Grass Root Innovation

Directory on Green Grassroots Innovation and Traditional Knowledge

Contents Page No.

Preface………………………………………………………………………………………………………………... Part-1. Scouting, Documenting and Dissemination Grassroots innovations - Theory & Practice

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1. Reciprocating Learning from Creative People: Scouting and Documentation of……………………………….. Grassroots Innovations and Traditional Knowledge

Anil K Gupta

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2. Methods of Scouting and Documentation: diversity of approaches……………………………………………… Lessons from the Honey Bee Network

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3. Process of Documentation of Grassroots Innovations and Traditional Knowledge……………………………

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4. Taking consent of the Knowledge Providers: an ethical imperative……………………………………………... Prior Informed Consent (PIC)

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5. National Innovation Foundation, Ahmedabad………………………………..…………………………………… Explanatory Note for Prior Informed Consent for Innovations and Ideas

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6. Prior Informed Consent Form………………………………..…………………………………………………….. Technological Innovations and Ideas

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7. National Innovation Foundation, Ahmedabad………………………………..…………………………………… Explanatory Note for Prior Informed Consent for Traditional Knowledge

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8. Prior Informed Consent Form………………………………..……………………………………….…………… Traditional Knowledge

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This publication has been issued without formal editing. Opinions expressed by the authors are not necessarily those of APCTT. The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply endorsement of any product,

process or manufacturer by APCTT

9. Review of papers for the desk study report on Grassroots Innovations and Traditional Knowledge in Asia-Pacific countries……………………………………………...………………………………...

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10. Building Capacity for Scouting, Documentation, Database development and Dissemination of Green Grassroots Innovations in Asia- Pacific Region: An APCTT and SRISTI’s Initiative…………..............

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Part-2. Summary of Regional and National Workshops

11. Asia-Pacific Regional Workshop on Grassroots Innovation for Senior Policy-Makers Building Capacity for Scouting, Documentation, Database Development and Dissemination of

Grassroots Innovation, Nanjing, China 04th-05th June 2007…………...…………...…………...………….........

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12. Workshop on Grassroots innovation for partner institutions in selected Asia-Pacific countries August 16-17, 2007, at Ahmedabad, India…………...…………...…………...…………...…………...…………..

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13. Workshop on Grassroots innovation for partner institutions in selected Asia-Pacific countries September 17 – 18, 2007 at Colombo, Srilanka…………...…………...…………...…………...…………...……..

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14. Philippines National Workshop on Grassroots Innovation (GRI) University Hotel, University of Philippines, Diliman,Quezon City, Manila, Philippines 17th-18th October 2007…………...…………...…………...…………...…………...…………...…………..............

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15. Workshop on Promotion of Grassroots Innovations in Asian Countries Bandung, Indonesia 6th - 7th November 2007…………...…………...…………...…………...…………...…………...…….

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16. Workshop on Grassroots innovation for partner institutions in selected Asia-Pacific countries On 21-22 March 2008, Tianjin, China…………...…………...…………...…………...…………...………….........

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GRI Project Report III

PREFACE

Recognising, respecting and rewarding the ceative communities andindividuals at grassroots in rural and urban areas has been the majormission of Society for Research and Initiatives for SustainableTechnologies and Institutions (SRISTI) and Honey Bee Network forabout two decades. Department of Scientific and Industrial Research(DSIR), Government of India saw the strength of the model of scouting,documenting and disseminating grassroots innovations and traditionalknowledge developed at SRISTI. DSIR realised that the experienceof SRISTI needed to be replicated in the Asian and Pacific regions sothat the unsung heroes and heroines of the region get due recognitionand support in each country. For inclusive growth, building upon lowcost, affordable and environment friendly technologies developed bycommon people without any outside help is very necessary. Manycountries in the region already have some institutional framework inplace to promote innovations. However, the role of grassroots innovatorsand TK holders has remained subdued. APCTT was contracted byDSIR to work with SRISTI as a knowledge partner to build capacity inthe region for scouting, documenting and disseminating grassrootsinnovations. It was felt that in phase one, the major emphasis will be onbuilding databases of such innovations and TK. In phase two, perhapsone could draw upon the experience of adding value, developingproducts/services which can generate employment, help in alleviatingpoverty and strengthen entrepreneurial approach to development.

First, a desk study was done to pool together the regional experience inthis regard by way of preparing an annotated bibliography. This was

followed by field visits in several countries such as China, Philippines,Malaysia, Sri Lanka and India. The workshops for senior policy makersas well as others were organised in all these countries. In the lastworkshop held in China, all the countries in the region, which took initiativeto build the grassroots innovations (GRI) movement agreed that theprocess triggered by SRISTI and APCTT had been very useful. Insome countries, budget allocation for the purpose has already been made.In other countries, efforts in this direction are on way. Severaloutstanding examples of innovations by common people as well aschildren were presented at various workshops. Through an on-goingcooperation between India and China, a Chinese Innovation Network(CHIN) was started three years ago to trigger the self-sustaining processin China. Tianjin University of Finance and Economics (TUFE), Tianjinhosted the initiative and has recently launched a twin centre on grassrootsinnovations at TUFE as well as at SRISTI. More than 500 grassrootsinnovations have been mobilised by the team at TUFE including facultyand the students. It demonstrates the viability of SRISTI’s model. Twofaculty members from TUFE in fact had spent extended stay at SRISTIand National Innovation Foundation (NIF) to learn about the processesfollowed by Honey Bee Network in India.

SRISTI is very keen to support the capacity building effort in the regionso that grassroots innovators and traditional knowledge holders get theirdue. The blending of formal and informal science will provide a distinctiveedge to the Asian Pacific cultures and economies. The linkage betweentechnology, institutions and culture is necessary so as to conserve and

GRI Project Report IV

utilise resources in sustainable manner. The economically poor andknowledge rich people have no choice but to be creative to survive. Forlong time, the development policy around the world treated the poorpeople as ‘sink’ of aid, assistance and guidance. These people werenever treated as a major ‘source’ of ideas, initiatives and technologicaland institutional innovations. Honey Bee Network and SRISTI havetried to make a transition from ‘sink to source’.

The concept of Prior Informed Consent (PIC) developed over the yearsprovides an operational framework for the purpose of ensuring theknowledge rights of local people. It is not an easy concept to implement.People have learnt, over the centuries to underplay the importance oftheir own knowledge. The colonial past reinforced this feeling. However,the process of economic growth in the recent past is shifting the centreof world towards the east. The people in the Asian Pacific region arerediscovering the worth of their own culture, institutions and knowledgesystem. In such a context, the importance of grassroots innovationscannot be over emphasised. Eventually, right at the school educationlevel, the consciousness about creativity, compassion and collaborationwill have to be created. The model of Grassroots InnovationAugmentation Network (GIAN) linking innovation, investment andenterprise across time and space will have to be replicated.

I hope that the readers would find ideas in this compilation worthwhileand write back to us about their suggestions for making the Honey BeeNetwork stronger and viable in the region. The spirit of learning fromcreative people across the regions and sectors has to be fostered inevery country. The experience has shown that even if many innovationsdon’t diffuse, their relevance does not go down over time. The heuristicvalue of innovations is very important. Likewise, the role of social

network, which may inhibit or accelerate the emergence of innovationsalso needs deeper study. The motivations of innovators and theirimplications for the diffusion have not been studied adequately. Whymany innovators do not take initiatives in solving their particular problem,despite knowing about it, also needs to be studied. The role of triggersin converting awareness and motivation into action has to be appreciatedmore comprehensively. There are lot of issues in disseminating theinnovations, which need to be further investigated. The role of intellectualproperty protection requires a whole new approach to strengthen theprotection of rights and at the same time ensure promotion of people topeople learning. SRISTI has recently proposed a concept of ‘technologycommons’ to encourage lateral learning, imitation, improvisation andfurther innovations. Idea is that the historical ability of people to learnfrom each other without any inhibition or obstruction should not beimpaired. At the same time, the corporations and other commercialbodies should be required to license the rights to commercialise atechnology from the members of the particular technological commons.

SRISTI invites readers to join the Honey Bee Network and spread theidea of learning from common people around. We wish to put on recordour deep appreciation for the support from DSIR and APCTT incontributing towards the capacity building efforts in the region

Prof. Anil K. GuptaPresident, SRISTI and Executive Vice Chairperson,National Innovation Foundation, Ahmedabad

GRI Project Report V

This Grassroots Innovation Project Report is an attempt to present in asuccinct way, the experience gained and the wealth of informationgenerated during the project implemented by UNESCAP-APCTT titled,“Promotion of Grassroots Innovation in Asia-Pacific Countries” thatwas generously funded by the Government of India. UNESCAP-APCTTwas fortunate in having the Society for Research and Initiatives forSustainable Technologies and Institutions (SRISTI), Ahmedabad, India,so ably led by Prof. Anil K. Gupta, as its Knowledge Partner for thisproject. As is well known, SRISTI, under the leadership of Prof. Gupta,has become internationally renowned for its efforts in promotinggrassroots innovation and its work is widely regarded as a basis forbenchmarking best practices. Thus, this Report has also compiled thevaluable knowledge and experiences that SRISTI brought to this projectfor sharing with countries of the Asia-Pacific region..Technology transfer activities are an important vehicle for socio-economic development and UNESCAP-APCTT, with its corecompetence as a promoter of regional and interregional cooperation intechnology development and transfer, has a dynamic role to play in theregion. UNESCAP-APCTT has thus been actively engaged instrengthening the technology transfer capabilities of countries of theAsia-Pacific region focusing on promoting and strengthening networksof appropriate national and private institutions. The current thrust ofthe Centre’s work is on three important areas: technology transfer support

PREFACE

services for small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs); capacitybuilding in technology management and innovation; and provision ofinformation on newly emerging technologies.

Experience has shown that, unfortunately, a tacit assumption is oftenmade that innovations can only be generated by the educated elite whowork in formal organizations such as universities, R&D institutions, andbusinesses. The end result of such an assumption is that the creativegenius of ordinary people in rural and urban areas and other disadvantagedregions in a country is unwittingly ignored. It has been well documented,especially by SRISTI based on the experience gained through its HoneyBee Network, that innovations at the grassroots level are numerous andmany of these either contain complete solutions to local problems orhave within them the ‘seeds’ to develop a solution by blending theseinnovations with formal scientific approaches. Taking note of the lackof attention being paid to realizing the “commercial and social value” ofgrassroots innovations and traditional knowledge and to ensure that thework of UNESCAP-APCTT in technology management and innovationtakes on an inclusive dimension, UNESCAP-APCTT commenced theimplementation of the “Promotion of Grassroots Innovation in Asia-Pacific Countries” project with generous funding support from theGovernment of India.

This project may be regarded as the first stage of a major thrust that isneeded in the Asia-Pacific region to foster social entrepreneurship and

GRI Project Report VI

promote inclusive development through the harnessing of grassrootsinnovations. The focus of this project was to build capacity in membercountries to scout, document and disseminate (SDD) grassrootsinnovations. While a local innovation is developed to fit a particularbiophysical and socio-economic setting, the documentation and sharingof local innovations throughout the Asia-Pacific region can provide ideasand inspiration for those in other settings and encourage them to try outand suitably adapt these innovations. In June 2007, UNESCAP-APCTTorganized a regional meeting in Nanjing, China for senior policy-makersof its member countries. At this meeting SRISTI took the lead in helpingthese member country policy-makers gain valuable insights into howwe could develop and adopt a road map to scout, document anddisseminate grassroots innovations in the Asia Pacific region. Inaccordance with the project objectives, four countries, namely, China,Indonesia, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka offered to become partners todevelop and adopt a road map to scout, document and disseminate (SDD)grassroots innovations in their respective countries. A workshop wasthen held in Ahmedabad, India, for partner institutions from thesecountries, to impart indepth and specialist knowledge to their designatednational experts. To further assist these four partner countries toeffectively strengthen their efforts to scout, document and disseminate(SDD) grassroots innovations, UNESCAP-APCTT, with the supportof SRISTI, conducted four national workshops, in the respectivecountries, to disseminate know-how on scouting, documenting, anddisseminating grassroots innovations to a greater base of national experts.

This Report consists of the material complied by SRISTI for the use ofparticipating member countries and the information generated during

the field visits and six workshops that were held during the period June2007 – March 2008.

UNESCAP-APCTT would like to extend its heartfelt thanks andgratitude to the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR)of the Ministry of Science and Technology of the Government of Indiafor its generous funding, without which this project would not have beenpossible. UNESCAP-APCTT expresses its sincere and deepappreciation to the Society for Research and Initiatives for SustainableTechnology and Institutions (SRISTI), and especially to Prof. Anil K.Gupta and his team, for their invaluable support and cooperation asKnowledge Partner. Special thanks are also expressed to the numerousinternational and national experts and representatives of various partnercountry institutions who helped in many ways and also participated inthe field visits and workshops. Finally, but not least, UNESCAP-APCTTextends its deep appreciation to the various institutions that hosted theregional and national workshops.

Prof. Gupta is fond of stating that, “the poor may not have materialwealth but they are rich in terms of traditional knowledge and creativethinking.” Indeed, researchers have stated that innovations at thegrassroots level arising out of traditional knowledge is a practicalapplication of remembered, compared, and collected experiences of thesame kind as it is systematized and summarized in scientific formulae,descriptions, and prescription. It is hoped that this project has helped toremind our member countries of the tremendous hidden wealth that canbe unearthed by according grassroots innovations and traditionalknowledge due recognition and focused, timely support. It is hoped that

GRI Project Report VII

this project will help to initiate action in our member countries so that aprocess of social entrepreneurship can be put in place to enablegrassroots innovators to, in the words of the development economistGustavo Esteva, “walk with their own feet, on their own path, and dreamtheir own dreams.”

K. RamanathanHeadUnited Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific– Asian Pacific Centre for Transfer of Technology (UNESCAP-APCTT), New Delhi, India

1 Creativity counds, Knowledge matters, Innovation transfer, Invention inspire

Asia and Pacific region is inhabited by some of the most ancientcultures, which are trying to blend traditional values withmodern markets, institutions and technologies. In the processof modernization, the process of economic growth in the earlyphase tends to leave out the disadvantaged regions, people andsectors from the ambit of development. To make the growthprocess more inclusive, every country in the region is lookingfor more participative ways. While the design of specificinstitutions needed to achieve inclusive growth may vary fromcountry to country, the need to learn from people existseverywhere. By building upon the creativity, innovation andoutstanding traditional knowledge, each country would be ableto include the voices of such people who do not adjust with oradapt to a problem for too long. Instead, they try to find asolution, no matter how sub-optimal. It must be recognizedhowever, that these solutions found by local individuals orgroups may not be optimal always. There may remain needfor blending formal science with informal science for addingvalue to local knowledge, innovations and practices.

Why is it that while searching for literature on creativity ofcommon people and their ability to solve problem, we find such

a large gap? Literature on traditional knowledge is primarilyfocused on ethno botany, i.e., knowledge of plants and theiruses with much less coverage of other sources of survival, suchas minerals, metals, woods, construction, fabrication, smallmachines, transport, energy, food processing, etc.

