Florencia Radeljak

About me

I am a PhD candidate in Business Administration at Lund University School of Economics and Management, and a member of the Agenda 2030 Graduate School at Lund University. I have an interdisciplinary background, holding a degree in Sociology from the University of Buenos Aires and a MA in Sociology of Law from the International Institute for the Sociology of Law in Oñati, at the University of the Basque Country.

My academic journey began with a focus on socio-rural topics, particularly food sovereignty in the context of Latin America. Building on this background, I started exploring alternatives to mainstream systems of production and consumption, eventually expanding my research to community and complementary currencies. I also have experience working as a junior consultant on topics related to food sovereignty, informal economies, and the commercialisation of fruits and vegetables.

About my research

My research project aims to explore ways to transform production and consumption at the local and regional levels through monetary design. My focus is on the design of special-purpose moneys that promote socio-ecological transformation. I investigate case studies of special-purpose moneys created by municipalities and communities to support sustainable projects within their territories. Communities and local authorities develop visions that are materialised through money-networks, which combine physical elements (bodies, territories, technologies, production systems) and symbolic components (representations, values, meanings) to achieve transformative goals.

I take an interdisciplinary approach, drawing from science and technology studies and political ecology, to examine the networks of actors and elements involved in creating money for these transformations. By framing the design of money for sustainable production and consumption within a degrowth approach, I analyse how communities and local authorities create money-tools and the networks that support and are supported by them, driving change away from the growth imperative. I also explore the collective efforts in the design process, critically assessing what remains unchallenged in their intended socio-ecological transitions. Ultimately, by observing how money-networks enact specific changes, my research aims to deepen understanding of the complex relationship between money and sustainability.