Abstract for:Local Cooperation, Local Prosperity: Insights of Participatory System Dynamics Modeling within a Degrowth Community

Degrowth is a sustainability initiative challenging the prevalent growth paradigm. One of the manifold ways of practicing degrowth is partaking in a local cooperative: a small group of various producers and consumers with the intention to maintain a circular economy. Since cooperatives operate in complex environments with multiple stakeholders, they usually face messy problems. This paper reports on the case study of Cooperative Segredo (pseudonym), and the Participatory System Dynamics Modeling (PSDM) process of preparation, interviewing, conducting a workshop and evaluation of the outcomes. PSDM is found to be a suitable tool to support the local cooperatives’ decision-making process. Moreover, PSDM and local cooperatives share common values, providing an opportunity for synergies. This contribution can serve as a basis for future research and a guide to practicing system dynamics with local cooperatives.