The term “dwarf sustainability market” is not widely standardized in literature, but it can be understood as referring to small-scale, fragmented, or underdeveloped markets that attempt to engage with sustainability principles but lack the capacity, scale, or integration to create significant impact. Such markets often emerge at community or local levels where sustainable practices (such as renewable energy, organic farming, recycling, or fair trade) are pursued, but remain constrained by limited capital, weak institutional support, or insufficient demand.

From a broader International Relations and Sustainable Development perspective, dwarf sustainability markets highlight the gap between global sustainability discourse and local economic realities. While they show grassroots innovation and the willingness of small actors to align with the SDGs, their limited scale often prevents them from influencing policy or competing with mainstream unsustainable markets. However, they are still crucial because they serve as incubators of ideas, testbeds for alternative practices, and building blocks for larger sustainability transitions if adequately supported through policy frameworks, partnerships, and financing.

What is a dwarf sustainability market?

A dwarf sustainability market is a market system that fails to adequately incorporate sustainability principles. It prioritizes short-term gains over long-term environmental and social health, ignoring the full cost of production and consumption on ecosystems and communities. Essentially, it is a “small” or limited market in terms of sustainability awareness and impact.

“Dwarf” in economics or marketing can be used metaphorically to describe a market that is tiny compared to mainstream sectors but may still grow over time.

Dwarf sustainability market means a small and incomplete type of market where the main focus is only on profit, but the social and environmental sides are ignored.

For example, in Bangladesh many businesses care only about earning money:

Factories pollute rivers

Farmers use too much chemical fertilizer

Workers don’t get fair wages.

Here, the business makes profit, but nature is damaged, people suffer, and future resources are destroyed. That is why it is called “dwarf”—because it does not cover the full idea of sustainability (People, Planet, Profit).

Clifford, thank you for commenting. As far as I know I am the only one using "dwarf market theory" as I have introduced concepts like dwarf development, dwarf economy, dwarf growth, dwarf market, dwarf sustainability market, dwarf green market, dwarf sustainability, dwarf sustainability zone, and so on " to be able to see main stream economic and development concepts from outside the box and contrast them. Any dwarf market or economy or sustainability, it looks like it is a specific type of market, BUT IT IS NOT. That is the main maining of DWARF here. Just like there can be general system sustainability or true sustainability, there can also be general subsystem sustainability or true subsystem sustainability, and therefore, there can be dwarf general dwarf system sustainability or dwarf sustainability and there can be general dwarf subsystem sustainability.

Clifford, thank you for commenting.

As far as I know I am the only one using "dwarf market t heory" as I have introduced concepts like dwarf development, dwarf economy, dwarf growth, dwarf market, dwarf sustainability market, dwarf green market, dwarf sustainability, dwarf sustainability zone, and so on " to be able to see main stream economic and development concepts from outside the box and contrast them. Any dwarf market or economy or sustainability, it looks like it is a specific type of market, BUT IT IS NOT. That is the main meaning of DWARF here. It has to do with cost internalization or externalization ideas, not size or form or shape of markets, just something that looks like, BUT it is not.

Just like there can be general system sustainability or true sustainability, there can also be general subsystem sustainability or true subsystem sustainability, and therefore, there can be dwarf general dwarf system sustainability or dwarf sustainability and there can be general dwarf ,subsystem sustainability.

Search researchgate about dwarf markets or dwarf market thinking and Lucio Munoz and you will see I have extensively written about these topics for years, but it takes time for new ideas to filter in. I have done this as I see the need to make it more difficult to seel oranges for apples or to sell dwarf sustainability as true sustainability.

Now Clifford that I have clarified the meaning of DWARF, the question is:

What is a dwarf sustainability market? What do you think?

Selvije, thank you for taking the time to write. A dwarf sustainability market is a market where cost externalization is still taking place as only portion of the externalities created are internalized, for example in an environmental sustainability market or green market or eco-eonomic market there is full environmental cost internalization while in a dwarf green market such as those a la externality management markets there is partial environmental cost internalization leaving active or openthe externalization pump so cost externalization takes place as the environmental problem is being managed. And these is why dwarf sustainability markets violate general sustainability requirements/principles.

