Appropriate Technology

Appropriate Technology

Appropriate Technology

Introduction

Theideaofatechnology being appropriate in the sense of respecting the needs, resources, environment, and lifestyles of the people using it came into prominence in the 1960s. Appropriate Technology, technology intended to be suitable to the needs and resources of a particular community. An appropriate technology generally relies on local skills and resources, is intended not to disturb the local situation economically and culturally, and aims to be benign to the environment (using renewable energy, for example). An adequate explanation of the term and of the associated concepts of alternative technology and intermediate technology requires a brief survey of the historical context in which these terms arose.

Impact

The first strand concerned the impact on the natural environment of technological activitiespollution and wastage, and the high consumption of natural, in particular, non-renewable resources. These made possible and were themselves driven by the rich nations' way of life, based on high consumption and ever-increasing economic growth.

The second strand of concern arose in the context of attempts to alleviate poverty in the developing world (which might better be called the majority world, since 75 per cent of the world's population lives in the poorer countries). It had been natural to suppose at the outset that the best way to do this was to facilitate in these countries the kind of technology that had led to such prosperity in the richer countries. However, as time passed, a number of economists, in particular the German-born British economist E. F. Schumacher (author of the influential book Small is Beautiful) argued that "minority world" advanced technology was rarely appropriate to the situation of people in the majority world, and that an alternative technology was needed.

A classic example is that of tractors provided for agriculture in Africa, where the necessary infrastructure and specialized skills to keep the tractors maintained were largely lacking, so that after a short period they became heaps of rusting metal. A second example is the kind of development aid project that introduced an automated factory to produce plastic sandals. The traditional sandal-makers were put out of work, the raw material had to be imported, and, though economic growth according to conventional measurements occurred, the welfare of some groups declined (see Welfare Economics).

Conclusion

It is thus impossible to discuss the concept of appropriate technology without consideration of the debate about the environment and the economic system that has emerged in the past two decades. There is now a fierce contest between the proponents of high technology and those who support the appropriate technology approach. The latter believe that this contest is the crucial debate of our time.

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