How well do you already know sufficiency and sufficiency-oriented business?
Start our Myth Check and find out.
Statement 1
Sufficiency means we would all have to live like people did in the Stone Age.
RIGHT OR WRONG?
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Wrong.
Sufficiency means: a good life for everyone. To make this possible, especially those who consume above average would need to reduce their use. If everyone lived like people in Germany, we would need three planets to sustain that lifestyle.
Sufficiency therefore also means: living differently—with less focus on consumption and greater appreciation of non-material goods such as education, care, and culture. Modern achievements such as medicine and technology are meant to remain accessible to all through appropriate public policies.
STATEMENT 2
Sufficiency-oriented business is possible in all sectors of the economy.
RIGHT OR WRONG?
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Right.
The strategies that companies can use to implement sufficiency are diverse—and relevant both for manufacturing industries and for service providers.
In the “Business for Sufficiency” database you can find concrete examples from sectors such as construction, the fashion industry, or management consulting that illustrate how these strategies look in practice.
STATEMENT 3
If my company implements sufficiency-oriented practices, it cannot grow.
RIGHT OR WRONG?
CLICK TO REVEAL ANSWER.
Wrong.
Sufficiency and sufficiency-oriented business do not mean that companies cannot grow. However, growth is not prioritized in sufficiency-oriented firms. Instead of pure profit-seeking, these companies focus on creating societal value in sustainable ways.
They deal with growth in very different ways: Some deliberately pursue growth to push non-sustainable competitors out of the market. Others do not see growth as necessary and prefer to support like-minded companies in order to gain influence together as a group.
More information on the role of growth in sufficiency-oriented companies can be found in the paper “How to Survive in a Growth-Oriented Economy (2025).”
STATEMENT 4
Sufficiency-oriented business is only possible in small companies—large firms cannot do it.
RIGHT OR WRONG?
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Wrong.
While many sufficiency-oriented businesses are small and medium-sized enterprises, there are also examples of large companies that have committed to the principle of sufficiency.
A well-known example is the U.S. outdoor company Patagonia. Some years ago, it published a widely noted Black Friday advertisement telling consumers: “Don’t buy this jacket.” The goal was to encourage reflection on actual needs. Since then, Patagonia has boycotted the sales day and promotes more conscious consumption—through repair services, second-hand offers, and durable product design.
STATEMENT 5
Even the French branch of McDonald’s has a sufficiency strategy.
RIGHT OR WRONG?
CLICK TO REVEAL ANSWER.
Right.
In France, the concept of sufficiency (sobriété) entered broad public discourse during the energy crisis of 2022. At the time, politicians called on citizens to save energy and emphasized consuming only what is truly necessary. Sufficiency thus became a political topic. Since then, the concept has also reached companies—even large corporations like McDonald’s. The company presented a sufficiency strategy to reduce its energy consumption.
However, sufficiency means more than just saving energy: the consumption of natural resources such as water and materials like metal or plastic must also be reduced. In these areas, McDonald’s still has considerable room for improvement.
