduced consumption, work time reduction, or anti-capitalist perspectives, describing them as <em>\u201ctoo radical and ultimately ineffective.\u201d<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" src=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/simon-wilkes-S297j2CsdlM-unsplash-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Tree\" class=\"wp-image-14960\" srcset=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/simon-wilkes-S297j2CsdlM-unsplash-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/simon-wilkes-S297j2CsdlM-unsplash-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/simon-wilkes-S297j2CsdlM-unsplash-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/simon-wilkes-S297j2CsdlM-unsplash-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/simon-wilkes-S297j2CsdlM-unsplash-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/simon-wilkes-S297j2CsdlM-unsplash-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>He argues that capitalism is the only system capable of efficiently serving the global economy and its vast population through markets.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><em>Returning to barter trades or completely localised economies isn&#8217;t feasible, especially as we confront climate change.\u201d<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<cite>Professor van den Bergh<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>For him, degrowth approaches focused on reducing income or consumption are too crude to effectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions. He proposes agrowth as a more subtle and practical alternative.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In his research, van den Bergh and his team explored public and scientific opinions on green growth, agrowth and degrowth. The team discovered that while green growth was the most popular, agrowth was more popular than degrowth, especially among scientists &#8211; something he found &#8220;promising.&#8221;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>THE \u201cAGROWTH MENTALITY\u201d TRANSITION WORTH A TRY?<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>According to Bergh, we should view agrowth as an opportunity to reduce the polarisation between pro- and anti-growth camps. One reason for resistance to economic transition is that politicians often become nervous when GDP growth slows. The fear is their country will lose international status if they show no growth compared to others. Agrowth aims to bridge the divide between pro-growth and anti-growth advocates. It looks to foster a more constructive debate on sustainability and climate policies.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Under an agrowth strategy, periods of high, low, zero and even negative growth could alternate with one another, as long as environmentally sustainability and progress in terms of welfare were guaranteed.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>_________________________________________________<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is part one of <em>Agrowth: The Agnostic Approach<\/em>.<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fpopulationmatters.org%2Fnews%2F2024%2F09%2Fbuen-vivir-the-good-life-for-people-and-planet-part-one%2F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-popmat-share\"><a class=\"fb-share\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fpopulationmatters.org%2Fnews%2F2024%2F10%2Fagrowth-the-agnostic-approach-part-one%2F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><div><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\"><path d=\"M400 32H48A48 48 0 0 0 0 80v352a48 48 0 0 0 48 48h137.25V327.69h-63V256h63v-54.64c0-62.15 37-96.48 93.67-96.48 27.14 0 55.52 4.84 55.52 4.84v61h-31.27c-30.81 0-40.42 19.12-40.42 38.73V256h68.78l-11 71.69h-57.78V480H400a48 48 0 0 0 48-48V80a48 48 0 0 0-48-48z\"><\/path><\/svg> Share<\/div><\/a><a class=\"tw-share\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpopulationmatters.org%2Fnews%2F2024%2F10%2Fagrowth-the-agnostic-approach-part-one%2F&amp;text=Agrowth%3A%20The%20Agnostic%20Approach%20-%20Part%20One\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><div><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M459.37 151.716c.325 4.548.325 9.097.325 13.645 0 138.72-105.583 298.558-298.558 298.558-59.452 0-114.68-17.219-161.137-47.106 8.447.974 16.568 1.299 25.34 1.299 49.055 0 94.213-16.568 130.274-44.832-46.132-.975-84.792-31.188-98.112-72.772 6.498.974 12.995 1.624 19.818 1.624 9.421 0 18.843-1.3 27.614-3.573-48.081-9.747-84.143-51.98-84.143-102.985v-1.299c13.969 7.797 30.214 12.67 47.431 13.319-28.264-18.843-46.781-51.005-46.781-87.391 0-19.492 5.197-37.36 14.294-52.954 51.655 63.675 129.3 105.258 216.365 109.807-1.624-7.797-2.599-15.918-2.599-24.04 0-57.828 46.782-104.934 104.934-104.934 30.213 0 57.502 12.67 76.67 33.137 23.715-4.548 46.456-13.32 66.599-25.34-7.798 24.366-24.366 44.833-46.132 57.827 21.117-2.273 41.584-8.122 60.426-16.243-14.292 20.791-32.161 39.308-52.628 54.253z\"><\/path><\/svg> Tweet<\/div><\/a><a class=\"li-share\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpopulationmatters.org%2Fnews%2F2024%2F10%2Fagrowth-the-agnostic-approach-part-one%2F&amp;text=Agrowth%3A%20The%20Agnostic%20Approach%20-%20Part%20One\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><div><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\"><path d=\"M416 32H31.9C14.3 32 0 46.5 0 64.3v383.4C0 465.5 14.3 480 31.9 480H416c17.6 0 32-14.5 32-32.3V64.3c0-17.8-14.4-32.3-32-32.3zM135.4 416H69V202.2h66.5V416zm-33.2-243c-21.3 0-38.5-17.3-38.5-38.5S80.9 96 102.2 96c21.2 0 38.5 17.3 38.5 38.5 0 21.3-17.2 38.5-38.5 38.5zm282.1 243h-66.4V312c0-24.8-.5-56.7-34.5-56.7-34.6 0-39.9 27-39.9 54.9V416h-66.4V202.2h63.7v29.2h.9c8.9-16.8 30.6-34.5 62.9-34.5 67.2 0 79.7 44.3 79.7 101.9V416z\"><\/path><\/svg> Post<\/div><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull has-light-blue-background-color has-background is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Related content<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-popmat-grid grid grid-3\">\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-popmat-post-teaser\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/news\/2024\/09\/redistribute-resources-eliminate-waste-circular-economy-part-one\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<h3>Redistribute Resources, Eliminate Waste: Circular Economy &#8211; Part One<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/paulo-carrolo-nba9MRXrZE4-unsplash-768x512.jpg\" class=\"wp-image-14790\" srcset=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/paulo-carrolo-nba9MRXrZE4-unsplash-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/paulo-carrolo-nba9MRXrZE4-unsplash-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/paulo-carrolo-nba9MRXrZE4-unsplash-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/paulo-carrolo-nba9MRXrZE4-unsplash-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/paulo-carrolo-nba9MRXrZE4-unsplash-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/img>\n\t\t\t\t<p>A Circular Economy is an alternative economic model focused on the redistribution of resources and elimination of waste, for the betterment of both people and the planet. But is it achievable in a growth obsessed world?