On the Earth We Want to Live - Anthroposophy`s Contributions to Sustainable Development

This open-access book explores the contributions of anthroposophy to sustainable development, addressing a key research gap. It examines the anthroposophical worldview, providing an integral and holistic perspective on the relationship between humanity and the earth. By delving into its philosophical foundations, the book sheds light on how anthroposophy envisions sustainable human and environmental development.
A central focus is the resilience and impact of 28 pioneering organizations that apply anthroposophical principles in their work. These include multinational companies like Weleda, banks such as the Freie Gemeinschaftsbank Bank, and producers like Sonett, Voelkel and Stockmar. Organizations such as UNEPs Champion of the Earth 2024 Laureate SEKEM in Egypt, Monte Azul in Brazil, and Kufunda Learning Village in Zimbabwe are also featured, showcasing remarkable practices in sustainable development. Some of these institutions have been shaping the field for more than a century, serving as pioneers in their respective areas.
The book concludes by expanding the definition of sustainable development through the lens of anthroposophy, integrating both its principles and real-world applications. It is a valuable resource for sustainability practitioners, researchers, students, and educators looking to explore early and ongoing contributions to sustainable development, as well as best practices that can be integrated into academic curricula and professional practice.

List of contents

Introduction.- Anthroposophy in the context of Sustainable Development.- Sustainable Development – Definitions and an Expansion Towards an Integral Sustainable Development.- Worldview: Perspectives from Anthroposophy.- Sustainable Natives – Stories of Sustainable Development.- Concluding Remarks and Outlook.- Accountability and Research Approach.

About the author

Johannes Kronenberg is a Research Associate at the Section for Agriculture at the Goetheanum – Freie Hochschule für Geisteswissenschaft in Dornach, Switzerland. His current work focuses on the intersection of sustainable development and the contributions of Anthroposophy to this field. Additionally, he is actively involved in several NGOs, including the Iona Stichting in Amsterdam, which supports societal and ecological transformation through project funding and capacity building for grassroots initiatives.

At the Goetheanum, the center of the General Anthroposophical Society and Freie Hochschule für Geisteswissenschaft, he is also involved in organisational and global development, supporting a membership body of 41,000 members across 78 countries and all continents. His current focus is on the cosmopolitan aspect of the Anthroposophical movement, working to support individuals and local initiatives while fostering their connection to its global nature.
Born in 1991 in the Netherlands, he obtained a Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts from ArtEZ University of the Arts. He later earned a Master of Science in Sustainable Development from the Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden and pursued further studies in Sustainable Development at the Center for Development and Environment at the University of Bern, Switzerland. 
Edith Lammerts van Bueren is currently emeritus professor Organic Plant Breeding and chair of the BioAcademy, an online platform for education in organic agriculture in the Netherlands.
She was born in the Netherlands in 1952. She started her study at Wageningen University in plant breeding, and received her master’s degree in horticulture and ecology in 1978, and later obtained a PhD in organic plant breeding.

She worked for more than 40 years in research and teaching on organic and biodynamic agriculture and specialised in organic plant breeding. She started as a teacher at the biodynamic agricultural college Warmonderhof and worked at the Louis Bolk Institute (research institute for organic agriculture, nutrition and health) as a researcher since 1986, first exploring the effects of the biodynamic preparations and later focusing on research to support the development of an organic plant breeding and seed sector, while bridging the gap between farmers’ practice and science. She represented the organic sector in the Dutch Variety Board from 2001-2019. From 2005-2024, she was appointed as the first special professor in Organic Plant Breeding at Wageningen University. One of her main topics is plant integrity and the ethical discussions on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and clarifying the arguments of the organic sector to refrain from GMOs. On behalf of that expertise she was a member of the Dutch National Committee on Genetic Modification (COGEM), Subcommittee Ethical & Societal Aspects from 2005-2012. Also at the political level she was active and co-founded the European Consortium for Organic Plant Breeding (ECO-PB) and was its first chair from 2001-2011. She also founded a Section Organic and Low-input Agriculture within the European breeders’ association EUCARPIA and was section chair from 2007-2018. She was guest-editor of many special issues of scientific peer-reviewed journals and co-edited the book Organic Crop Breeding for Wiley-Blackwell in 2012.

Her interest was also broader and for many years, she coordinated the Natural Science Section of the Anthroposophical Society in the Netherlands and was a member of the international Natural Science Section Collegium at the Goetheanum, Switzerland. She chaired the Dutch interdisciplinary, scientific Council for Integral Sustainable Agriculture and Nutrition (RIDLV) from 2010-2022.

Summary

This open-access book explores the contributions of anthroposophy to sustainable development, addressing a key research gap. It examines the anthroposophical worldview, providing an integral and holistic perspective on the relationship between humanity and the earth. By delving into its philosophical foundations, the book sheds light on how anthroposophy envisions sustainable human and environmental development.
A central focus is the resilience and impact of 28 pioneering organizations that apply anthroposophical principles in their work. These include multinational companies like Weleda, banks such as the Freie Gemeinschaftsbank Bank, and producers like Sonett, Voelkel and Stockmar. Organizations such as UNEPs Champion of the Earth 2024 Laureate SEKEM in Egypt, Monte Azul in Brazil, and Kufunda Learning Village in Zimbabwe are also featured, showcasing remarkable practices in sustainable development. Some of these institutions have been shaping the field for more than a century, serving as pioneers in their respective areas.
The book concludes by expanding the definition of sustainable development through the lens of anthroposophy, integrating both its principles and real-world applications. It is a valuable resource for sustainability practitioners, researchers, students, and educators looking to explore early and ongoing contributions to sustainable development, as well as best practices that can be integrated into academic curricula and professional practice.

Product details

• Assisted by: Johannes Kronenberg (Editor), Lammerts van Bueren (Editor), Edith Lammerts van Bueren (Editor)
• Publisher: Springer International Publishing
• Languages: English, German
• Product format: Hardback
• Release: 10.12.2025
• EAN: 9783031987571
• ISBN: 978-3-031-98757-1
• Illustrations: Approx. 350 p. 35 illus. in color., farbige Illustrationen
• Series: World Sustainability Series
• Subjects: Natural sciences, medicine, IT, technology > Geosciences; Nachhaltigkeit, Soziologie, Umwelt, Umweltmanagement, Sustainability, Wissenschaftsphilosophie und -theorie, Best Practice, Umweltschützer: Denkansätze und Ideologien, Open Access, Sustainable Development, Resilience, Environmental Social Sciences, Environmental Management, Philosophy of Nature, Anthroposophy, Environmental Sciences, Environmentalism, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Sustainable Business, Socio-ecological, Sustainable Natives