There is no doubt that there is a tremendous richness in thelocal knowledge systems, which remain to be adequatelytapped. The purpose of this workshop is to identify some ofthese sources of strength through various methods that areeasy to use and can be improved during the process ofimplementation. Therefore, despite all the variability in culture,institutions and technologies, the approach of Honey BeeNetwork would be able to deliver results. In a separateinitiative, Society for Research and Initiatives for SustainableTechnologies and Institutions (SRISTI, www.sristi.org) triedto demonstrate this capability of Honey Bee Network(www.sristi.org) approach by creating online incubationplatform for mentoring, monitoring and maturing grassrootsinnovations from India, China and Brazil to provide socialtechnological alternative for employment and livelihoodsupport.

Reciprocating Learning from Creative People: Scouting and Documentation ofGrassroots Innovations and Traditional Knowledge1

Anil K Gupta2

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In Defence of Grassroots Innovators 2

Ethical Foundation of Scouting and Documentation

Will documentation work without an ethical foundation? Manygroups have tried to search knowledge, innovations andpractices at grassroots level but not always with much success.Many such groups have far more financial and institutionalresources than Honey Bee network. Why do they miss theseideas, innovations and traditional knowledge? Why wouldpeople share these with Honey Bee network so readily and notwith others. The key is the constructive and creative socialcapital.

There are three elements in social capital: trust, reciprocity andthird party sanctions. Unless people trust us that we will respecttheir knowledge, ideas and innovations, do justice to them,and will not exploit them, they are unlikely to share their bestideas with us. After all, knowledge rich-economically poorpeople have been exploited so much in the historical past. Howdo we win their trust? By sharing our purpose of research,transparent accounts of finance used for the purpose, and theway similar knowledge has been used in an accountable mannerin past. The reciprocity is no less important than the trust. Infact, it feedbacks into the creation of trust. The reciprocity canbe of four kinds. One dimension of reciprocity is the nature ofexchange, General, and Specific. The former refers to whenone kind of good or service is exchanged with another kind ofgood or service. The specific reciprocity refers to the exchangeof the same good or service. It can be concurrent or temporal(including inert-generational. Thus we have four kinds ofreciprocities: general-concurrent, general-temporal, specific-

concurrent and specific �temporal. To illustrate, I may haveborrowed bullocks in the post drought year for ploughing mylands from a friend. When it rains, he may want help inthatching the hut. This is general exchange; we cannot workout exact equivalence between thatching hut and the ploughingthe land. As against this, one could have shared one�s bullockwith neighbour and vice versa. Same thing in return of thesame thing will be specific reciprocity. The third party sanctionis the last dimension of constructive social capital. If two partiesare engaging in a transaction, which is against socially acceptednorms of using a resource, then one has the responsibility forsanctioning such behaviour. If we observe some NGOs oragency or individual using people�s knowledge withoutdisclosing with them all the information about the transaction,and without acknowledging their knowledge rights, then onecan sanction such behaviour.

The technology, institutions and culture are like the words,institutions and thesaurus respectively. There is an institutionaland cultural context of the innovation movement. In eachcountry, this relationship will have to be crafted keeping inmind cultural values and institutional norms. Unless theinstitutions which want to scout innovations and traditionalknowledge have a clear vision of the whole value chain, theirability to uncover local creativity may remain constrained. Itis to be expected that not all knowledge holders are motivatedor driven by similar set of incentives. What will encourage oneperson to disclose or share one�s knowledge may not motivatesomeone else. For instance, ability to learn from others may bea great motivation for many grassroots innovators. Recognition


of one�s creativity may induce others. But for few, onlyeconomic rewards may matter. Material and non-materialincentives for individual or communities at one time or on anongoing basis may constitute the portfolio of incentives. Localcommunities should understand at least in its rudimentaryform, what are the options they have.

PIC (Prior Informed Consent): It is very important forprofessional, ethical and technical reasons that whateverknowledge is obtained from the knowledge providers, it iscovered by the PIC. The implications of PIC are differentfor the knowledge that belongs to the community vis-à-visthe one either innovated or modified by an individual. Theconsent of the community in the case of collectively ownedtraditional knowledge is obligatory. Likewise, the consentof the individual whose knowledge is not already in publicdomain will constrain the options of the scouting anddocumentation agency. In our case, the members of theHoney Bee Network cannot violate the conditions imposedby the knowledge workers. It is true, however, that notall knowledge holders fully understand the implications ofPIC in the first go. Creating the capacity among theknowledge holders to exercise their privilege of PIC is partof the process of building social capital.

Why to document grassroots innovations and TK

a. To learn from creative people about local solutions so thatother people struggling with similar problems could trythese solutions if available in open source.

b. To encourage not only lateral learning but also knowledgenetworking among creative people and TK holders so thatthey can collectively improve the efficiency andeffectiveness of existing solutions.

c. To empower local communities and individual innovators

to solve problems that have remained unaddressedthrough sectoral or spatial knowledge networks focusedon such problems solving.

d. To link modern science and traditional knowledge as well

as grassroots innovations to produce sustainable productsand services with minimum ecological footprint.

e. To create a culture of innovations so that rather than

waiting for government or other outsiders to solve localtechnological problems, people at grassroots level feelemboldened to try their own solutions.

f. To help policy makers in taking the process of scouting

and documentation to its logical conclusion by addingvalue, protecting the intellectual property right whereverfeasible and necessary, providing risk capital or venturefund and create knowledge based enterprises.

In the entire history of human civilization, never before somuch oral knowledge has been eroded as has been the case inthe present generation. One of the purposes of documentationis to stem the erosion of knowledge, facilitate inter-generationaltransfer of knowledge and creating local/village knowledge


registers. The experimental ethic, which generates environmentfor innovation, has also to be nurtured.

The study of scouting and documentation processes isessentially a study of learning systems. There are examplesof such innovations having taken place over thousands ofyears in the region. Honey Bee Network is trying to overcomethe tradition of (a) anonymity, (b) not acknowledging thecontributions of knowledge holders, and in most cases, (c)using this knowledge without any reciprocity and benefitsharing. Much before Convention on Biological Diversity(CBD) or TRIPS (Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual PropertyRights) came into being, Honey Bee Network had articulatedand asserted the need for protecting the intellectual propertyrights of creative individuals and communities around theworld.

While a formal internationally agreed system has still not comeabout, the national initiatives have started emerging. Creationof National Innovation Foundation (NIF, www.nifindia.org)in February 2000 with the help of Department of Science andTechnology, Government of India was one such initiative. Many more initiatives of this kind are called for in the worldincluding Asian and Pacific region. The note on NIF providesbroad understanding of the way value chain can be built tolink innovation, investment and enterprise through GIAN(Grassroots Innovation Augmentation Network) like incubators(www.gian.org), and www.sristi.org provides the overallcontext of the knowledge and its applications for not justeconomic but also cultural and social purposes.

How to understand grassroots innovations and traditionalknowledge: Knowledge, innovation and practices are produced by peoplein the course of exploring new habitats, new materials, newneeds and new institutional conditions. When a new pestattacks a traditional crop, the limits of the traditionalknowledge system may come to fore. Either conventional pestcontrol systems work for the new pest or they don�t. If theydon�t, search for a new solution begins. It is in such search,that the seeds of new discoveries are sown. In areas wheremarket and bureaucratic forces are weak, the compulsions forlocal communities to find their own solutions become almosta necessity.

Not all traditional knowledge is collective or even passed onfrom one generation to another. I have argued that traditionalways of knowing are as important as traditional knowledgeitself. Excessive focus on community based knowledge systemshas unfortunately led to the neglect of individual initiativesand innovations. One has to balance the both. Withintraditional knowledge, thus there can be innovations. Someof these innovations are triggered by introduction of newspecies voluntarily or involuntarily (such as the weeds whichenter a system with imported grains, food or othermerchandise). These are also triggered by introduction of newmaterials or even methods. History is full of examples whereone country invents new methods, materials or uses andanother country converts them into products and services forstrategic or mass consumption. Chinese inventions of paper,


gunpowder, printing and silk revolutionized the world. Yet,the mass consumption technologies of printing or making paperor for that matter, using gunpowder (discovered accidentallyabout 100 � 87 B.C. when sulphur saltpetre and charcoal weremixed together) were discovered elsewhere. The need forlearning across the world cannot be over emphasized. Withintraditional knowledge, there are issues linked with individual,community or public domain. Both resources and knowledgecan be governed by such property right regimes. The interfaceacross three domains generates contestation (Gupta and Sinha,2004), which may require innovations in institutions andcultural norms.

Traditional knowledge can emerge in several contexts. Sometimes, same challenge stimulates similar responsedepending upon the available constraints and opportunitiesbefore a community. That is what makes the case for learningacross cultures even more strong. In first century BC and sixthcentury AD an encyclopedia of agriculture was compiled inChina. One of the practices mentioned in it dealt with aproblem of moisture stress in cold deserts. The practice wasto mix the silkworm excreta with boiled rice steep. The gel soformed was used to treat wheat seeds. A Russian scientist,Mitroff discovered the reason for the working of the gel in 1966. It was recognized that a polymer gel was formed in theprocess. Knowledge of this kind has not received adequateattention of either the policy makers or even the practitioners. In other cultures, which have reared silk cocoons, somehowthis use of silkworm excreta was not discovered even thoughthe problem of moisture stress existed there also. The grassroots

innovation could emerge when a problem whether of recentorigin or contemporary origin gets solved through modificationor use of new materials, method or existing material or exitingmethod for new purpose. At least one of the three dimensionsshould be new.

The Methods of Documentation:

One of the ancient methods of discovering new knowledge hasinvolved use of the principle, �compare and contrast�. Whenever we confront a situation for a distribution of variable,we look at both the tails of the distribution, i.e., extreme values. This method was operationalised through what I have called,�manual discriminant analysis� (Gupta, 1987). Let us say in a


village different people have sown the same crop of paddy ondifferent dates. We compile the data on date of sowing, seedrate, and other agronomic details for a sample of population. Then we ask the farmers who have sown the crops earliestabout the farmers who had sown the last. After the earlysowing farmer shared his or her speculation about the latesowing farmer, we asked him to interpret his owncharacteristics, which were contrasting with the other case ofthe farmers. In the process, we will discover the someintriguing explanations or contrasting reasons. These reasonscould relate to ecological factors or socio economic factors or acombination of the two or in some cases, there could beinstitutional factors too. The traditional knowledge and theinnovations therein have to be carefully inferred. Once insouthern Bangladesh, I noticed that farmers had much lesserspace between the hills of paddy and much higher number ofseedlings per hill in the places where transplantation was donevery late. The logic was that the extent of tillering was reducedas the transplantation was delayed. It is also well known thatthe yield on primary tillers was always higher than thesecondary tillers. The valuable traditional knowledge had avery interesting scientific basis. It was the concept ofmaximizing number of primary tillers by reducing the distancebetween hills and increasing the number of seedlings per hill. Another approach one can use to understand the process ofdocumentation is to look for people who try different thingsout. There is a practice of people holding a rope and stirring itthrough paddy field in the early morning when sun is justabout to rise. This practice is found in China, Bangladesh anddifferent parts of India. The motivations of farmers may be

different in different regions and in some regions they are likelyto be common also. For instance, one of the explanations givenby the farmers for above practice was that stirring the plantthrough a rope leads to dew harvesting and washing of theeggs of the insects. The efficacy of this practice may not beconstant in different regions. But the approach may becommon.

Various methods, which have been used by the Honey BeeNetwork, are given in the annexure. The long list of methodsis only suggestive and not descriptive. We hope that manymore methods will be discovered by the users and shared withus so that we can share the same with other members of thenetwork.

Summing up

The scouting and documentation of innovations is a means.The end is to make our society more creative, innovative andcollaborative. Not all kinds of innovations occur in the sameregion or among similar social groups. Some of the innovationsare not even realized as innovations by the innovator concerned.They faced a problem, they solved it. Not only that the localinnovators may not realize their contributions as worthy ofmention to others, many times, they deliberately keep a lowprofile. The reason is that in societies having colonial past, anyeffort to outperform or break the rank is seen unfavourably bythe peers. Sometimes, there is an overt contempt for creativity.Under such circumstances, the hesitance of some of theinnovators to come out is understandable. In addition, several


traditional knowledge holders believe that their knowledgemight not remain effective if it was told. Given such aninstitutional context of local knowledge systems, the scoutingand documentation of innovations and traditional knowledgeat grassroots becomes extremely challenging. The inability offormal scientific and technological institutions to solve some ofthe persistent problems of local communities provides abackdrop to understand and appreciate the solutions by�informal� scientists. Public policy for encouraging not onlyinnovations but also partnership between formal and informalsector is necessary. But, the absence of such a policy shouldnot deter those who want to try. Policy may follow the pilotproject. In fact, many public policies have emerged from suchexperiments and pilot projects. The experience of Honey BeeNetwork narrated in accompanying papers illustrates thisprocess in Indian context.

Let me conclude by suggesting that if S&D is seen as an end initself (as has been the case with many ethno botanists), thenthere is a good chance that the activity will lose momentumand also legitimacy. But if it is seen as a means to an end, thatis to make a country more creative, collaborative, andcompassionate, then even an imperfect start makes lot of sense.

Footnotes

1Earlier draft of the paper presented at the APCTT Conference on Scoutingand Documentation of grassroots innovations and traditional knowledge,June 4-5,2007, Nanjing, China and modified and expanded version at theconference on Scouting and Documentation at CIIE, IIMA. August 16-18,2007

2 K.L.Chair Professor of Entrepreneurship, IIMA and Executive Vice Chair,NIF and President, SRISTI


Why scout and document?

Combination of Socio-economic, cultural, and environmentalfactors in different niches propel individuals to evolve localizedsolutions/practices/innovations to their problem and needs.Science underlying many of these practices still remains to beproperly understood. In some cases, even without sucharticulation of scientific basis, the functional efficiency of someof the innovative practices have considerable potential forsolving local problems in the regional and global markets. Theirlimitation in terms of higher local fit becomes their strength inproviding effective solutions to variable needs. A question ofcourse remains as to how to generate incentives for public andprivate agencies for diffusing such innovations and traditionalknowledge which are highly appropriate for specific nichesbut may have less optimality for larger universal condition.We may add that for helping a policy-centric society to evolve,the large number of such distributed spurs, that is, many localsolutions are much better than having a few solutions spreadingto all the regions. Such �lab to land � approach has caused ahuge lot of environmental and other externalities. However,the diffusion of local solutions some times can be argued onthe ground that it may trigger receivers of information to try

out their own solutions. Thus the existing innovations are spreadnot just as solution but also as heuristics or a way of solving problems.

It is possible to generate �lateral learning� among grassrootsknowledge holders by sharing innovative practices acrosslanguage, cultural and ecological regions. This will speed upthe process of technological change and exchange in regionswhere formal technology generation system has not been verysuccessful. Every new outstanding innovation is a challengeto the current frontiers of knowledge and may extend and/orre-define the existing fringes.

