Ultra-performance vs Robustness: What Future for a World in Crisis?

In our modern society, shaped by ultra-performance and resource abundance, there is an urgent need to reconsider these concepts. While the quest for efficiency and productivity has dominated for decades, it is now revealing its limitations. Olivier Amant, a plant biology researcher, guides us through an essential reflection on ultra-performance and robustness, encouraging us to consider a paradigm shift that could redefine our future.

#### Ultra-performance: The Myth of the Unbounded

Ultra-performance is based on the belief in an infinite capacity for optimization. This model has been prevalent in various sectors, notably industry and agriculture, where maximizing yields has often been the primary goal. For example, the automotive industry, with brands like Ford and their mass production, has made cars accessible but also triggered overconsumption of resources and massive waste. The logic of ultra-performance is not limited to product demand and supply but also relies on continuous access to resources often deemed limitless. Instead, we should talk about the availability of resources and supply.

**Example of Electric Cars**: Tesla also embodies ultra-performance with its innovations in electric vehicles. Although they offer environmental benefits, their design requires the extraction of resources like lithium, whose exploitation can be destructive to the environment. This paradox highlights the limits of the ultra-performance model. Furthermore, ambitious projects like Mars exploration, which require massive resources, underscore the pressure on our planet.

**Intensive Agriculture**: Intensive agriculture is another field where this approach is predominant. The excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides maximizes short-term yields but leads to soil degradation and biodiversity loss. These methods, far from creating sustainable food systems, produce yields that are both unsustainable and destructive to the ecosystem.

#### Robustness: A New Philosophy of Sustainability

Robustness represents an alternative to ultra-performance. This concept emphasizes the importance of sustainability and adaptability, placing the quality of interactions between various elements at the heart of success.

**Example of Sustainable Food Systems**: Farmers practicing permaculture exemplify this philosophy. By promoting biodiversity and cultivating multiple types of plants, they create agricultural systems capable of withstanding climatic fluctuations. Consequently, these resilient practices reduce dependency on chemicals while ensuring quality harvests.

#### Natural Sobriety Stemming from Robustness

One of the main teachings of robustness is that it fosters natural sobriety. This means that sustainable systems lead to an intrinsic reduction in resource consumption. Unlike imposed sobriety, often perceived as a constraint, this approach becomes an added value.

**Examples of Ecological Cycles**: Natural ecosystems, like forests, perfectly illustrate this principle. When a tree dies, it enriches the soil with nutrients, promoting the growth of new plants. This dynamic demonstrates that nature functions best when it respects its cycles and invests in regeneration.

### Cooperation and Collaboration: Essential Concepts

In the context of robustness, it is essential to distinguish cooperation from collaboration, two notions often confused but fundamentally different.

**Cooperation**: Cooperation involves alignment on a common goal where individuals set aside their personal interests for the collective good. For instance, in community gardens, participants work together to cultivate food, thereby strengthening social fabric and addressing common needs.

**Collaboration**: In contrast, collaboration often refers to the idea of working together without necessarily abandoning individual goals. In a collaborative setting, each member can still seek to maximize their own outcomes while contributing to the group.

Amant emphasizes that to build robust systems, it is crucial to promote cooperation, as it fosters deeper engagement that tends to strengthen communities and improve our relationship with nature.

### Signs of a Fluctuating World and Transition

We are witnessing several signs indicating that we live in an increasingly fluctuating world:

1. **Climate Instability**: Extreme weather events, such as heatwaves, storms, and droughts, are becoming more frequent. Rising temperatures and sea levels testify to the impacts of climate change on our ecosystems.

2. **Ecological Crises**: The loss of biodiversity and destruction of natural habitats are alarming. We are witnessing the collapse of marine and terrestrial ecosystems, with species threatened with extinction at an alarming rate.

3. **Economic Volatility**: Industrial economic fluctuations, exacerbated by crises such as the 2008 financial crisis or the COVID-19 pandemic, reveal the vulnerability of our performance-based economic systems. Supply chain shortages have also become commonplace.

4. **Resource Depletion**: The depletion of natural resources, such as water, oil, and certain arable lands, underscores the need to adopt more sustainable approaches. The scarcity of food resources increases social and economic tensions.

These signs indicate that change is not only inevitable but necessary. The transition from a model of ultra-performance to a model of robustness could pave the way for more resilient systems, capable of adapting to future challenges.

#### How to Create More Robustness in the World

To establish greater robustness in our societies, several actions can be considered:

1. *Education and Awareness*: Promote environmental education from an early age. School programs integrating circular economy and sustainability can form a conscious and responsible generation.

2. *Local Initiatives*: Encourage projects that promote sustainability, such as food cooperatives, which strengthen the local economy while nurturing community interactions.

3. *Systemic Approach*: Reflect on the impact of our daily choices on the global system. This involves making conscious decisions regarding our consumption of water, energy, and food.

4. *Sharing Networks*: Promote resource sharing within communities to encourage co-creation and collaboration. This can include shared workspaces or repair workshops.

5. *Innovate Sustainably*: Support businesses that invest in environmentally respectful solutions across different sectors like energy, transportation, or fashion.

6. *Engage Civil Society*: Community programs for making decisions about environmental issues engage citizens and give voice to marginalized groups.

### How to Survive in the New World of Robustness

Surviving in a robustness-centered world requires active adaptation and behavioral changes. Here are some strategies to navigate this transition:

1. **Adaptability**: The ability to change and adjust to new conditions is essential. This means being willing to learn new skills, adopt sustainable practices, and engage in community activities.

2. **Prepare for Resilience**: Individuals and communities developing sustainable practices, such as growing their own food or using local resources, are better equipped to face crises. This includes learning sustainable farming techniques and engaging in sharing networks.

3. **Community Ties**: Strengthening community interactions is essential. Mutual aid and cooperation networks create favorable conditions for resilience. Initiatives like community gardens illustrate how solidarity strengthens collective resistance.

4. **Sustainable Innovations**: Encouraging innovations in technology and materials that respect the environment will help build more robust economic systems. Recycling technologies and eco-friendly solutions need to be highlighted.

5. **Engagement in Decision-Making**: Involving civil society in political and environmental decisions strengthens democracy and enables communities to obtain resources and sustainable methods.

### Conclusion: A Sustainable Future Within Reach

The shift from ultra-performance to robustness is indispensable to overcome the challenges we face today. By integrating sustainable practices and re-examining our approach to consumption, we can build a society where resilience and adaptability, particularly through cooperative practices, become the foundation of our collective action.

Embracing this transition, we rediscover the power of our interactions and our ability to collaborate for a fairer world. The future we wish to build relies on today's choices — it's time to act to shape a future where robustness and sustainability go hand in hand with prosperity for all. This is a change within our grasp, and together we will build a tomorrow's world that respects both our planet and our societies.

By Ritshi Zenati, Coach at Holistika Center

Interview Summary of Olivier Hammat on Thinkerview YouTube Channel

References

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