Benmessaoud, thank you for writing. Yes, in economics the use of DWARF is not from the sustainability point of view, I see my role as a clarifyer, not as a confuse so I noticed in 1999 that a new set of fresh concepts was needed if we were going to do what the WCED told us to do in 1987, leave economic thinking as usual behind as you can not solve a critical problem using the thinking that created the problem in the first place. So I introduced the concept of dwarf market, dwarf development, dwarf economy and so on...and I have expanded it to other areas of critical problem thinking to shhow that to sell for example dwarf sustainability(eg Sustainable development) as sustainability (eg True sustainability) YOU NEED TO HAVE ALTERNATIVE ACADEMIC FACTS.

Rony, thank you for writing. The concept of dwarf in sustainability thinking a la Lucio Munoz just means "it looks like the true thing, but it is not.

For example GREEN MARKETING as done today is the markeing of POLLUTION BASED GOODS AND SERVICES as is they came from GREEN MARKETS, when they have come out of DWARF GREEN MARKETS. You can apply this thinking above to reframe your comment in sustainability thinking terms as in your counry they are selling a dwarf(green) sustainability market as a (green) sustainability market. Hence, using the idea of DWARF allows you to remove the mask from sustainability with a mask and point out, using outside the box thinking, what is hidden within mainstream thinking.

an environmental cartoon

Phil, my professors seing an answer like that would have felt that the question should be made more interesting such as "Why is the traditional market thinking held dear by most economists since 1776 is a dwarf sustainability market? Then a pro SOCIO-ENVIRONMENTAL UNSUSTAINABILITY CARTON would be your answer, right?

Lucio Muñoz

Yes. I think one employing Snow White and the seven dwarfs and tiny wooden chairs should be appropriate.

The question is poor worded and pretty silly.

There is no such thing as a sustainable market beyond advertising. Adding the term "dwarf" in historic context merely allows one to search through all relevant dynamics until they find something to so label.

Of course there are a few modern efforts that claim the term based on self defined criteria meeting your POLLUTION BASED GOODS AND SERVICES. They sustain nothing but merely pass the "pollution" down the road.

You must have enjoyed Rony's definition.

"Dwarf sustainability market means a small and incomplete type of market where the main focus is only on profit, but the social and environmental sides are ignored."

I'd not quite agree - the final word should be exploited,

Phil, I see you believe in the snow white story, but not the dwarf market story.

Your comment about Rony shows HUGE IGNORANCE or knowledge gaps as it tells that YOU do not read outside snow white stories, Rony is paraphrasing the work and ideas of others probably people like Prof. Pearce:

"The concept of the "dwarf green market" is attributed to economist and researcher Dr. David W. Pearce.

Definition and Context

• The dwarf green market refers to a niche market focused on sustainable and environmentally friendly products that are smaller in scale compared to mainstream green markets.
• It emphasizes local, small-scale production and consumption, often involving community-based initiatives.

Significance

• This concept highlights the importance of sustainability in local economies and encourages environmentally conscious consumer behavior.
• It contrasts with larger, more commercialized green markets that may prioritize profit over sustainability. "

But tha definition of Dr. Pearce/Rony assumes that there are small green markets, they call dwarf, and big green markets they call proper green markets, here the size of the market BIG OR SMALL make it green or dwarf green so green can be dwarf and if the dwarf increses in size it can become green....BUT WE KNOW THEY ARE NO GREEN MARKETS BECAUSE THERE IS NO FULL ENVIRONMENTAL COST INTERNALIZATION so the green markets of Dr, Pearce/Rony are in name only they do not reflect or required full environmental cost internalization to be true green markets. Outside cost internalization theory, both dwarf green markts and green markets a la Dr. Pearce and Rony are dwarf green markets, one big and one small. But probably you will not be able to see that as it is a fairy tale.

My definition of sustainability markets and dwarf sustainability markets or green markets and dwarf green markets or red markets and dwarf red markets is based on either cost internalization theory or on cost externalization theory, and here SIZE, SHAPE, FORM, LOCAL OR GLOBAL DO NOT MATTER, THE COST ASPECTS OF BUSINESS MATTERS and determine the green market price for each green market.

A parallel argument can be made about what are sustainability markets and dwarf sustainability markets, beyond just environmental concerns.

