The Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE) is a growing North American alliance of nearly 60 fully autonomous local business networks with their own names, missions, and initiatives, representing about 20,000 US and Canadian entrepreneurs. All networks share a commitment to Living Economy principles. BALLE works to catalyze, strengthen and connect these local business networks dedicated to building Local Living Economies. A Local Living Economy ensures that economic power resides locally, sustaining healthy community life and natural life, as well as long-term economic viability.
BALLE envisions a sustainable world economy

World economy

The world economy, or global economy, generally refers to the economy, which is based on economies of all of the world's countries, national economies. Also global economy can be seen as the economy of global society and national economies – as economies of local societies, making the global one....

 made up of local living economies that build long-term economic empowerment and prosperity through local business ownership, economic justice

Justice (economics)

Justice in economics is a subcategory of welfare economics with models frequently representing the ethical-social requirements of a given theory. That theory may or may not elicit acceptance...

, cultural diversity

Cultural diversity

Cultural diversity is having different cultures respect each other's differences. It could also mean the variety of human societies or cultures in a specific region, or in the world as a whole...

, and environmental stewardship

Stewardship

Stewardship is an ethic that embodies responsible planning and management of resources. The concept of stewardship has been applied in diverse realms, including with respect to environment, economics, health, property, information, and religion, and is linked to the concept of sustainability...

.

BALLE's building blocks include:

• Sustainable agriculture
  Sustainable agriculture
  Sustainable agriculture is the practice of farming using principles of ecology, the study of relationships between organisms and their environment...
  
  
• Renewable energy
  Renewable energy
  Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable . About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables, with 10% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from...
  
  
• Zero waste
  Zero waste
  Zero waste is a philosophy that encourages the redesign of resource life cycles so that all products are reused. Any trash sent to landfills and incinerators is minimal. The process recommended is one similar to the way that resources are reused in nature...
  
   manufacturing
• Independent retail
• Green building
  Green building
  Green building refers to a structure and using process that is environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building's life-cycle: from siting to design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, and demolition...
  
  
• Community capital

The BALLE networks has 20,000 members. As of September 2009, it will be headquartered in Bellingham, Washington

Bellingham, Washington

Bellingham is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Whatcom County in the U.S. state of Washington. It is the twelfth-largest city in the state. Situated on Bellingham Bay, Bellingham is protected by Lummi Island, Portage Island, and the Lummi Peninsula, and opens onto the Strait of Georgia...

.

Principles

A local living economy ensures that economic power resides locally, sustaining healthy community life and natural life as well as long-term economic viability.

A living economy is guided by the following principles:

• Living economy communities produce and exchange locally
  Local purchasing
  Local purchasing is a preference to buy locally produced goods and services over those produced more distantly. It is very often abbreviated as a positive goal 'buy local' to parallel the phrase think globally, act locally common in green politics....
  
   as many products
  Product (business)
  In general, the product is defined as a "thing produced by labor or effort" or the "result of an act or a process", and stems from the verb produce, from the Latin prōdūce ' lead or bring forth'. Since 1575, the word "product" has referred to anything produced...
  
   needed by their citizens as they reasonably can, while reaching out to other communities to trade in those products they cannot reasonably produce at home. These communities value their unique character and encourage cultural exchange and cooperation
  Cooperation
  Cooperation or co-operation is the process of working or acting together. In its simplest form it involves things working in harmony, side by side, while in its more complicated forms, it can involve something as complex as the inner workings of a human being or even the social patterns of a...
  
  .
• Living economy public policies
  Public policy
  Public policy as government action is generally the principled guide to action taken by the administrative or executive branches of the state with regard to a class of issues in a manner consistent with law and institutional customs. In general, the foundation is the pertinent national and...
  
   support decentralized
  Decentralization
  __FORCETOC__Decentralization or decentralisation is the process of dispersing decision-making governance closer to the people and/or citizens. It includes the dispersal of administration or governance in sectors or areas like engineering, management science, political science, political economy,...
  
   ownership of businesses and farms, fair wage
  Wage
  A wage is a compensation, usually financial, received by workers in exchange for their labor.Compensation in terms of wages is given to workers and compensation in terms of salary is given to employees...
  
  s, taxes, and budget allocations, trade
  Trade
  Trade is the transfer of ownership of goods and services from one person or entity to another. Trade is sometimes loosely called commerce or financial transaction or barter. A network that allows trade is called a market. The original form of trade was barter, the direct exchange of goods and...
  
   policies benefiting local economies, and stewardship of the natural environment.
• Living economy consumers
  Consumer
  Consumer is a broad label for any individuals or households that use goods generated within the economy. The concept of a consumer occurs in different contexts, so that the usage and significance of the term may vary.-Economics and marketing:...
  
   appreciate the benefits of buying from living economy businesses and, if necessary, are willing to pay a price premium to secure those personal and community benefits.
• Living economy investors value businesses that are community stewards and as such accept a "living return" on their financial investments rather than a maximum return, recognizing the value derived from enjoying a healthy and vibrant community and sustainable global economy.
• Living economy media
  Mass media
  Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
  
   provide sources of news independent of corporate control, so that citizens can make informed decisions in the best interests of their communities and natural environment.
• Living economy businesses are primarily independent and locally owned, and value the needs and interests of all stakeholders, while building long-term profitability.

Living economy businesses strive to:

• Source products from businesses with similar values, with a preference for local procurement
• Provide employees a healthy workplace with meaningful living-wage jobs
• Offer customers personal service and useful safe, quality products
• Work with suppliers to establish a fair exchange
• Cooperate with other businesses in ways that balance their self-interest with their obligation to the community and future generations
• Use their business practices to support an inclusive and healthy community, and to protect our natural environment
• Yield a "living return" to owners and investors

Practices

Members of local BALLE networks have a direct stake in the future of their communities and bioregions and include local business owners, non-profit leaders, government representatives, and engaged citizens.
Members of Local Networks work together to:

• Support the growth and development of community-based business
• Encourage local purchasing by consumers and businesses
• Create opportunities for business leaders to network and share best practices
• Advocate public policies that strengthen independent local businesses and farms, promote economic equity, and protect the environment

To support Local Networks, BALLE:

• Provides Local Networks with tools, business models, and other resources
• Links Local Living Economies to share best practices
• Promotes Local Living Economies through media, public forums, and partnerships
• Develops pilot initiatives to strengthen Local Living Economies