By sharing this accumulated knowledge with the widersociety, an attempt is made to recognize, respect and rewardor appreciate the creative capacities of Knowledge Rich andsome times economically poor societies. This may reinforce theirself reliance and also embolden them to try new experimentsand thus take pride in their own innovative potential.

How is the scouting done?

Scouting is just the first step towards fulfillment of the missionof Honey Bee Network, i.e. to help various local communities

Methods of Scouting and Documentation: diversity of approaches1

Lessons from the Honey Bee Network2


and societies to build upon the genius of knowledge rich-economically poor people. Though, it must be added thatsocially useful innovations have been contributed in the past,and may also be contributed in the future by not so poor people.Scouting is done to discover and recognize grassrootsinnovations and traditional knowledge in communities whichmay have been alienated in some cases from the mainstream.It is true however, that while proportion of local innovationsmay be higher in economically disadvantaged regions, suchinnovations do occur even in the developed regions. The natureof problems is different and so also the focus of innovations.But what is worthy of underlining is that even in most developedregions, urban fringe areas, slums and other places, viable andfunctional traditional knowledge can always be found. Thereare always problems, which remain unsolved by moderntechnologies and institutions in an affordable manner even inurban areas. Local knowledge systems help in seeking solutionsto such problems in a spontaneous manner individually orcollectively.

It involves extensive fieldwork to search for experimenters andknowledge experts in local communities. The process ofscouting of innovations and traditional knowledge has beenpursued through the following means:

i) Survey of Odd Balls through students in rural and semiurban settings

ii) Organizing local, regional Competitions and NationalCampaign for scouting GRI and TK

iii) Shodh Yatra (journey for exploration), every summer andwinter walking through the villages and town for a weekor ten days

iv) Shodh Sankal - a local chain or network of grassrootsinnovators, tradition knowledge holders and othersinterested in learning about the same

v) Scouting through the HB Network volunteersvi) Traditional food festival: to share and seek culinary

creativity and also create incentives for conservation ofagro-biodiversity by creating market demand for localknowledge and resource based recipes

vii) Electronic submission of entries through email or othersuch virtual networks

viii) Agricultural, Cultural Fairs and Exhibitionsix) Scouting through Mediax) Scouting through innovatorsxi) Scouting fellowships to innovatorsxii) Scanning of Old Literaturexiii) Scouting through women self help groupsxiv) Including scouting in course curricula and thus involving

students in scouting as a part of course workxv) Innovation insurgentsxvi) Kite Festivalxvii) Identifying other interested networks and involving them

in scouting and documentationxviii) Markets where products and services provided by some

of the innovation based small or tiny entrepreneurs findplace


i) Survey of Odd Balls in the through students in rural andurban settings

Students from different universities and colleges aresensitized about the need to scout and documentgrassroots innovations, knowledge and explore theirpotential for development of a community. The possiblebenefits are also shared such as award/recognition atnational level, business development, ability to learn fromeach other, generating low cost solutions to persistentproblems etc. Students are encouraged to appreciate thegrassroots innovations created by their family membersand neighbors in the village to begin with. They are alsoasked to narrate some of their own experiences, whichare interesting, intriguing and/or inspiring. These studentsare then motivated to scout such innovations/TK fromtheir respective regions. By underlining what is relevantfor the search, students are given examples based on theirown experience. When outsiders (some times moreeducated and expert in some field of knowledge) sharein a humble and honest manner that some of the insightsshared by students were not known to them, it reinforcesthe self confidence of young explorers.

One of the most successful results of documentation hasbeen achieved by the network of students from GramVidyapeeths (rural colleges based on Gandhianphilosophy of education). A large number of studentsare mobilized every year from 15-20 vidyapeeths whowork for two months during their summer vacation at

SRISTI. These students are given orientation about therichness of local knowledge/innovation domains, and aretrained in scouting and documenting innovations. In thewhole process, while listening to their experiences, effortsare made to convey to them precisely what kind ofpractices they should look for and how to identifyTraditional Knowledge / Grassroots Innovations.

xix) Organizing local, regional Competitions and NationalCampaign for scouting GRI and TK

Various idea, biodiversity and recipe competitions areorganized for students all over the country by field staffand collaborators. In some schools, teachers coordinatesuch contests voluntarily and encourage students to learnfrom informal knowledge experts in the society in thespirit of fulfilling their curiosity. Specific competitionshave been organized in association with CBSE (CentralBoard of Secondary Education, GOI) for mobilizingchildren�s creativity.

For launching competition among the grassrootsfunctionaries, workshops are organized to explain thepurpose of scouting campaign, as well as to exposeparticipants about the earlier scouting experiences.Through such competitions, we receive some very goodideas, traditional knowledge practices, traditional foodrecipes having good nutritional value and so on. SRISTIhas organized competitions among grassroots


functionaries for several years in Gujarat and severalother states and instituted a rotating shield for best effortsin this regard. In the annual function, this shield is givento the best District Rural Development Agency.

In Rajasthan, the forest department workers, anaganwadiworkers ( village women health workers) were asked tojoin the scouting efforts with very encouraging results.

In Karnataka, about ten thousand pamphlets werecirculated among the agricultural department workersso that they could help in this effort.

ii) Shodh Yatra (A journey of explorations)

Shodhyatra is a walk through the villages and towns insearch of knowledge, creativity and innovations atgrassroots. It is an attempt to reach out to the remotestpart of the country with a firm belief that hardship andchallenges of natural surroundings in many cases are theprime motivators of creativity and innovations. Thoughwe have organized some Shodh Yatras in urban fringeareas also to study the rapid erosion of traditionalknowledge and create a consciousness about the need toconserve useful knowledge on an urgent basis andrecognize relevant innovations by people too at the sametime. Every year, Shodhyatras or the �journeys ofexplorations� are organized twice, once in extremesummers and winters, where people walk around adistance of 150 to 250 kms in a span of seven to ten days,

through villages. Innovative farmers, artisans, studentsand scientists join the Shodh Yatra and walk with theobjective of participatory learning, dissemination ofinformation, as well as spreading experimental andinventive ethics among communities.

The Shodhyatra aims at unearthing and honoringtraditional knowledge and grassroots innovations thathave not only enriched the lives of men, women and farmlaborers but have also significantly contributed towardsthe conservation of biodiversity. Honey Bee database isshared with farmers in their local language through laptopcomputers and print publications, posters and some timethrough street plays. A mobile exhibition on medicinalplants, posters, artifacts, working models of innovations,etc., is used for making the presentation more relevantto the local context. During the Shodhyatra, followingmajor activities are generally taken up:

Walking through the villages: The most important eventduring the Shodhyatra is to walk through forests, deserts,mountains, valleys, sea-shores etc., with an objective toknow, discover and share. The Shodhyatris meet manypeople on the way and interact with them. Very oftenthe casual interaction turns out to be an interesting sourceof information about some creative experiments. Duringthe walk, the mutual knowledge sharing among theShodhyatris is also an interesting experience.

Meetings: The objective of the meetings during theShodhyatra is to initiate a dialogue on innovations,


traditional knowledge and creativity, so that people withoutstanding creative potential can come forward to sharetheir innovations and knowledge. Mutual exchange ofknowledge will not only stimulate the innovator and thetraditional knowledge holder to think more creatively andcritically but also would help him to know about otherexperimenters in different parts of the country.

During the 17th Shodh Yatra held in Orissa, the most surprisingparticipant in the biodiversity contest was a little girl from 7th

class who joined the competition spontaneously. She had alarge collection of 87 plant names and more than seventysamples. What was more appreciable was that she could tellthe usages of the plant without looking at her text at all.

Bio-diversity Competitions: The objective of the biodiversitycompetitions among the children aims at making them awareof their ecological surroundings. The competitions initiate aprocess of knowledge churning within the village wherein theintergenerational dialogue on biodiversity takes place. Theknowledge transfer that occurs from grandparents tograndchildren during the process not only makes the childrenaware about their environment but also ensures a sustainabletransfer of ecological knowledge and values of preservation.In the competition, the participants are asked to identify andstick the samples of vegetation found in their village on acardboard and list down their various usage. Each participantis orally tested about the samples they bring. The students withbest performance are given prizes, where as are all theparticipants are given certificates.

Recipe Competitions: The recipe competitions are organizedfor the women in the villages. The women who prepare themost interesting recipes using the minor millets, lesser knowncrops or crops with medicinal values are given awards andparticipants are given certificates. The whole objective is tomake the people aware about the unique nutritional value ofthe indigenous crops and their importance in maintaining theecological diversity.

Felicitation of Creative Problem Solvers: During theShodhyatra the farmers active in organic farming, those whohad developed new methods through their creative abilitiesand ingenuity, the villagers who had helped in publicity of theaims and objectives of the Shodhyatra and the centenarians menand women are felicitated. The felicitation by some peopleoutside the village not only creates curiosity among the villagersbut also in few cases helps them to commercially use hisinnovations/ traditional knowledge.

Shodhyatra has turned out to be one of the major movementsacross the country that has taken the spirit of innovation tothe doorstep of common man. So far we have organizednineteen Shodhyatras in different parts of country coveringmore than three thousand five hundred kilometers. The lastjourney was in Anantnag District of Jammu and Kashmir.India; and the next one is likely to be in UK followed by 21st inwest Bengal in Purlia region.

iii) Scouting through the Honey Bee Network

Honey Bee takes help of all the collaborators and othernetwork members to get their support for identifying such


local geniuses from all over the country. The Networkhas tried several methods to scout and documentgrassroots innovations and TK from various parts of thecountry through its collaborators in different States.Methods include publication of local language versions,organizing workshops of innovators and volunteers,network members, organizing local press conferences,volunteers visiting villages for search of innovators andknowledge holders etc.

The network collaborators and coordinators help to reachinteriors regions which might have been bypassed by thestate as well as markets.. There are six regionalpublications of Honey Bee magazine for networking andreaching out to people.

iv) Scouting through innovators

Unlike the agricultural practices, the search for artisanaland farm machinery innovations is far more complex.One village may have several hundred farmers but onlyone or two artisans. To meet 100 artisans, one may haveto survey 50-100 villages. However, over a period of timewe discovered that social network of artisans is reasonablystrong. Once we identify an innovative artisan ormechanic, we ask him to look for others of his kind. Thisprocess has helped in discovering many innovators.

Also, many of our innovators themselves start looking forother people like them and encourage them to submit

their innovations/traditional knowledge practices to us.This in turn contributes to the growth and strengtheningof the network. It also helps in spreading the message asthe word of mouth is the best form of informationdissemination.

v) Shodh Sankal - a local network of grassroots innovators

SRISTI initiated the concept of Shodh Sankal (a chain ofexperimenting farmers) to generate a lateral learningenvironment among grassroots innovators. The idea wasto bring together experimenting farmers and discuss theresults of trials that farmers have taken up on their ownto solve various local problems.

The discussion also enhances the esteem for localknowledge systems apart from speeding up the processof technological change in regions where formaltechnology generation system has not been verysuccessful, such as dry regions, mountainous regionsand other disadvantaged areas.

vi) Scanning of Old Literature

There have been many experts at the regional level, whodid not get due credit and recognition for their work justbecause they did not publish their ideas in English. It issimilar situation for contemporary writers publishing inregional languages. As a result, many times it so happensthat we end up giving credit to others for �reinventing


the wheel�. One of the purposes of scanning the old,vernacular literature is to bring these unaccreditedknowledge systems to light. Much wisdom has beenfound in such systems.

vii) Agricultural, Cultural Fairs and Exhibitions

Fairs are vibrant traditional institutions, where peopleassemble in large numbers, either for religious or culturalcelebrations. This platform is used for scouting anddisseminating. Many farmers, artisans, community leadersand professionals visit the stalls and get information aboutthe innovations developed by other farmers. Whileaccessing this knowledge base, they also share their owninnovations with network members. Some of the commonplatforms of such kind have been the organic haats ( openmarkets akin to weekly rural markets) organized as partof the traditional food festival. Farmers from differentparts of the country display/ sell and share with peopletheir knowledge about �not so popular� food grains andmillets.

viii) Campaigns

NIF organizes national level biennial competition forscouting grassroots innovations and traditionalknowledge. The national campaign is a means to buildsolidarity among creative people, by unfolding thepotential of genius at grassroots. Several values (7 E�s)are being blended such as ethics, excellence, efficiency,

environment, education, equity and empathy. Creativityin that sense is being combined with compassion,conservation and concern for the disadvantaged people.

So far NIF has organized five competitions and sixthround is currently going on. Entries are solicited frominnovators and knowledge holders and innovations andtraditional knowledge practices. These are mobilizedthrough collaborators and network members by usingvarious strategies as discussed above. Entries received byNIF are screened for their possible validity, uniqueness,potential social impact, and creativity or embeddedvaluable traditional knowledge. The selected entries areevaluated with the help of group of experts and HoneyBee Network collaborators. The most outstanding entriesare given awards at the hands of Honorable Presidentof India. NIF also extends the support for prototypedevelopment and scaling up depending upon the socialcriticality, potential impact, eco-friendliness, andeconomic condition of the innovator, potential for valueaddition through linkage with science and technologyinstitutions and prospects of diffusion throughcommercial and non-commercial channel.

First national campaign 1600 innovations andtraditional knowledgeexamples scouted

Second national campaign 13, 500 innovations andtraditional knowledgeexamples scouted


Third national campaign 21,000 innovations andtraditional knowledgeexamples scouted

Fourth national campaign 14,000 innovations andtraditional knowledgeexamples scouted

Fifth national campaign 20,000 innovations andtraditional knowledgeexamples scouted

ix) Scouting through Media

Many times regional newspapers and magazines publishstories of people who have done something �different� andhave attracted the attention of others. Such news itemsare picked up by us or are provided by supporters of ourwork and philosophy. We work on these interesting leadsand try to get the information though local scouts,resource persons or collaborators

Interested journalists are identified and they arepersuaded to publish articles on grassroots innovationsand innovators. Specific competitions were organized forthe journalists for articles on innovation.

NIF has introduced Media awards now to recognize nationalefforts by journalists for promoting grassroots innovationsand tk.

In addition, many newspapers and magazines writeabout the innovations and traditional knowledge scoutedand recognized by Honey Bee network. It has been amandate of National Innovation Foundation to bringtogether various stakeholders on a common platform inthe mission of giving visibility and creating a market forgrassroots Innovations. One such example of successfulconception and implementation of our efforts has beenin the form of India Innovates series run by a popularIndian News Channel at a regular basis. Various othernational and international television channels like BBCand Discovery have aired programmes on grassrootsinnovations. Many innovators approach us after reading/seeing about other innovators like them. This process isfurther strengthened through circulation of posters,inviting entries for the unaided grassroots innovations andIdea competitions organized by the SRISTI and NIF,among various institutions and stakeholders.

Information is also disseminated through our websites ofthe network, (www.sristi.org, www.nifindia.org,www.gian.org, www.honeybee.org,www.indiainnovates.com). These websites havepopularized the missions of Honey Bee and othercollaborating institutions. We receive quite a few entriesthrough these websites as well.