Let's leave here as you did not even attempt to provide your OWN VIEW in your carton comment

.

However, I am here to exchange ideas not to impose my ideas so please feel free to continue thinking as you think.

Respectfully yours;

Lucio

"বামন স্থায়িত্ব বাজার" বলতে এমন একটি বাজারকে বোঝায় যা টেকসই উন্নয়নের লক্ষ্যে কাজ করা সত্ত্বেও, পরিবেশগত, সামাজিক এবং দীর্ঘমেয়াদী অর্থনৈতিক বিবেচনার অভাবের কারণে প্রকৃত স্থায়িত্ব অর্জনে ব্যর্থ হয়। এই শব্দটি প্রায়শই "নিখুঁত স্থায়িত্ব বাজার" এর বিপরীতে ব্যবহৃত হয়, যা এই বিষয়গুলিকে তার মূল্য নির্ধারণ এবং পরিচালনার সাথে সম্পূর্ণরূপে একীভূত করে। বামন স্থায়িত্ব বাজারের মূল বৈশিষ্ট্য: স্থায়িত্ব কারণগুলির অবমূল্যায়ন: এটি পরিবেশগত এবং সামাজিক বাহ্যিকতার সম্পূর্ণ খরচ উপেক্ষা করে মুনাফা সর্বাধিকীকরণ এবং স্বার্থের মতো ঐতিহ্যবাহী অর্থনৈতিক মেট্রিক্সকে অগ্রাধিকার দেয়। সবুজ ধোয়া অনুশীলন: এটি "সবুজ ধোয়া"-এ জড়িত হতে পারে, যেখানে ব্যবসাগুলি প্রকৃত, রূপান্তরমূলক পরিবর্তন না করে পরিবেশগত দায়িত্বের একটি মুখোশ উপস্থাপন করে, প্রায়শই তহবিল অ্যাক্সেস করতে বা আনুষ্ঠানিক প্রয়োজনীয়তা পূরণ করতে। আংশিক বা সম্পূর্ণ বামন দায়িত্ব: বিভিন্ন ধরণের বামন বাজারের (সবুজ, লাল এবং স্থায়িত্ব) ব্যয় বহির্ভূতকরণ মোকাবেলায় বিভিন্ন স্তরের দায়িত্ব থাকে, আংশিক থেকে সম্পূর্ণ বামন দায়িত্ব পর্যন্ত, যার অর্থ তারা তাদের সামাজিক এবং পরিবেশগত প্রভাবের খরচগুলিকে কেবল আংশিকভাবে অভ্যন্তরীণ করে। বিকৃত মূল্য নির্ধারণের প্রক্রিয়া: বাজার মূল্য প্রকৃত সামাজিক ও পরিবেশগত খরচ সঠিকভাবে প্রতিফলিত নাও করতে পারে, যার ফলে অদক্ষতা এবং প্রকৃত টেকসই অনুশীলনের জন্য উৎসাহের অভাব দেখা দেয়।

Yes, Syed, the role of the word “DWARF” if used as I have formally introduced is to differenciate perfect market thinking from other possible forms of market thinking, in my thinking dwarf means only "IT LOOKS LIKE A SPECIFIC MARKET, BUT IT IS NOT....".

I have shown using DOMINANT COMPONENT AND EXTERNALIZATION COST THEORY That there are 7 possible types of perfect markets, but only one is a TRUE PERFECT MARKET and I have shown using the sustainability market price theory that there 7 possible forms of dwarf sustainability markets. Your comment, albeit right in the use of dwarf, focuses only on mainstream aspects around perfect market thinking, and uses AI generated patterns or main stream knowledge, but there is a whole world beyond perfect market thinking a la Adam Smith that AI analysis are missing, I am calling this fact now AI KNOWLEDGE GAPS.

Your comment surprisingly has a lot of vocabularity and terminology I have been using consistently through all my articles on the issues linked to this, but your comment do not mentions the source of that vacabularity or arguments for me to see if someone else is somehow doing parallel thinking with me out there. Unlike humans, AI seem to be very willing to learn and adapt quickly to be able to operate at the highest level of thinking possible.

I appreciate your comment Syed.

Respectfully yours;

Lucio