Regulation theory and socioeconomic metabolism to characterize economy-wide degrowth patterns: The case of Special Period Cuba

Albert Bouffange ()
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Albert Bouffange: STEEP - Sustainability transition, environment, economy and local policy - Centre Inria de l'Université Grenoble Alpes - Inria - Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique - LJK - Laboratoire Jean Kuntzmann - Inria - Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes - Grenoble INP - Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes, IEP Lyon - Sciences Po Lyon - Institut d'études politiques de Lyon - Université de Lyon

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Abstract: I seek to positively understand the institutional patterns behind system-wide, voluntary metabolism restructurings like degrowth. While economy-wide degrowth is not observable in all of its dimensions, specific aspects can be informed in certain cases. Cuba during the "Special Period" in the 1990s is an example where a drastic metabolism reduction was partly decoupled from progress in social indicators. To integrate socioeconomic and biophysical analysis-still lacking in degrowth research-I combine regulation theory and socioeconomic metabolism. I also introduce a new type of Sankey diagram that incorporates nontechnical information external to the datasets. In the Cuban case, initial institutions such as planning, rationing, extended social security, and the absence of hegemonic market relations proved pivotal-though ultimately insufficient-in managing living conditions under biophysical contraction. Further adaptations included State support for grassroots initiatives, partial polycentrization of the planning system or doubletrack mechanisms combining planning and markets. The absence of democracy, however, precluded systemic post-growth change, lending empirical support to one of the core hypotheses of degrowth theory. These elements are synthesized within the regulation theory framework to suggest that a degrowth mode of production may imply basic needs logics instead of market social relations. Degrowth regimes likely imply planning and only partial decentralization. The diversity and specific features of degrowth-compatible modes of regulation remain open to debate. Further comparative research within the provided framework is needed to refine the characterization of such socioeconomic and biophysical regimes.

Keywords: Cuba; Regulation theory; Institutions; Metabolism; Degrowth (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026-05
Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-05482409v1
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Published in Ecological Economics, 2026, 243, pp.108929. ⟨10.1016/j.ecolecon.2026.108929⟩

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05482409

DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2026.108929

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