Apart from these initiatives, advertisements were issuedfor the national campaign in all the major newspapers ofthe country in different States. The newspapers were


selected on the basis of approximate circulation in differentregions and languages. Special attention has been givento local language/vernacular press targeting the ruralpockets of each State rather than mainly the urban areas.

x) Innovation insurgents � exploring new dimensions andopportunities

The continuing state of crisis in the South Asian regionhas resulted in youth getting highly frustrated with thesituations around them. Current strategies of engagementby state and markets are not impacting the lives of thesepeople in any positive way. Many youth have taken upviolent means to assert their lack of confidence in boththe state and the market.

The idea of innovation insurgents is based on involvingthe youth who are frustrated and angry creatively. Onehas to work with insurgent groups and transform theminto innovation insurgents. This might help them to usetheir wide knowledge base to commercialize products andgenerate employment for the local youth. This would alsoattempt to shift the focus in development programstowards a knowledge based poverty alleviation andemployment generation. The strategy would involveenabling the innovation insurgents through national ruralemployment programme and other self-employmentprogrammes to inventories the resources, biological,physical and knowledge in a community knowledgeregister. These resources will then be utilized to explorethe opportunities for value addition.

xi) Electronic submission

Understanding the tremendous potential of informationand communication technology in furthering the causeof grassroots innovators, SRISTI has initiated a numberof activities. Idea is to network innovators, investors andentrepreneurs and facilitate the dissemination ofknowledge and information pertaining to grassrootscreativity. The ICT initiatives of SRISTI include free accessto the multi language �multi media published innovationdatabase of Honey Bee Network. The initiatives have alsotaken particular care to facilitate peer learning amongthe innovators and traditional knowledge holders on onehand and with the institutions of formal excellence andworld of entrepreneurship on the other hand. One of theactivities that has been undertaken is development of ane-knowledge network which provides the service ofsubmission of new innovations. We have received only afew entries electronically through this means too.

xii) Traditional food festival

Mr. P.N. Surulivel from Tamil Nadu has developed andpropagated a variety of cardamom having high productivity,large sized capsules and high growth rate. There was anoverwhelming response to his cardamom variety during thefood festival and he managed to sell his cardamom in 2006 ata rate six times that of the market price of usual cardamoms.The traditional food festival is organized by SRISTI to focus onthe organically produced traditional food by farmers. The object


of the fair is to stimulate demand of local crops and theirvarieties. In this event stalls are set up by various organizations,farmers� collective and individual farmers to display and sellorganic foods. Recipe contests are also organized during thefood festival. This food festival is also used as a platform toreach out to as many people as possible to sensitize them aboutthe implications of organic food and attributes of local varieties.The first food festival held in February 2004 had forty stallsand the sale was around Rs. 15 lakhs. It was attended by 25,000people. By the fourth food festival the number of stalls hadgone up to 70 stalls with 53,000 people attending the festivaland sales going up till 50 lakhs.

New Initiatives taken recently for Scouting of innovations/TK

xiii) Involving Self Help Groups (SHGs)

Self Help Groups are basic grassroots level institutionschiefly comprising women folk as members. Womenanywhere, are repositories of precious traditionalknowledge but their contributions often remainunacknowledged. Experiments with SHGs in a singleblock of a district of Kerala, a state in India, yielded over9000 traditional knowledge practices, of which a few bestpractices were pooled and four products launched. If thisoutput can generated from a single block consisting of afew villages, one can imagine the magnitude of the totalknowledge that can possibly be generated if such groupsall over can be engaged.

xiv) Including scouting in course curricula

Last year, a college in Tamil Nadu, Lady Doak, started acourse on �importance of traditional knowledge andgrassroots innovation�, where in the students areexpected to go to villages for their fieldwork and collecttraditional knowledge examples and local innovations.This maiden attempt was highly successful as the 400odd postgraduate students were able to scout anddocument more than 2000 such examples.

xv) Scouting fellowships

There are been a few fellowships started for researchstudents to enable them to go to their field and collectsuch practices. This fellowship covers their travelexpenses, stationary and is sufficient for their sustenance.This serves dual purpose as the researchers can do theirwork as well as document practices. Though thesefellowships have recently been initiated, there will besome time before we see come concrete results.

xvi) Kite Festival

Uttarayan is the kite flying festival in Ahmedabad whichis celebrated widely. We flew kites with messages writtenon them asking people to contact us if they knew of anyinnovations. 5000 such kites were distributed. The ideabehind it was to make our message reach at various placesalong with popularizing innovations through the festival.


xviii) Identifying other interested networks and involving themin scouting and documentation

SRISTI/ NIF has initiated steps identify similar networksin different parts of the world to involve them in scoutingand documentation activities. China Incubation Network(CHIN) is one of them!

Footnotes

1 Earlier draft of the paper was presented at the APCTT Conference on Scoutingand Documentation of grassroots innovations and traditional knowledge,June 4-5,2007, Nanjing, China and modified version at the conference onScouting and Documentation at CIIE, IIMA. August 16-18, 2007 , Pl sendcomments to [email protected]


How is the documentation of innovation /traditionalknowledge done?

Preliminary documentation

Whatever may be the source of the information( directly fromthe innovator, through a scout, through media or otherchannels), the preliminary document may generally containthe innovator�s name, address, contact number, educationalqualifications, occupation and the description of the innovationor the details of the traditional knowledge. Further, samples ofplants/herbs, photographs of the innovations, related sketches/diagrams, etc., may not be available with the preliminarydocuments. However, in many cases even basic informationis not available. In the case of herbal knowledge, local namemay be mentioned. Thus, further investigation can not be donetill herbarium specimen is collected and authenticated. In thecase of agricultural innovations or traditional knowledge, thedetails of the agro-climatic conditions, plant variety oringredient of a herbal pesticides may not be given in sufficientdetail. Similarly, in mechanical innovations, claims may bementioned without any supporting evidence. The gaps in basicdocumentation details of the entry received are communicated tothe knowledge provider or the scout as the case may be.

Receipt of the documents and initial Prior Art Search (PAS)

Upon receipt of an entry, an initial PAS is done to ascertainwhether the entry has a novelty, depending upon thesufficiency of the information. Depending on the results, aletter is written to the innovator, mentioning that his entry(which can be innovation(s) or traditional knowledgepractice(s)) has been received and whether it has beenaccepted or not. If the information collected/furnished is notsufficient to draw any conclusion, then the entry is putunder exploratory category.

The innovator or the collaborator or scout is requested tosubmit the relevant details. These details can be about driedsamples of plants (for botanical identification) or photographsand videos, in case of innovations, or any other informationlike educational qualification etc., which might be missingfrom the original document. This varies from case to case. Acopy of the letter to the innovator is also sent to the person/organization who sent the information to us for their records.

In some cases claims are technologically correct but exist inpublic domain. These entries are put in a separate databasecalled as PKD (People�s Knowledge Database).

Process of Documentation of Grassroots Innovations andTraditional Knowledge1 3


Establishing originality: Doing prior art search is very crucial toestablish originality and relative uniqueness or comparativeadvantage of the innovation. Majority of the innovators andtraditional knowledge holders do not have web presence andhence mere web search will not reveal whether any othergrassroots innovator or traditional knowledge holder or evensmall or tiny entrepreneur has already developed similartechnology already or not. Still, one may search web for anything else done already by formal institutions or recorded byany other third party. In addition to web, one would normallylook at the publications (books, journals and news reports etc.,).It would be useful to consult experts where necessary as wellas make field visits to industrial clusters or markets well knownfor selling goods related to the innovation or traditionalknowledge under review. In addition, every innovation short-listed for recognition is also reviewed as a part of prior art.

Establishing originality or uniqueness or comparativeadvantage is important not only for deciding the innovationsfor recognition or award, but also for identifying scope for valueaddition, product development, protection of intellectualproperty rights, business development, diffusion throughcommercial or non commercial channels etc.,. It is importantto mention that before finally drawing any inference, NationalInnovation Foundation, India would organize two separateResearch Advisory Committees, one comprising experts fromformal sector and another including the informal innovatorsand knowledge holders. It is possible that informal innovatorsoverrule the judgment of the institutional experts. They afterall live closer to the ground. Each country will need to considersimilar arrangements.

Secondary /Detailed documentation and verification ofpractices

A grassroots innovator often finds it easier to articulate him/herself through informal conversation than putting theinformation on paper. It is generally difficult to capture theessence of innovation through post and other indirect channels.Hence, field visits are necessary for detailed documentation ofeach short-listed cases

All the necessary details including missing photographs, videos,samples are collected from the innovator/traditionalknowledge holder during this process. The context of theinnovation, personal profile, its current diffusion status,response from consumers if any, and experience with the marketis collected and analyzed.

For understanding the process of innovation, one has to findout how the idea of the innovation evolved and what exactproblem the specific traditional knowledge helps in solving.One has to document the method of development, constructionand operational details, cost estimate, capacity etc., alongwith material and use or applications with supportingaudio-visual evidence. In the case of traditional/herbaltechnologies, samples of plants, their scientific names, quantity/proportion of ingredients, dosage is a must along with otherdetails. It is absolutely necessary, that detailed documentationmay be done with the help of people who understandtechnologies from different disciplines, i.e., technicallyspecialized persons.


Due to lack of proper documentation, an innovation/TK mayfail to get proper attention by the formal and informal expertsduring the evaluation process and ultimately may not getproper recognition.

What all should one keep in mind while scouting anddocumenting?

Points to be taken care of by the field worker/scout:

- Most importantly, maintaining emotional and friendlyrelationship with the innovator & knowledge holder isvital. The innovator should consider scout as friend,mentor and guide. Scout is the formal spokesman ofthe innovator.

- S/he should carry a local version of the Honey Beenewsletter apart from necessary items for documentationsuch as cassette recorder, camera, notebook, anintroduction letter from the office and an ID card.

- The innovator/traditional knowledge holder (referred asinnovator hereafter) should be informed prior to the visitand permission sought for a suitable time for visit. Whenit is not possible, apology for not having done that mustbe offered.

- The innovator must be briefed about the purpose of thevisit. Questions should be posed once the innovator issatisfied and comfortable.

- The innovator should not be bombarded with manyquestions. The focus should be clearly understanding whathe has to say and then documenting it properly. Oneshould not change the subject arbitrarily. That could notonly be a sign of disrespect but also annoy the innovator.One should give an opportunity to the innovator to askany question that he/she may have about the purpose,study, institutional affiliation or any thing.

- Care should be taken that the entire process does notadversely affect the innovator in any way, whetherphysical, social, emotional, psychological or financial.Suitable compensation in a mutually agreeable way wouldbe in order if any such thing happens.

- The innovators should not be forced into submitting thedetails about their work and the knowledge they possess.They should be explained properly the benefits andpossible cost as per the provision of Prior Informed Consent( PIC) and only thereafter, their decision to share or notshare their knowledge, should be accepted with respect.

- Sharing of knowledge is a voluntary act and no falsecommitments or unrealistic benefits should be promisedto extract information from them.

- A copy of the data collected from the innovators alongwith the copy of the PIC should be handed over to them(in their native language) so that they know what has beenwritten and in what form. If immediate submission is not


possible, it becomes the duty of the data collector to sendback a copy of the information to the innovator, as soonas he/she returns from the field. In case of the communityknowledge, the same should be handed over to the communityrepresentatives or the village panchayat/council.

Maintain continuous contact with the colleagues managingNational Register ofGrassroots Innovations and traditional knowledge.

Problems one might face during scouting and documentation

- Grassroots innovator might be suspicious in the beginningwhen scout approaches her/him for the first time todocument innovation or traditional knowledge. Manytimes innovators do not even claim that they have doneany innovation, even if outsiders consider a particularmodification of practice or a device as an innovation.

- Innovator may hide important thing because of suspicion.This requires repeated visits to the innovator to completeinformation but also share the information about otherinnovators and traditional knowledge holders. Without avibrant network, only institutional efforts will not succeed.The relationship between institutions and movement areimportant to understand. The social capital of themovement is always higher than any institution.

- After documentation and signing of PIC there is highexpectation among innovators and knowledge holders. Itis necessary to temper that so that one does not breedfrustration. It is important to counsel innovators that only

a few will make it to market and still fewer will succeed.But the joy out non-market diffusion and social recognitionshould also be highlighted.

- Some time the scouts may approach the person who hascopied the machine and not innovated it. In such cases,one has to locate the original innovator. Giving a wrongperson credit for any innovation can do more damage thangood.

- An innovator may have developed somethingindependently, but the technology may exist alreadysomewhere else. When the innovator comes to know thislater, he might get angry and not cooperate any further.We have to provide evidence and explain that lot of peoplemay come out with similar innovations across thousandsof miles and years apart and quite independent of eachother. Recent road show at Tianjin University of Economicsand Finance organized as a part of Global GIAN: buildingglobal value chain around green grassroots innovationsand traditional knowledge ( conference organized bySRISTI and TUFE, May 31-June 2, 2007) demonstratedthis point through cycle based plough, amphibious carand other vehicles, and so many other examples.

- In case of herbal preparation some times the ingredientsare shared but not the method of preparation.

- If a long time is taken for processing the entries, theexpectations of the innovators may not be matched. Thus,at times the innovator may not cooperate with theincubation manager who may not be aware of the previoushistory of the frustrating time lags between documentationand incubation.


- There might be problems in differentiating betweencommunity and individual innovations at times. It is veryimportant not to give undue credit to individuals forcommunity knowledge. However, at the same time rightsof those who are aware and those who are not only aware,but also know how to practice the same, link the solutionto the problem, and diagnose the problem accurately, cannot be at par.

- In some cases some one else provides the ideas and thetechnology is developed by some other person. There canbe conflict between them, which can affect the process ofattribution, and acknowledgement process.

- Keeping the interest of the thousand of innovators aliveall through the process when only a few are being actuallysupported can pose a tremendous challenge.

- Same plant is known in different places with differentnames, likwise same name for different plants, hence theremay be a problem in identification.

The problems can arise if the scouts have not shared theknowledge and innovations of others with the innovator theyhave scouted. Learning is a great incentive and if we spendlimited resources in lateral learning, there is no way theprogram can become successful and viable. Thus S and Dshould go hand in hand with sharing of what we alreadydocument with the knowledge providers in local language andin easily comprehensible manner and after taking the PIC ofthe knowledge providers.

Footnotes

1 Earlier draft of the paper presented at the APCTT Conference on Scoutingand Documentation of grassroots innovations and traditional knowledge,June 4-5,2007, Nanjing, China and modified version at the conference onScouting and Documentation at CIIE, IIMA. August 16-18, 2007


The purpose to obtain the PIC from the grassroots innovator/traditional knowledge holders (henceforth innovator) is to getthe proper authorization from the innovators/TK holders toenable Honey Bee Network (HBN) / or any other agencypursuing documentation, to work for, and on behalf of them.Also, the purpose of the PIC is also to create trust andreciprocity between the Innovator and HBN, memberinstitutions or agencies responsible for building value chainaround green grassroots innovations and traditionalknowledge.

