Economic Gardening

Economic Gardening is a process of economic and community development that works on the premise that sustainable development starts from where a community is at. Everything that the community requires for its own development is already present in the community - intelligence, passion, commitment and motivation. Development happens by nurturing these resources and helping them to flourish. Economic gardening is about looking for, and building on, the assets that the community already has. It is an asset based approach that seeks to create jobs and opportunities by supporting companies, actual and latent entrepreneurs that are already in the community.

Economic Gardening contrasts with 'Economic Hunting' - trying to attract companies from other communities. This is a 'deficit based' approach to development. It assumes that development depends on attracting something that is missing (an employer) into the community. Such 'Inward Investment' strategies are usually both expensive and risky. We have seen inward investors negotiate tremendous deals from local governments and then continue to request support to keep their business in the community. They usually have no real loyalty to the community - they are simply there because of an inward investment offer that was put on the table. Even when the inward investor is successful and is retained in the community - usually the profits generated are not retained locally but go back to shareholders elsewhere.

In our experience the gardening approach to community and economic development is lower risk, lower cost and leads to more sustainable long term economic development than inward investment and economic hunting strategies. It also promotes the development of local people in pursuit of their own passions, dreams and interests, rather than as the labour market 'cannon fodder' of the new employer. It also fits with our own values and beliefs. First you grow people. Then they grow communities, social enterprises, businesses and economies.