Vision 2030
By 2030, Totnes and District has a robust localised economy linking local producers, traders, services providers and consumers. The traditional agricultural resources, seasonal products, tourism, IT, some manufacturing and local skills are the basis of the revitalised localised economy. The system is flexible, active and diverse, providing local markets with locally based goods and local people with a broad range of services and skilled employment.

Totnes Pound
The local economic currency is an interchangeable mix of Totnes Pounds, Sterling, LETS credits and bartering which local businesses trade through the Totnes Bank. 80% of money now stays within the local community. Investment in the Totnes Bank and Totnes Pound has enabled many projects for local benefit to be supported and these have returned a modest interest, which has been reinvested locally. Investment in people and social enterprises, enabling them to changes people’s lives and build community cohesion, has increased the social capital. Investment in education and skills for power down and the more localised community life has supported and prepared the community through difficult times.
Investment in local resources, primarily renewable energy systems (through the TRESOC share option), IT, waste recycling, farming systems and research has opened many new horizons and increased local capital. The majority of local businesses operate co-operatively through local trading networks and co-operatives in mutual support. Most are modest in size and trade primarily in local products and services with sales focused on local demand. Many have scaled down their enterprises and tuned into meeting local needs rather than extravagance or luxury goods which carry risk. They co-operate on local procurement, delivery and marketing of goods and products, sharing local public transport systems and stores. In-house energy auditing and trimming waste led to a general business environmental charter being adopted; this has helped guide other resilience measures.
| Employment Opportunities for a Post-Peak Oil Totnes and District | ||
|---|---|---|
| Employment Sector | Industry Type | Opportunities for Economic Development |
| Food Production/Land Use | Organic Farming | Farm workers, research and innovation, value adding and processing, retail, Community Supported Agriculture initiatives |
| Textile Production | Farming, processing, manufacturing | |
| Organic Food Production | Training, freshwater aquaculture, organic gourmet mushroom production for food and medicines, intensive market gardening, food preservation | |
| Forestry | Timber for construction and a variety of uses, sawdust for mushroom cultivation, charcoal, wood gasification, coppice products, saps, tannin, bark mulch, education, training, food crops, fibre | |
| Urban Agriculture | Co-ordination, land access provision, edible landscaping consultancy, online tools for linking growers and consumers, large potential for commercial production, plant nurseries and propagation | |
| Gleaning | Apple harvesting and pressing, hedgerow drinks and other products, education | |
| Agroforestry systems | Design consultancy, planting and ongoing management, selling of wide range of produce, long term enhanced timber value, courses, publications, research | |
| Schools | Edible landscaping, teaching, Education for Sustainable Development, food growing training, apprenticeships, bespoke Transition training programmes | |
| Manufacturing and Processing | Recycling | Salvaging building materials, processing and reclaiming materials (bricks, timber etc), making insulation from waste paper, glass bottles into insulation |
| Sustainable Industry | Renewable energy technologies manufacturing and installing, technology systems, | |
| Repair | Extending the life of machinery, building for durability | |
| Fabric | Processing of locally produced fabric, hemp, flax etc, making a range of clothing for retail, and repairs | |
| Scavenging | Materials reuse, refurbishing, resale to low-income families | |
| Services | Healthcare | Holistic healthcare, research into effective herbal medicines, local herb growing and processing, training for doctors, apothecaries, nutritional advice |
| Energy | Home insulation advice, energy monitoring, energy efficient devices, investment co-ordinators, sale of energy to grid or decentralised energy systems, producing wood chip/pellets for boilers, Energy Resilience Analyses for businesses | |
| Compost Management | Collecting, Managing, Training, Distribution, Education, potential links to urban food production | |
| Information Technology | Creation of effective software systems for energy management, carbon foot printing and much more | |
| Hospice services / bereavement | Hospice services, supporting families who keep relatives at home, green burials | |
| Financial Investment | Credit Unions, local currencies, mechanisms whereby people can invest with confidence into their community, Green Bonds, crowd funding | |
| Government | Councils | Opportunity to organise efforts throughout region, and parishes |
| Researchers | Opportunity to gather information from the many projects and enterprises underway. | |
| Education and Design | Educators | Wide range of opportunities for supporting The Great Reskilling, developing Distance Learning programmes, training for professionals |
| Sustainable Designers | Landscape architects specialising in edible landscaping, zero carbon buildings | |
| The Arts | Art projects documenting the Transition, installations, exhibitions, public art workshops, local recording studios, storytelling | |
| Transition Consulting | Working with businesses on energy audits, resilience plans, a range of future-proofing strategies | |
| Personal / Group Support | Counselling | Personal Transition Counselling, group support, community processes |
| Citizens Advice | Debt advice, housing advice, financial management skills, debt scheduling | |
| Outplacement/Redundancy Support | Support, retraining, ongoing support and training | |
| Media | Print media | Local newspapers, small print run books on different aspects of the Transition |
| Internet | Online retailing systems for local markets | |
| Film media | Online TV channels documenting inspiring examples of Transition in Action | |
| Construction | Reskilling | Retraining builders to use local materials and green building techniques, improving awareness around energy efficiency in building, setting up local construction companies, rainwater harvesting systems, design and installation |
| Materials | Creating local natural building materials, clay plasters, timber, lime, straw, hemp etc. Growing, processing, distribution, retail etc. Locally made wallpaper. | |
| Architects | Specialists in passiv haus building, local materials, retrofit advice | |
| Transportation | Low energy vehicle fleets | Marketing, maintaining, renting, chauffeuring |
| Bicycles | Selling, servicing, maintenance training, rental | |
| Rickshaws | Importing, servicing, taxi service, weddings etc. | |
| Biodiesel | Sourcing, processing, selling, training and advice | |
| Biomethane/Electric vehicles | Fleet management, sales, leasing, car clubs | |
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