Once an entry is accepted, HBN sends a Prior Informed Consent(PIC) form in local language to all the innovators to seek theirwritten consent and choice of conditions for dissemination andvalue addition of their products/process/idea. Innovators maydecide among various options for scaling up their technologythrough commercial or non-commercial means or any otherpreference they may have. It is realized that many of thegrassroots innovators and traditional knowledge holders cannot read the PIC. In such cases, video PIC has to be taken.When an entry is short listed for any particular purpose, sayvalue addition or research and development or business

development, PIC provides the framework of disclosure of thetechnology to the third party or taking up any further work.

This is a major experiment that HBN has tried out, not only toprotect the IPRs of grassroots innovators but also to fulfill ethicalresponsibility towards knowledge providers. In addition, PIChelps in enforcing the accountability of formal institutionstowards the knowledge providers (individuals and community)and grassroots innovators. This practice may help generate anenvironment of trust and mutual faith among variousstakeholders who may share his/her innovation or add valueto it or may like to disseminate the same under certainconditions. So far, the rate of receiving duly filled up PIC formshas been relatively low compared to the rate of receiving entries.Even consent from communities/groups has not yet beenobtained in many traditional knowledge entries adequately.But the efforts are under way to improve the situation. It mustbe remembered that never in the history, had the people beenasked to give their consent for such a purpose. PIC is a culturalrevolution and it is also a sign that people�s knowledge matters.

The concept of having Prior Informed Consent of theknowledge holders originated with the evolution of the Honey

Taking consent of the Knowledge Providers: an ethical imperative1

Prior Informed Consent (PIC)4


Bee philosophy two decades ago. The start was with a singlePIC form( see sristi.org and nifindia.org), which evolved overthe years, changing form and content many times, based onthe learning on the way. Now the implementation of theconcept of PICs is divided into two phases for different stagesin value chain of knowledge/innovation -from initialdocumentation to value addition to possible businessdevelopment and benefit sharing mechanism.

Sharing of knowledge is a voluntary act and the participationhas to be informed, both verbal and written, in a way that isunderstandable by the innovator. It is mandatory on the partof the data collector to explain the purpose of the exercise, inwritten and oral manner.

WHY

Using the PIC note, every clause of the PIC form should beexplained to the innovator and then his/her replies entered onthe PIC form to enable the organization to know, based on theinnovator�s preferences, what exactly can be done with theprovided knowledge at the institutional level. Local witnessmust be taken in the cases, where knowledge provider/s cannot read and write.

WHAT

The advance stage PIC form is actually a MOU or Contract forbenefit sharing. It should clearly define the way benefit sharingis desired by the innovator if the organization goes ahead with

a possible business development plan of his innovation. Clearexplanation should be given to the innovator about all theoptions and then his/her preferences should be noted down.

HOW

Experience with PIC: sharing of knowledge

There has been a considerable discussion among variouscollaborators and innovators about the need forinstitutionalizing Prior Informed Consent of the knowledgeholders and innovators while accessing their knowledge and/or resources. The concept of PIC had started long ago at SRISTI(Society for Research and Initiatives for SustainableTechnological Institutions) although the form lacked a properstructure. The PIC was outlined in the form of a letter sent toeverybody stating the philosophy and obligations of thenetwork towards the knowledge providers. It took sometimeto realize that sending letters is not sufficient. A more structuredformat was necessary to institutionalize the framework for PIC.Consequently an elaborate PIC form was developed after NIFcame into existence.

As the experience increased, it was realized that sending PICform alone was also not serving the purpose. Therefore abackground note explaining the possible implications ofchoosing various options in the PIC form in local languageswas developed. As further experience was gained, thecollaborators suggested that PIC should act actually as acontract between NIF and the individual/ and community


concerned. This would also bind NIF to comply with theconditions specified by the knowledge providers. From time totime, in view of the suggestions received from variousstakeholders, the PIC form was modified. The response to thisconcept is still not ideal and a great deal more remains to bedone.

Apparently, one of the problems is that knowledge holders arenot able to fully understand the concept. Many of the volunteersand collaborators find the background note slightly complexto explain it to the innovators in simple language. Though, ananalysis of the entries received directly by HBN through SRISTIshows that in most of the cases PIC has been filled by theinnovator/knowledge providers. More recently, it was felt bysome members that the HBN may seek PIC in two steps. In thefirst step, we may ask their permission for sharing theirknowledge with third parties or for exploring the opportunitiesfor value addition and estimating market demand. However,after much deliberation with colleagues within SRISTI/ NIFand outside experts and innovators, the �prior informed consent�form was modified. The form has been improvised and fieldssuch as modes of benefit sharing, customization according totypes of innovation or traditional knowledge and thecontractual understanding between the innovator and SRISTI/NIF were simplified for making it more user-friendly forgrassroots innovators / Traditional Knowledge holders. Alsothe idea was not to raise too much expectation at the stage ofdocumentation itself. After all, only a very small fraction ofthe total entries received will make it to market or larger non �market diffusion.

Experiences/ reflection from the field

ü Scouts should have good understanding and knowledgeof the cultural values and beliefs of the community towhich the innovators belongs. The customary decisionmaking mechanisms in the family and communitytraditions of the innovators / tradition knowledge holdersand the community must also be analyzed before takingthe PIC.

ü For getting PIC of old people who are unable to read andwrite properly, oral permission can be accepted andfacilitated preferably though video or audio recording.SRISTI/ NIF have collected many such video PICs.

ü Despite explaining the pros and cons of the PIC form, theTK holders do not seem to be fully aware of the futureimplications of the form. Language also becomes a barriermost of the time. Perhaps, a pictorial depiction of the PICcan be experimented for enabling an informed consent.One could perhaps use cartoon format to illustrate theimplications of saying �yes� or �no� to various choices.

ü The social structure of the communities in the study regionmay be some times quite complex. Due to social normsand patriarchy, women are not allowed to talk to strangersand even if they do in presence of elderly family members,they feel hesitant to talk freely. Women are also not readyto share their address with other people. Conservativemale dominated society has not often encouraged women


to interact freely without outsiders, even the researchers.Hence, there remains a wide communication gap whileapproaching women innovators. These barriers have tobe overcome through women researchers and creatingawareness about their knowledge rights.

ü In some cases, innovator is not aware of the context ofPIC and implication of PIC and they might feel that it wasan academic requirement.

ü Some of the collaborators feel that PIC creates unnecessaryexpectations and some times SRISTI/ NIF might not beable to fulfill the requirements of PIC thus creatingfrustration.

Since PIC is a new concept, considerable investment will haveto be made in creating awareness among various stakeholders.At this moment, we have no hesitation in accepting thatcomplexity of the form and the options in the background noteare not always very easy to follow by many people in villages.In the absence of any major effort to create awareness aboutPIC, our effort remains a model to emulate with scope forimprovement. We, however, continue to make efforts to makethis process as transparent and effective as possible.

Footnotes

1 Earlier draft of the paper presented at the APCTT Conference on Scoutingand Documentation of grassroots innovations and traditional knowledge,June 4-5,2007, Nanjing, China and modified and version at the conference onScouting and Documentation at CIIE, IIMA. August 16-18, 2007


NIF is extremely happy that you have shared your Innovationdeveloped by you based on your own and independent effort.We need your informed consent before we decide to share thiswith any third party, or on the web or in any publication, orwith any prospective entrepreneur or potential investor, or otherindividuals or communities requiring that knowledge for theirown livelihood needs, with or without any restriction as peryour instructions.

The objective is to balance the twin goals, partly in conflict, ofdissemination and protection of your innovation. Disseminationwill benefit communities and individuals directly without anycost where as the protection and potential commercializationof the same through contractual arrangements may also helpthem but at some cost. If we had an intellectual property rightssystem in our country that granted the rights quickly, we couldhave got you the protection for new and non-obviousinnovations with industrial applications. We could have thenshared the innovation with others without causing any tradeoff. It is because of the absence of such a system that we needyour PIC so that we do what you think proper under thecircumstances. PIC is also needed to fulfill ethical responsibility

that NIF has towards knowledge providers (individuals orcommunities) and grassroots innovators.

NIF is duty bound to follow your instruction and keep completeconfidentiality if that is advised by you. The purpose is to makeyou aware of your rights as a knowledge provider and as acontestant in the National Competition for green grassrootsinnovations and traditional knowledge. It is not required asyet by law but NIF has decided to take your PIC so as to followan ethical practice. This will help generate an environment oftrust among various stakeholders who may provide innovationor add value to it or may have interest in commercial or non-commercial diffusion of the same. However, if the knowledge,innovation or practice provided by you is already well-known andis in public domain, then the restrictions on its diffusion orapplication will not apply.

Definition:

Unaided technological Innovation refers to any technologicalimprovement in an existing method, use or material involvedin solving a problem or producing a product or service; or a

National Innovation Foundation, Ahmedabad

Explanatory Note for Prior Informed Consent for Innovations and Ideas5


new invention or application of existing technologies withouttaking the help from any outside agency or institution in theformal or informal sector. Innovations or inventions, whichmay cause any adverse consequence to the environment orcause any moral hazard, will be excluded from the purview ofNIF.

A. Sharing of address with a third party:

Quite often people interested in an idea or innovation ortraditional knowledge are keen to find out more about the same,just for curiosity�s sake, or for adding value or doing furtherresearch or for exploring commercial opportunities of usingthe same.

Advantages of providing your address:

§ The third party may directly contact you and thus his/her transaction cost of seeking information will be reduced

§ You may be able to assess the terms of possible agreementdirectly without any influence or suggestion by NIF

§ Dissemination of your ideas may take place directly thoughyou without any chance of distortion or loss of information

Disadvantages of giving your address:

§ While dealing with a third party, you may or may not beable toa) Ascertain the genuineness of the information seeker,b) Negotiate a favorable deal

c) Draw up a proper agreement safeguarding yourinterests

In case you do not provide your full address, we offer to mediateand help in the process of negotiation and try to protect youfrom unscrupulous parties. However, even if you wish to dealdirectly with the third party and at some stage seek our help innegotiation, you are always welcome to contact NIF.

B. Sharing of the Innovation/ Idea on the web site orthrough publication in Honey Bee or other media like film:with full or partial disclosure

C. Nature of disclosure:

We can show only the summaryWe can show the entry in detail

(A) Partial Disclosure or Disclosure in Summary Form only

Advantages:

§ Potential entrepreneurs, investors, or other collaboratorsincluding researchers in private or public sector may showinterest in joining hands in improving the technology ordisseminating it on commercial or non-commercial basisin society. The summary statement for a herbal technologymay mean, for instance, �a herbal solution to treat diabetesdeveloped based on local available raw materials�.


Likewise, in the case of a machine it may be, �a motorcyclebased ploughing machine�.

§ Appreciation may follow from others with in and outsideone�s community when others with similar problems reador hear about your innovation. This recognition may proveto be more valuable for some people than any monetaryreward.

§ The media (press, radio, television etc,) may approach youfor wider sharing of your innovation if they find thesummary of your information interesting

Disadvantages:§ Potential investors, entrepreneurs, or scientists may not

contact you for development/ commercialisation ofproduct, if adequate information about the uniqueness ofthe product is not available.

(B) Full disclosure:

Advantages§ Any third party can contact you directly regarding your

innovation with their queries§ Your innovation may gain recognition, publicity and

respect among the readers/ viewers/§ listeners§ Horizontal dissemination among peers or other members

of local or wider community may encourageexperimentation and possible utilization of the disclosedknowledge, thus increasing opportunities for selfemployment, poverty alleviation, environmentalconservation and improvement in productivity.

§ Disclosure may, by itself, generate demand for the productsamong consumers or potential partners in value chain. Insome cases, the process of using the innovation iscomplicated or all the materials are not available locally,such that users can not practice it or develop it on theirown. In such a case they may like to buy it from theinnovators and thus demand may get generated.

§ Potential investors, entrepreneurs, scientists may contactyou for further development/ commercialization of theproduct

Disadvantages:§ The information will be in the public domain, anybody

will be able to use the disclosed information§ Once the information is disclosed, a patent cannot be

granted on the disclosed information. Any specific part ofthe technology not disclosed can still be protected

§ Potential investors, entrepreneurs, or scientists may notcontact you for the development/ commercialisation ofthe product if they can make it with the help of disclosedinformation on their own

§ Other people may benefit from it without giving you anycredit for the same

Conditions for Disclosure:

(a) On Commercial Basis:

The right to use the technology is granted to a third party onlyon the basis of benefit sharing. The terms may vary from one


commercial deal to another. In some cases, the entrepreneurmay agree to offer a small amount as up-front license fee butmay share a given proportion of gross sales (generally 2-3 percent) as royalty for a given period of time. However, the abilityof a technology to generate commercial demand may dependupon its uniqueness, its commercial viability, whether thetechnology is in usable form or requires further research anddevelopment to convert innovation or idea into a product. Thus,even if somebody ticks this option, it may be appreciated thatNIF may not be able to immediately generate commercialoptions for everybody submitting entries to the NationalRegister. We will share synoptic information on the web andin our databases, and then potential entrepreneurs may showinterest in a specific technology or product.

The disadvantage in marking this option is that only those usersmay get the advantage of your innovation who have capacityto pay for the right to license the technology. Further, in theabsence of sharing full detail with others, those interested indeveloping this technology further may not be able to do so.

(b) Free of cost

The implication is that if some individual small farmer or artisanwants to use your innovation for personal application at his/her own small farm or in small workshop only, he/ she can doso without any obligation to share benefits.

The disadvantage is that somebody may claim that it is forpersonal use but may later end up generating a commercial

advantage. This will require a carefully drafted licensingagreement.

D. Value Addition to the Innovation/Idea:

The innovation can be shared only after it is made more effectiveor efficient by pursuing further research by the innovatorherself/ himself or by another research organization. Theinnovation will not be shared with any third party withoutfurther research on it, if this condition is ticked. Value Additionwould refer to analysis by experts, prototype development,testing, etc.

The disadvantage is that if NIF or the innovator is unable forsome time to take it up for value addition, because of lack ofpriority or lack of resources, the innovation will remainundisclosed with the rest of the society. Further, in the absenceof disclosure, some independent researchers may also not beable to come forward to join hands for value addition, adding/improving features or performance of the innovation etc.

E. Mediation by NIF for commercialisation

The assignment of technology or right to NIF to mediate impliesthat NIF can intervene on the behalf of the innovator,communicator for various purposes such as development ofbusiness plan, products and market research in cases whereapplicable.

(i) Consent for Business Plan preparation implies that NIFmight engage students, GIAN team, or others to explore


the business prospects of an idea or innovation ortraditional technology.

(ii) The consent for the product development may require NIFto engage institutions like IITs, NID or other technologicalcollages or private entrepreneurs, or research anddevelopment centers for value addition.

The cost of these activities may be recovered from the possiblelicensing fee or royalty income that might be generated fromthe commercialization of the technology or shared by theinnovators wherever applicable and possible. NIF reserves theright to include only some of the award winning or prioritytechnologies accepted in the national register for pursuingabove. Criteria may include potential social impact, uniqueness,possible positive impact on environment or poverty alleviationor on jobs, or just the wider consumer applicability in reducingdrudgery of women, or increasing efficiency or developmentof dry land regions etc.