<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\n\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-popmat-post-teaser\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/news\/2024\/09\/endless-economic-growth-unsustainable-for-planet-and-people\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<h3>Endless economic growth unsustainable for planet and people<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/fas-khan-zydtqCd0T3w-unsplash-768x512.jpg\" class=\"wp-image-14754\" srcset=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/fas-khan-zydtqCd0T3w-unsplash-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/fas-khan-zydtqCd0T3w-unsplash-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/fas-khan-zydtqCd0T3w-unsplash-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/fas-khan-zydtqCd0T3w-unsplash-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/img>\n\t\t\t\t<p>As part of an upcoming project exploring alternative economic models, this article looks at how the current pursuit of endless economic growth drives environmental degradation and deepens social inequality. The traditional growth mindset prevails among our political classes, but it is not working for planet or people.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\n\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-popmat-post-teaser\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/news\/2024\/09\/buen-vivir-the-good-life-for-people-and-planet-part-one\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<h3>Buen Vivir: The \u2018Good Life\u2019 for People and Planet &#8211; Part One<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/andres-medina-Plgu4IpxxnQ-unsplash-768x576.jpg\" class=\"wp-image-14928\" srcset=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/andres-medina-Plgu4IpxxnQ-unsplash-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/andres-medina-Plgu4IpxxnQ-unsplash-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/andres-medina-Plgu4IpxxnQ-unsplash-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/andres-medina-Plgu4IpxxnQ-unsplash-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/andres-medina-Plgu4IpxxnQ-unsplash-2048x1536.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/img>\n\t\t\t\t<p>Buen Vivir is an alternative development model gaining popularity in South America. Originating from indigenous cultures, it emphasises harmony with nature as key to the wellbeing of the community. Can Buen Vivir operate in practice? And how does population growth factor into this eco-centric approach?\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"We continue our series with this\u00a0lesser-known economic model that avoids both growth and degrowth. Agrowth advocates for indifference toward traditional growth metrics and prioritises broader social goals like environmental sustainability and social welfare.\u00a0","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":14960,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[13,14],"class_list":["post-14959","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","tag-economics","tag-environment"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Agrowth: The Agnostic Approach - Part One - Population Matters<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Agrowth advocates for indifference toward GDP growth and prioritises broader social goals like environmental sustainability &amp; social welfare.\u00a0\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/news\/2024\/10\/agrowth-the-agnostic-approach-part-one\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Agrowth: The Agnostic Approach\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"We continue our series with this\u00a0lesser-known economic model that avoids both growth and degrowth. Agrowth advocates for indifference toward traditional growth metrics and prioritises broader social goals like environmental sustainability and social welfare.\u00a0\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/news\/2024\/10\/agrowth-the-agnostic-approach-part-one\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Population Matters\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/PopulationMatters\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-10-03T13:33:42+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-10-03T13:37:33+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/simon-wilkes-S297j2CsdlM-unsplash-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1707\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Florence Blondel\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Agrowth: The Agnostic Approach\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"We continue our series with this\u00a0lesser-known economic model that avoids both growth and degrowth. Agrowth advocates for indifference toward traditional growth metrics and prioritises broader social goals like environmental sustainability and social welfare.\u00a0\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/simon-wilkes-S297j2CsdlM-unsplash-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@PopnMatters\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@PopnMatters\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Florence Blondel\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/news\/2024\/10\/agrowth-the-agnostic-approach-part-one\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/news\/2024\/10\/agrowth-the-agnostic-approach-part-one\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Florence Blondel\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/#\/schema\/person\/d2ac05720194abda4fdb55688e1f160f\"},\"headline\":\"Agrowth: The Agnostic Approach &#8211; 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