(iv) Technology Transfer

(a) Assignment to NIF or authorization to mediate

By assigning rights to NIF or authorizing it to mediate,innovator enables NIF to negotiate on his/her behalf with thepotential entrepreneurs and investors. In the case of any disputeregarding transfer of technology to third party, NIF will providelegal support in deserving cases to innovators to enforce theagreements with the concerned party.

Advantages:

§ You will receive guidance about when, at what terms andto whom the technology should be transferred

§ NIF will contact the concerned persons/ institutions forfurther development

§ This will avoid the possibility of some third party takingadvantage of the ignorance or lack of familiarity with thenegotiation process on the part of the innovator

§ The know-how or tacit knowledge may remainundisclosed and thus provide opportunity to negotiateseparate agreements for the same

Disadvantages:

§ The assumed benefits in the licensing agreement may notactually fructify

§ Given social expectations, the licensing terms may try tobalance the interests of small entrepreneurs and therebyprevent the innovator from maximising his/her gains

§ In the absence of the disclosure of tacit knowledge, thetechnology users may have difficulty in exploiting the fullpotential of the technology

F. Protection of IPR by NIF

NIF will protect your Intellectual Property Rights if yourinnovation is truly unique. The cost of this activity may berecovered from the possible licensing fee or royalty income that


might be generated from the commercialization of thetechnology or shared by the innovators wherever applicableand possible. The consent for IPR would enable NIF to pursuepossible protection of Intellectual Property Rights by engagingits own team, or private attorneys.

G. Non-monetary Benefits

NIF has shared several non-monetary benefits so far such asrecognition in national award function (it includes monetarybenefit also for some), dissemination of innovations throughexhibitions, Shodh Yatra (walk through the villages everysummer and winter in different parts of the country), multi-media and multi-language data base, workshop of theinnovators to promote lateral learning, workshops with expertsfor product development, or other feed back, and visit to eachothers� place. The diffusion of non-commercializableinnovations and consequent recognition is one of the majornon-monetary benefits. There are cases when these benefitscount for much more in motivating one to innovate or shareone�s knowledge with others.

Please send comments to [email protected]

Bungalow No.1, Satellite Complex, Jodhpur TekraPremchandnagar Road, Ahmedabad - 380015Gujarat, India

Phone: +91-79-673 2095/2456 Fax:+91-79-673 �1903 www.nifindia.org


PRIOR INFORMED CONSENT FORM

Dear Innovator(s),

The National Innovation Foundation (NIF) was established by the Department of Science and Technology, Gov-ernment of India, in March 2000, as an autonomous society to recognize and promote grassroots innovations andtraditional knowledge of individuals/communities. This initiative shall help in reducing the erosion of knowledge,increase the social esteem of the grassroots innovators and knowledge providers and help India become aninnovative society. NIF strives to obtain the written consent and authorization from all the innovators/knowledgeproviders to disclose and/or add value to the innovation/traditional knowledge submitted for inclusion in the Na-tional Register of Green Grassroots Technological Innovations and Traditional Knowledge. An explanatory note,describing the implications of various options given in the form, is enclosed along with this form to assist you to fillup the form. NIF assures full compliance with the conditions specified by you and any modification in theseconditions will be taken up only after obtaining your written consent.

Reference No.:________________________________________

Name of the Innovator :

Title of Innovation/Idea : _____________________________________________________________

We will appreciate if you could tick ‘YES’ or ‘NO’ in the appropriate boxes (for items A to F).

A. Can NIF share your address with those interested in your innovation/idea?

B. Can NIF display/publish your innovation/idea on the Internet/in Honey Bee magazineor any other media?

C. If Yes, to what extent do you wish NIF to disclose the information furnished by you ?

(a) Partial disclosure/summary

OR

(b) Full disclosure

And, under which of the following conditions:

(i) Only on commercial terms (if the interested party is willing to pay for it)

(ii) Free of Cost

(iii) Any other option? Please specify:

_____________________________________________________________________

D. Would you like NIF to add value to your innovation/idea(Analysis by experts, prototype development,Value Addituon, testing etc.)

E Would you like NIF to mediate on your behalf for commercialisation (If applicable)

(Developing business plan, market research, technology transfer etc.)

F Would you like NIF to protect Intellectual Property Rights (If applicable)

Technological Innovations and Ideas

Yes No

_____________ (Signature)

Stamp of NIF

Honey Bee NetworkNational Innovation Foundation G In case, your innovation/idea is not eligible for any monetary benefit/awards, would you prefer any non-monetary benefits, if YES then please tick the suitable option/s:

• Honour in a public function at local, state or national level,

• Recognition in media,

• Recognition in text books if the case is really unique

• Travel support for contacting other innovators

• Linkage with R and D institutions for valorization of knowledge,

• Opportunity to share one’s knowledge with others in shodh yatra (journey throughthe villages on foot) and shodh sankals (workshop of local experimenters),

• Support to the community to share the knowledge with other communities,

• Guidance from formal or informal sources about your Innovations/t.k/Idea

• Supply of scientific information in local language about the herbal or otherInnovations/t.k/Idea submitted by you,

Any other, pl specify __________________________________________________.

Declaration : I/We have read this Prior Informed Consent Form and have understood the implications of variouschoices described in the explanatory note. I/We have voluntarily decided to select the option/options which I/wehave ticked above for questions from A to G. I/We understand that if the Innovation/t.k/Idea provided to you isalready well known and is in public domain, then the restrictions on its diffusion or application will not apply. I/Wefurther assure NIF that all the information given above is true to the best of my/our knowledge and belief.

Name and Address of the Innovator(s) Signature

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Name and Address of the witness/Collaborator/Scout/NIF Representative:

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Signature of witness

Date :

National Innovation Foundation Bungalow No. 1, Satellite Complex, Jodhpur Tekra, Premchandnagar Road, Ahmedabad - 380 015, Gujarat, India

email: [email protected], www.nifindia.org, Fax: +91-79-2673 1903

6


NIF is extremely happy that you have shared your TraditionalKnowledge/practice developed by you, based on your ownand independent effort or drawn from community knowledge.We need your informed consent before we decide to share thiswith any third party, or on the web or in any publication, orwith any prospective entrepreneur or potential investor, or otherindividuals or communities requiring that knowledge for theirown livelihood needs, with or without any restriction as peryour instructions.

The objective is to balance the twin goals, partly in conflict, ofdissemination and protection of your traditional knowledge.Dissemination will benefit communities and individuals directlywithout any cost where as the protection and potentialcommercialization of the same through contractualarrangements may also help them but at some cost. If we hadan intellectual property rights system in our country thatgranted the rights quickly, we could have got you the protectionfor new and non-obvious localized traditional knowledge withindustrial applications. We could have then shared thetraditional knowledge with others without causing any tradeoff. It is because of the absence of such a system that we needyour PIC so that we do what you think proper under the

circumstances. PIC is also needed to fulfill ethical responsibilitythat NIF has towards knowledge providers (individuals orcommunities) and grassroots innovators.

NIF is duty bound to follow your instruction and keep completeconfidentiality if that is advised by you. The purpose is to makeyou aware of your rights as a knowledge provider and as acontestant in the National Competition for green grassrootsinnovations and traditional knowledge. It is not required as yetby law but NIF has decided to take your PIC so as to follow anethical practice. This will help generate an environment of trustamong various stakeholders who may provide innovation or addvalue to it or may have interest in commercial or non-commercialdiffusion of the same. However, if the knowledge, or practice providedby you is already well-known and is in public domain, then the restrictionson its diffusion or application will not apply.

Definition

Traditional Knowledge is any knowledge, innovation orpractice produced by individual knowledge experts, healers,crafts persons etc., alone or in groups or community a longtime ago or several generations ago.

National Innovation Foundation, Ahmedabad

Explanatory Note for PRIOR INFORMED CONSENT FOR TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE7


There are three implications of �Informed Consent� (1)That the knowledge providers have been fully informed of allinformation relevant to the activity for which the consent issought, in the native language or other mode ofcommunication; (2) The traditional knowledge holdersunderstand and agree in writing to the carrying out of theactivity for which the consent is sought, and the consentdescribes that activity and lists the records or traditionalknowledge that will be released to third party; and (3) Thetraditional knowledge holders understand that the consent isvoluntary and may be revoked by them.

It is true however, that even after you sign the form, you arefree to change your mind and decide not to participate in thevalue chain or technology transfer process. But such a changemay not be binding on the agreements already entered into bythen by NIF or anybody assigned with the responsibility. NIFis duty bound to keep you informed of the progress in thedevelopment, if any, of your idea or innovation. You can changeyour views at that stage also.

SECTION-A

Implications for each of the conditions:

A. Sharing of address with a third party:

Quite often people interested in traditional knowledge are keento find out more about the same, just for curiosity�s sake, or foradding value or doing further research or for exploringcommercial opportunities of using the same.


§ The third party may directly contact you and thus his/her transaction cost of seeking information will be reduced

§ You may be able to assess the terms of possible agreementdirectly without any influence or suggestion by NIF

§ Dissemination of your ideas may take place directlythrough you without any chance of distortion or loss ofinformation


§ While dealing with a third party, you may or may not beable to

a) Ascertain the genuineness of the information seeker,b) Negotiate a favourable dealc) Draw up a proper agreement safeguarding your

interests

In case you do not provide your full address, we offer tomediate and help in the process of negotiation and try toprotect you from unscrupulous parties. However, even if youwish to deal directly with the third party and at some stageseek our help in negotiation, you are always welcome to contactNIF.

B. Sharing of the traditional knowledge on the web siteor through publication in Honey Bee or other media likefilms, with full or partial disclosure


C. Nature of disclosure:


(a) Partial Disclosure or Disclosure in Summary Form only

Advantages:

§ Potential entrepreneurs, investors, or other collaboratorsincluding researchers in private or public sector may showinterest in joining hands in improving the TK ordisseminating it on commercial or non-commercial basisin society. The summary statement for a herbal technologymay mean, for instance, �a herbal solution to treat diabetesdeveloped based on local available raw materials�.

§ Appreciation may follow from others with in and outsideone�s community when others with similar problems reador hear about your traditional knowledge. This recognitionmay prove to be more valuable for some people than anymonetary reward.

§ The media (press, radio, television etc,) may approach youfor wider sharing of your traditional knowledge if theyfind the summary of your information interesting

Disadvantages:

§ Potential investors, entrepreneurs, or scientists may notcontact you for development/ commercialisation of

product, if adequate information about the uniqueness ofthe product is not available

(b) Full disclosure:

Advantages

§ Any third party can contact you directly regarding yourtraditional knowledge with their queries

§ Your traditional knowledge may gain recognition, publicityand respect among the readers/ viewers/ listeners

§ Horizontal dissemination among peers or other membersof local or wider community may encourageexperimentation and possible utilization of the disclosedknowledge, thus increasing opportunities for selfemployment, poverty alleviation, environmentalconservation and improvement in productivity.

§ Disclosure may, by itself, generate demand for the productsamong consumers or potential partners in value chain. Insome cases, the method of practicing the traditionalknowledge is complicated or the process of using theknowledge is complicated or all the materials are notavailable locally, such that users can not practice it ordevelop it on their own. In such a case they may like tobuy it from the traditional knowledge holders and thusdemand may get generated.

§ Potential investors, entrepreneurs, scientists may contactyou for further development/ commercialization of theknowledge.


Disadvantages:

§ The information will be in the public domain, anybodywill be able to use the disclosed information

§ Potential investors, entrepreneurs, or scientists may notcontact you for the development/ commercialisation ofthe product if they can make it with the help of disclosedinformation on their own


D: Specification of Research on your Traditional Knowledge

If this option is selected, the innovation can be shared onlyafter it is made more effective or efficient by pursuing furtherresearch by the innovator herself/ himself or by anotherresearch organization, as specified by you. The innovation willnot be shared with any third party without further researchon it, if this condition is ticked. Value Addition would refer toanalysis by experts, prototype development, testing, etc.

The disadvantage is that if NIF or the innovator is unable forsome time to take it up for research, because of lack of priorityor lack of resources, the innovation will remain undisclosedwith the rest of the society. Further, in the absence of disclosure,some independent researchers may also not be able to comeforward to join hands for further research and value addition.

SECTION-B

A:

B. Sharing of the community address with a third party:

Quite often people interested in traditional knowledge are keento find out more about the same, just for curiosity�s sake, or foradding value or doing further research or for exploringcommercial opportunities of using the same.


§ The third party may directly contact the communityrepresentatives and thus his/ her transaction cost ofseeking information will be reduced

§ The community may be able to assess the terms of possibleagreement directly without any influence or suggestionby NIF

§ Dissemination of the community ideas may take placedirectly without any chance of distortion or loss ofinformation


§ While dealing with a third party, the community may ormay not be able to

a) Ascertain the genuineness of the information seeker,b) Negotiate a favourable deal


c) Draw up a proper agreement safeguarding interestsof the community.

In case your community does not wish to share the address oftheir representatives we offer to mediate and help in the processof negotiation and try to protect the community fromunscrupulous parties. However, even if your community wishesto deal directly with the third party and at some stage seek ourhelp in negotiation, you are always welcome to contact NIF.

C. Sharing of the traditional knowledge on the web siteor through publication in Honey Bee or other media like films,with full or partial disclosure

D. Nature of disclosure:


(a) Partial Disclosure or Disclosure in Summary Form only

Advantages:

§ Potential entrepreneurs, investors, or other collaboratorsincluding researchers in private or public sector may showinterest in joining hands in improving the TK ordisseminating it on commercial or non-commercial basisin society. The summary statement for a herbal technologymay mean, for instance, �a herbal solution to treat diabetesbased on locally available raw materials�.

§ Appreciation may follow from others with in and outsideone�s community when others with similar problems reador hear about your traditional knowledge. This recognitionmay prove to be more valuable for some people than anymonetary reward.

§ The media (press, radio, television etc,) may approach yourcommunity for wider sharing of your traditionalknowledge if they find the summary of your informationinteresting

Disadvantages:

§ Potential investors, entrepreneurs, or scientists may notcontact you for development/ commercialisation ofproduct, if adequate information about the uniqueness ofthe product is not available

(b) Full disclosure:

Advantages

§ Any third party can contact your community directlyregarding your traditional knowledge with their queries

§ Your traditional knowledge may gain recognition, publicityand respect among the readers/ viewers/ listeners

§ Horizontal dissemination among peers or other membersof local or wider community may encourageexperimentation and possible utilization of the disclosedknowledge, thus increasing opportunities for selfemployment, poverty alleviation, environmentalconservation and improvement in productivity.


§ Disclosure may, by itself, generate demand for the productsamong consumers or potential partners in value chain. Insome cases, the method of practicing the traditionalknowledge is complicated or the process of using theknowledge is complicated or all the materials are notavailable locally, such that users can not practice it ordevelop it on their own. In such a case they may like tobuy it from the traditional knowledge holders and thusdemand may get generated.

§ Potential investors, entrepreneurs, scientists may contactyou for further development/ commercialization of theknowledge.

Disadvantages:§ The information will be in the public domain, anybody

will be able to use the disclosed information§ Potential investors, entrepreneurs, or scientists may not

contact you for the development/ commercialisation ofthe product if they can make it with the help of disclosedinformation on their own


E. Consent of community for sharing traditional knowledgewith NIF

Community knowledge, and practices may some times becommunicated by individuals who may or may not haveimproved it significantly. In general, we will appreciate if anycommunicator of community traditional knowledge wouldensure the following conditions:

A) Knowledge of a community, as it exists, is shared withNIF preferably after obtaining the informed consent of theconcerned community leaders, with the understandingthat individual improvements in the same can indeed becommunicated after informing the community.

B) The degree to which a given traditional knowledge isknown and/or practiced with in or among communitiesmay be disclosed in the submission.

C) In the case of community traditional knowledge, anyindividual may share the same with NIF as stated above,but the right if any (that is if the traditional knowledge isnot in public domain already) would belong to thecommunity represented by its leaders or customaryinstitutions except in the cases where (i) improvementsare brought about by individuals or (ii) only an individualpractices or specializes in that knowledge. In the lattertwo cases, the benefits if any would be shared betweenthe individual and the community.

F. Extent of Awareness and Implementation about thePractice

A practice or traditional knowledge can be said to be knownor practiced by few, if it is practiced or known by at least ten tofifteen of hundred traditional knowledge holders.

A practice or traditional knowledge can be said to be knownor practiced by many, if it is practiced or known by at leastfifteen to fifty of hundred traditional knowledge holders.


A practice or traditional knowledge can be said to be knownor practiced widely, if it is practiced or known by more thanfifty of hundred traditional knowledge holders.

G. Improvements made in the Traditional Knowledge

In cases where improvements are brought about by individualsor only an individual practices or specializes in that knowledge,the benefits if any would be shared between the individualand the community. If the improvement has not been made bythe individual, but by someone else, NIF can take the initiativeof contacting the concerned person to also obtain details aboutthe improvement and also make him/her a part of benefitsharing.

It is obvious that each individual communicator or communityrepresentative submitting entry to NIF will have to ensurecompliance with these conditions. NIF will act in good faithand without negligence and hope that this will eventuallybecome a general practice in the country. NIF will have nomachinery of its own to ensure that this has indeed been thecase in each entry. What we hope is that as the awarenessincreases in society about ethical ways of accessing people� sknowledge, more and more people will comply with theseconditions.

The process of seeking consent by NIF provides the TraditionalKnowledge Holder/s with complete information on the basisof which to make an informed decision. In case of incompleteinformation provided by you, we will be bound only by the

columns ticked or instructions provided. Wherever possible, ifyour innovation or traditional knowledge has been scouted bysome third party, he/ she will also try to explain to you theimplications of PIC.

SECTION-C

NON-MONETARY BENEFITS:

NIF has shared several non-monetary benefits so far such asrecognition in national award function (it includes monetarybenefit also for some), dissemination of traditional knowledgethrough exhibitions, Shodh Yatra (walk through the villagesevery summer and winter in different parts of the country),multi-media and multi-language data base, workshop of theinnovators to promote lateral learning, workshops with expertsfor product development, or other feed back, and visit to eachothers� place. The diffusion of non-commercializable traditionalknowledge and consequent recognition is one of the major non-monetary benefits. There are cases when these benefits countfor much more in motivating one to innovate or share one�sknowledge with others.

Please send comments to [email protected]

Bungalow No.1, Satellite Complex, Jodhpur TekraPremchandnagar Road, Ahmedabad - 380015Gujarat, India

Phone: +91-79-673 2095/2456 Fax:+91-79-673 �1903 www.nifindia.org


PRIOR INFORMED CONSENT FORM

Dear Traditional Knowledge holder(s),

The National Innovation Foundation (NIF) was established by the Department of Science and Technology, Gov-ernment of India, in March 2000, as an autonomous society to recognize and promote grassroots innovations andtraditional knowledge of individuals/communities. This initiative shall help in reducing the erosion of knowledge,increase the social esteem of the grassroots innovators and knowledge providers and help India become an innova-tive society. NIF strives to obtain the written consent and authorization from all the innovators/knowledge provid-ers to disclose and/or add value to the innovation/traditional knowledge submitted for inclusion in the NationalRegister of Green Grassroots Technological Innovations and Traditional Knowledge. An explanatory note, describ-ing the implications of various options given in the form, is enclosed along with this form to assist you to fill up theform. NIF assures full compliance with the conditions specified by you and any modification in these conditions willbe taken up only after obtaining your written consent.

Reference No.:________________________________________

Name of the Knowledge holder :

Title of Traditional Knowledge/herbal practice : ___________________________________________________Please tick the appropriate boxes

How did you come to know about the knowledge/practice : a) elders b) by self c) family tradition d) community

If you have ticked box a, b or c, pl fill section A and if box d then please fill section B,Section C to be filled by all.

SECTION- A

A. Can NIF share your address with those interested in your traditional knowledge?

B. Can NIF display/publish your traditional knowledge on the Internet/in Honey Bee magazine orany other media?

C. If Yes, to what extent can NIF share your traditional knowledge ?

(a) Partial disclosure/summary

OR

(b) Full disclosure

D. Would you like NIF to pursue further research on your Traditional Knowledge (if applicable), if yes, pl specify

Traditional Knowledge

Honey Bee Network National Innovation Foundation

_____________(Signature)

Stamp of NIF

Yes No

SECTION - B

A Name of the community’s authorised leader (i) elected (ii) traditional

B Can NIF share the address of the community with those interested?

C Can NIF display/publish the traditional knowledge on the Internet/inHoney Bee magazine or any other media?

D If Yes, to what extent can NIF share the traditional knowledge ?

(a) Partial disclosure/summaryOR

(b) Full disclosure

E Whether the consent of local community has been taken while submitting the community traditional knowledge toNIF? Yes No

F To what extent specific traditional knowledge/community knowledge is known and / or practiced within or amongthe concerned communities ?

a) Known to few Known to Many Known widely

b) Practiced by few Practiced by many Practiced widely

G Has any improvement been done in the knowledge/practices of the community. Yes/No

If YES, pl specify by whom?Self Others Not aware

H Has the concerned community been informed of the improvements made in the TK belonging to them ?

Yes No

SECTION- C

Would you prefer non- monetary benefits, if your TK is found to be outstanding and worthy of special recognition ?If Yes, then please tick the suitable option /s.

• Honour in a public function at local, state or national level,

• Recognition in media,

• Recognition in text books in case of really unique distinction,

• Travel support for contacting other innovators/traditional knowledge holders,

• Linkage with R and D institutions for valorization of knowledge,

• Opportunity to share one’s knowledge with others in shodh yatra( journey through the villages on foot) and shodh sankals(workshop of local healers),

• Guidance from formal or informal sources about your Innovations/t.k/Idea

• Supply of scientific information in local language about the herbal or other Innovations/t.k/Idea submitted by you,

Any other, pl specify

Yes No

Yes No

Yes No

8


Declaration : I/We have read this Prior Informed Consent Form and have understood the implications of variouschoices described in the explanatory note. I/We have voluntarily decided to select the option /options which I/wehave ticked above in section A and/or section B. I/We understand that if the Innovation/t.k/Idea provided to youis already well known and is in public domain, then the restrictions on its diffusion or application will not apply. I/We further assure NIF that all the information given above is true to the best of my/our knowledge and belief.

Name and Address of the Community/Traditional Knowledge Holder.

Signature

Name and Address of the Authorised Leader

Signature_

Name and Address of Witness/Collaborator/Scout/NIF Representative:

Signature

_

Signature of witness Date:________________________

National Innovation FoundationBungalow No. 1, Satellite Complex, Jodhpur Tekra, Premchand Nagar Road, Ahmedabad - 380 015, Gujarat, India

email: [email protected] www.nifindia.org Fax: +91-79-2673 1903



A. Bangladesh

Rasid H., Mallik A., 1995. Food Adaptations in Bangladesh: Isthe compartmentalization scheme compatible with indigenousadjustments of rice cropping to flood regimes? AppliedGeography. 15 (1): 3-17.

Compatibility of proposed compartmentalization scheme withindigenous adjustments of rice cropping to flood regimes inBangladesh is assessed in the context of the flood plain, farmers�references, for regulated flood levels. A systematic samplesurvey among the residents of 23 villages in five major floodplains of Bangladesh- the upper and lower brahmaputra,ganges, the meghna and the dhaleshwari � provided data onindigenous practices of rice cropping and respondents�preferences for regulated flood levels. The results of thequestionnaire survey indicated that, irrespective of significantspatial variations in preferences for specific ranges of floodlevels, an overwhelming majority of respondents preferredregulated levels that coincided with the overall range of thenormal flood regimes, to which different varieties of monsoonseason rice crops have been adjusted. Despite such coincidenceof respondents� preference with the objective of

compartmentalization to regulate flood levels, the scheme isconsidered incompatible with indigenous practices of ricecropping because of its operational constraints and problemswith the construction and maintenance of flood controlcompartments and their potential environmental impacts.

Ahmed, F.U. 2000. Systems and National Level ExperiencesFor Protecting Traditional Knowledge, Innovations andProtections: Experience of Bangladesh; UNCTAD ExpertMeeting Country wise researcharticles\Bangladesh\bangladesh\SYSTEMS AND NATIONALLEVEL EXPERIENCES.pdf (Website viewed on 24.05.2007).

The paper highlights the Institutional arrangements, legal toolsand informal mechanisms established in the country to supportthe cause of protecting Traditional Knowledge, Innovationsand Protections in Bangladesh

Hossain, M.G. 2002. The Protection of Community Rights andPlant Varieties, the Experience of Bangladesh. Community Rights& Plant Varieties, Bangladesh; version 1.

The blue print agriculture, ushered in the South by the greenrevolution technologies, has proved to be harmful in the long

Review of papers for the desk study report on GrassrootsInnovations and Traditional Knowledge in Asia-Pacific countries 9


term, if not in the short. Not only did it led to elimination offarmers� varieties including other biological diversity as wellas to degradation / depletion of natural resource bases (soil,water, energy resources), it marginalised the resource poorfarmers even further. The approach is not the panacea for theSouth where the CDR (complex, diverse and risk-prone) patternof agriculture predominates. CDR agriculture works in distinct,small-scale environments that differ from their surroundingspresenting sharp gradients or contrasts in physical conditions(Chambers, 1990). This needs to be recognized, especially inthe context local knowledge systems. Perhaps the mostdamaging impact of blue print agriculture was it destroyedthe morale of the farmers of the South as innovators and madethem subservient to and solely dependent on the formal sector(Hossain, 1997).

Innovation Point and Idea Crossing. Idea Competitions andBreakthrough Innovation - Pairing creative imagination withcompetitive spirit. http://www.ideacrossing.com (Websiteviewed on 22.05.2007).

In the quest to grow topline revenues through innovative ideas,organizations are using competitions as a forum for tappinginto the creative imaginations of employees, consumers, andexternal technical, design and other expert thinkers. The qualityand business impact of the outputs is dramatically improvedby managing an idea competition not as a stand-alone �ideageneration� event but as part of a larger �strategic process� �an open-minded, future-oriented, �divergent thinking� processthat involves key stakeholders and calls for a solid

understanding of consumer insights and emerging marketplacetrends. Successful idea competitions involve careful goal-setting,framing, participant selection and preparation, the infusion ofexternal information and stimuli, iterative idea screening andrefinement, and internal communications that set the stage forsuccessful implementation. This paper describes the surge ofinterest in the phenomenon and outlines the factors critical forthe success of competitions that seek ideas from companyemployees.

Gupta, A. 2005. Innovations, institutions and Involvement:Socio ecological crisis and insurgency in marginal environments.Paper presented at the Seminar on Civil Society and DemocraticSpace in South Asia held at IIC, Delhi.

In this paper, I argue that the process of internal colonialismmay cost us a great deal in the onward march towards economicprosperity of the country and the region. In many regions theyouth is demanding better opportunities for adding value tolocal resources, skills and knowledge so that livelihoodopportunities can expand and grow. There is no justificationfor class IV (drivers, guards, peons, gardeners and other casualworkers) employees in formal and informal sectors to be drawnprimarily from marginal environments. I propose transformingthis situation by triggering a movement for what I call as�Innovation Insurgents�. The idea is that those young peoplewho are angry and are willing to destroy the existing icons ofpower and authority have a reason to feel angry. It is truethat violent means very seldom can achieve, if ever, positiveresults. Therefore, the power to destroy has to be transformed


into power to create. I submit that the examples of grassrootsinnovations and traditional knowledge that we have collectedfrom over 400 districts in India provide a basis for attemptingthis transformation.

World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). 2002.Information note on Traditional Knowledge. In cooperationwith the Government of the Sultanate of Oman; January 21and 22, 2002; Wipo International Forum on Intellectual Propertyand Traditional Knowledge: Our Identity, Our Future�.

The paper is an Information Note on Traditional Knowledgeprepared by WIPO

Swiderska, K. London 2004. Traditional knowledge protectionand recognition of customary law: Policy issues and challenges;Background Paper prepared for the Planning Workshop onProtecting Community Rights over Traditional Knowledge:Implications of Customary Laws and Practices, London, 4-5May 2004.

This paper explores the policy issues and challengessurrounding the protection of traditional knowledge (TK)relating to biological resources and the recognition of customarylaw systems. It reviews the commercial use of TK, internationaland national policy processes, human rights fora andindigenous peoples�/NGO proposals. It is intended to providebackground information for project partners.

Hadjimanolis, A. 2000 . A Resource-based View ofInnovativeness in Small Firms. Technology Analysis & StrategicManagement. 12(2): 265-281.

The resource-based view is presented here as the theoreticalframework for empirical research on the determinants oftechnological innovativeness in small .rms. These determinantsinclude the characteristics of the owner/manager (O/M)and the .r m and some technological assets (resources andcapabilities). Evidence based on case studies is used for theevaluation of their effect on innovativeness andtheir interaction. The study highlights the key role ofthe O/M and the importance of some of his/ hercharacteristics. It also shows the impact of certain resourcesand capabilities. The O/M emerges as the orchestrator ofresource accumulation and capability development in theinnovative.

Majumdar, K.M. 2005. Bangladesh: the Seeds of Change. TheUNESCO Courier. 54(1): 28-29.

The paper provides an insight into the organic movement inBangladesh while establishing direct linkages with the conceptof control over seeds and genetic resources and its implications.

Sillitoe, P. 2000. Let them Eat cake: Indigenous Knowledge,Science and the Poorest of the Poor. Anthropology today. 16(6): 6-7.

The author outlines the tyranny of development in the contextof indigenous populations of Bangladesh. The paper questionsthe present development paradigm wherein indigenousknowledge is yet to carve out a niche for itself. Interesting casestudies have been cited from field notes of the author.


Roos, N., Leth, T., Jakobsen, J., Thilsted, S.H. 2002. High vitaminA content in some small indigenous fish species in Bangladesh:perspectives for food-based strategies to reduce vitamin ADeficiency. International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition.53: 425�437.

Recognising the importance of fish in the Bangladeshi diet, theobjective of the present study was to screen commonlyconsumed fish species for vitamin A content to evaluate thepotential of fish as a vitamin A source in food-based strategiesto combat vitamin A deficiency. Samples of 26 commonlyconsumed fish species and one crustacean were collected inKishoreganj and Mymensingh, Bangladesh. To obtain edibleparts, the fish were cleaned by Bangladeshi women accordingto traditional practices. Distribution of vitamin A in parts ofthe fish and the effect of the cleaning practices on the vitaminA content in edible parts were assessed. The content of vitaminA compounds was analysed by high-performance liquidchromatography.

Huq, M. 2004. Building technological capability in the contextof globalization: opportunities and challenges facing developingcountries. International Journal of Technology Management andSustainable Development. 3( 3): 155-172.

The experiences of developing countries show not only marketfailure when it comes to the task of building technologicalcapability, but also government failure in providing relevantpolicies. This is apparent from the three cases discussed in thispaper. In exploring the way forward, developing countries are

faced with the challenge of promoting the involvement of theprivate sector in R&D activities, while recognizing the role ofgovernments in coordinating the direction of research. Thus,while state participation is needed to correct shortfalls in thesupply of investment funds for R&D activities, it does not followthat the state will necessarily have to engage itself in theoperation and management of R&D projects. It is, however,essential that the S&T infrastructure is significantlystrengthened by coordinating the activities of the existinginstitutions and also by adding, as required, some new ones.This is the process in which the national system of innovationwould be expected to evolve as a basis for capacity buildingand technological capability development in developingcountries.

Briggs, J. 2005. The use of indigenous knowledge indevelopment: problems and challenges. Progress in DevelopmentStudies. 5(2): 99�114.

The use of indigenous knowledge has been seen by many as analternative way of promoting development in poor ruralcommunities in many parts of the world. By reviewing muchof the recent work on indigenous knowledge, the paper suggeststhat a number of problems and tensions has resulted inindigenous knowledge not being as useful as hoped for orsupposed. These include problems emanating from a focus onthe (arte) factual; binary tensions between western science andindigenous knowledge systems; the problem of differentiationand power relations; the romanticization of indigenousknowledge; and the all too frequent de-contextualization ofindigenous knowledge.


Oakley, E., Momsen, H. 2004. Gender and agrobiodiversity: acase study from Bangladesh. The Geographical Journal. 171( 3):195�208.

Local geography and gender are two major factors determiningwhich crop varieties are cultivated in a case study of two ruralvillages in Bangladesh. This paper explores the interrelationshipsbetween gender, agro-biodiversity, and the use of, andpreferences for, improved and local crop varieties. These areexamined in relation to rice, minor field crops, and home gardenfruits and vegetables. Reasons for both the displacement andthe persistence of local varieties (LVs) are analysed incomparison to improved variety (IV) diffusion. The researchevaluates agro-biodiversity through the number, types, andvarieties of crops grown in fields and home gardens. The desiredagro-ecological, economic, and cultural characteristics of cropsgrown document how respondents rank their varietypreferences. Variety preferences and the perceived importanceof LV preservation are compared with what is actually grown.The study indicates that there was little variation betweenvillages in their approach towards the use of IV and LV rice;IVs were cultivated for their high yields and LV rice for tasteand culinary uses. However, there were significant differencesin relative agricultural dependence between the two villageswhich led to unique variety preferences. In both villages,women�s preferences for IVs or LVs play a major role in cropchoices, particularly as they manifest themselves in gendereddomains of authority.

Faruque, A., Begum, N. 2004. Conceptualizing IndigenousPeoples� Rights: An Emerging New Category of Third-

Generation Rights. Asia-Pacific Journal on Human Rights and theLaw. 2: 1-29.

The global movement for indigenous peoples� rights in today�scontemporary context reveals that indigenous peoples shouldbe given adequate space to participate in the decision-makingprocesses relating to their own affairs as well as in nationaldevelopment as a whole, and that they should manage theirown institutions with the least possible interference by dominantgroups. These principles of indigenous rights mainly derivedfrom the European doctrine of discovery, have been used forthe last five hundred years to the consequent effect ofdiminishing indigenous legal status and rights. For example,the doctrine of dispossession and terra nullius had been alwaysapplied by colonial powers and settlers against indigenouspeoples in order to justify the denial of any property and landrights of indigenous people.

Sillitoe, P. 2006. Ethnobiology and applied anthropology:rapprochement of the academic with the practical. Journal ofRoyal Anthropological Institute. (N.S.): 119-142.

Ethnobiology has long featured both academic and practicalaspects, with its component disciplines tending to favour oneor the other, such that anthropology focuses on classificatoryand cognitive issues whereas botany concentrates on issues ofresource use. Current trends within development, notablyinterest in indigenous knowledge that has emerged withparticipatory approaches, to which ethnobiology hascontributed significantly, promise a new synthesis of the


academic and practical. This paper describes five ways in whichwe can think of applied ethnobiology in this context, andillustrates each with examples drawn from natural resourcesmanagement.

Heinrich, M., Bremner,P. 2006. Ethnobotany andEthnopharmacy � Their Role for Anti-Cancer DrugDevelopment. Current Drug Targets. (7): 239-245.

Local and traditional knowledge has been the starting pointfor many successful drug development projects over the lastdecades. Here we discuss some examples of anti-cancerdrugs which have had enormous impact as anticanceragents (camptothecan, taxol and derivatives) and a fewexamples of drugs currently under various stages of preclinicaldevelopment. Ethnobotanists investigate the relationshipbetween humans and plants in all its complexity, and suchresearch is generally based on a detailed observation andstudy of the use a society makes of plants. The requirementsof modern research on natural products as, for example,outlined in the Convention on Biological Diversity (RioConvention) and the overall approach in ethnobotanicalresearch are also discussed. Selectedphytochemicalpharmacological studies based on traditionalplant use are used to highlight the potential of ethnobotanydriven anti-cancer research. The link between traditionallyused plants and targets of the NF-kB pathway is discussedusing on an EUfunded, multidisciplinary project as anexample. Lastly the potential of chemo-preventive agentsderived from traditional food plants is briefly addressed.

Crewe, E., Sarkar, A.K. 2006. Strategic communication andinstitutional links in technology research and development.International Journal of Technology Management and SustainableDevelopment. 5 (1): 21-40.

The centrality of knowledge to strategies for poverty reductionis widely assumed, but gaps between its generation and usepersist. In this article what is known about redressing thesegaps, particularly between researchers and policy-makers, aredrawn together with an emphasis on understanding thecontext, developing institutional links and engaging in effectivecommunication. Three case studies about the positive andnegative use of communication within the field of technologydevelopment are then considered. These cases � research intoagriculture in Ghana by two European universities, a public�private�civil society coalition on agro-processing in India, andresearchers advising a government road-building scheme inIndia � highlight not only the central importance ofcommunication to scaling up the impact of research but alsothat very different strategies are required for different situations.

B. China

Yen, F., Wu, T.H., Lin, L.T., Lin,C. 2006. Hepatoprotective andantioxidant effects of Cuscuta chinensis againstacetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity in rats. Journal ofEthnopharmacology . 111: 123�128.

Tu-Si-Zi, the seeds of Cuscuta chinensis Lam. (Convolvulaceae),is a traditional Chinese medicine that is commonly used tonourish and improve the liver and kidney conditions in China


and other Asian countries. As oxidative stress promotes thedevelopment of acetaminophen (APAP)-inducedhepatotoxicity, the aim of the present study was to evaluateand compare the hepatoprotective effect and antioxidantactivities of the aqueous and ethanolic extracts of C chinensison APAP-induced hepatotoxicity in rats. The C chinensisethanolic extract at an oral dose of both 125 and 250 mg/kgshowed a significant hepatoprotective effect relatively to thesame extent (P < 0.05) by reducing levels of glutamateoxaloacetate transaminase (GOT), glutamate pyruvatetransaminase (GPT), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP). Inaddition, the same ethanolic extract prevented thehepatotoxicity induced by APAP-intoxicated treatment asobserved when assessing the liver histopathology. Regardingthe antioxidant activity, C chinensis ethanolic extract exhibiteda significant effect (P < 0.05) by increasing levels of superoxidedismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase(GPx), and by reducing alondialdehyde (MDA) levels. Incontrast, the same doses of the aqueous extract of C chinensisdid not present any hepatoprotective effect as seen in theethanolic extract, and resulted in further liver deterioration. Inconclusion, these data suggest that the ethanolic extract ofCuscuta chinensis can prevent hepatic injuries from APAP-induced hepatotoxicity in rats and this is likely mediatedthrough its antioxidant activities.

Gale, B. 1978. The Concept of Intellectual Property in thePeople�s Republic of China: Inventors and Inventions. The ChinaQuarterly. 74: 334-355.

This article will examine the constitution and evolution of theconcept of �intellectual property � in the People�s Republic ofChina through an analysis of policy regarding incentives forinventive activity, which in western legal systems would begenerally covered by patent law. Hopefully, such an analysiswill not only enable us to understand incentives for inventiveactivity in China, but also to understand crucial propertyconcepts in China, especially: private �or�individual�ownership, during its �socialist transformation.�This, in turn, may shed additional light on the debate on thenature and future disposition of �bourgeois rights.�

Lee, R.W. 1972. Ideology and Technical Innovation in ChineseIndustry, 1949-1971. Asian Survey. 12 (8): 647-661.

Political participation in Communist China serves to developand maintain commitment to officially sanctioned goals and,as a consequence, is closely linked to problems of economicconstruction and technological change. Possibly the mostsignificant expression of the Chinese participatory style is inthe technical sphere, where the Communist leadership hassought to promote the application of mass creative intelligenceto improving the nation�s productive capacity. Opportunitiesfor innovation, which in industrialized countries are thepreserve of technical and managerial elites are shared in Chinaby broad segments of the working class.

Tani, E.B. 2004. What kind of Knowledge do we need? : AnInterview with Kin Chi Lau. Position 12(1): 203-235.


Kin Chi Lau is an activist-intellectual who works with theChina Social Services and Development Research Centre.This voluntary organization is based in Hong Kong andprovides research on rural alternatives and developmentissues in China. Currently, Lau works in the Departmentof Cultural Studies at Lingnan University, where she teachescourses on contemporary Chinese literature, global culture,local governance, and negotiating violence. The interviewfocuses on the concept of formal and informal knowledgesector linkages and the need for formal sector researcher andscientists to learn the lessons of life from a common humanbeing.

Grace, S.F. 2004. Female Hands : Embroidery As A KnowledgeField in Women�s Everyday Life Imperial and Early RepublicanChina. Late Imperial China. 25(1): 1-58.

The article explores specifically how the female hand isconnected to knowledge, power and the construction ofsubjectivity and homo-sociality in the everyday practice ofembroidery. Women were the subordinate group within theorthodox Chinese gender and social hierarchy, but in spite of,or because of, their subordination, the author draws on thenotion of everyday practice through which the French scholarMichel de Certeau sought to re�vision and empowerconsumers, the �dominated element in society,� as inventivein the ways they �make (bricolent) innumerable andinfinitesimal transformations of and within the dominantcultural economy in order to adapt it to their own interestsand their own rules.�

Patrick, E.M., Anne, P.U. et al. 2005. Chemical Identificationand Cultural Implications of a Mixed Fermented Beverage fromLate Psrehistoric China. Asian Perspectives. 44( 2): 249-275.

This study provides the first direct chemical evidence for theproduction and use of a fermented beverage during the lateprehistoric (Longshan) period of northern China (for earlyNeolithic and Shang/Western Zhou Dynasty drinks, also seeMcGovern et al. 2004). For nearly forty years, scholars haverelied on elegant pottery cups and jars, primarily from mortuarycontexts, to argue for the existence of such a beverage. Now,this beverage has been identified from chemically extractedresidues still preserved inside a variety of such vessels fromboth residential and mortuary contexts at Liangchengzhen.While the recent archaeological literature emphasizes the socialand ritual roles of feasting, comparatively less attention hasbeen paid to fermented beverages in these activities. Thechemical and archaeological data for the Longshan period ofChina provide an important corpus of material for cross-culturalassessment of how people may use the production andconsumption of fermented beverages for negotiating di£erentkinds of social relationships, and how these activities may leadto economic and technological change.

WU, S., XU, S., W.U.J. 1989. Ecological Agriculture within aDensely Populated Area in China. Agriculture, Ecosystems AndEnvironment. (27): 597-607.

Ecological agriculture has been practised in China since 1980.Many patterns have been developed in densely populated areas


including one typical model in Ru Gao County, JiangsuProvince, described in this paper. By comparing the propertiesof the ecological agrosystem with the conventional system, thepaper recognizes that ecological agriculture in China enjoyscharacteristics of high productivity, sustainability, diversity,stability and high economic efficiency. Eco-agriculture in Chinais derived from traditional agriculture incorporating advancedscience and technologies. Traditional, biologically basedagricultural concepts, relying on biological relationships,ecological functioning bio-energy conversion and nutrientcycling, have been inherited in the eco-agricultural systems. Inessence, ecological agriculture in the Jiangsu Province is asynergistic blend of old and new practices.

Cnschuld, P. 1985; Traditional Chinese Medical Theory andReal Nosological Units: The Case of Hansen�s disease. MedicalAnthropology Quarterly. 17(1): 5-8.

This paper was presented at the II International conference onTraditional Asian Medicine in Surabaya, Indonesia inSeptember of 1984. It is a partial extract of a moreencompassing study investigating social and therapeuticresponses of Chinese culture to health problems that appear tohave been related to Hansen�s disease.

Croizier, C.R. 1965. Traditional Medicine in Communist China:Science, Communism and Cultural Nationalism. The ChinaQuarterly. 23: 1-27.

The medical dichotomy in China-obvious in the persistentcommon usage of the very names, Western medicine and

Chinese medicine-seems likely to remain. The ultimate fate ofthe indigenous medical tradition in an age in which science isglobal and cosmopolitan still remains in doubt. It should beclear by now that there are more than purely medical orscientific factors involved. Such practical considerations asrelative inexpensiveness and popularity with the masses, whilethey may diminish in importance, must still bear some weight.Similarly, the Party�s continuing concern with internalrevisionism shows that the recent absence of thought reformin the medical field does not mean that all ideological problemshave been resolved. Conceivably, traditional medicine couldagain play a role in rectifying undesirable ideological tendenciesin the medical profession.

Mann, F. 1965. Chinese Traditional Medicine: A Practitioner�sView. The China Quarterly. (23): 28-36.

Traditional Chinese medicine also manifests the Chinese geniusfor classification. A system of medical laws has evolved,embodying the direct and indirect (and even further removed)relations between cause and effect in every activity of the body.The paper in detail talks about Acupuncture under the Chinesehealing system

Putterman, L. 1988. Group Farming and Work Incentives inCollective-Era China. Modern China. 14(4): 419-450.

This article will address the question of work incentives underthe systems of group farming that operated in China between1955 and the early 1980s. Emphasis will be given to material


incentives at both individual and group levels, although othertypes of incentive will be touched upon. The article attemptsto answer two major questions: (1) What work incentives wereoperative in Chinese group farming between the mid-1950sand the adoption of baogan daohu; and (2) could Chineseagriculture have achieved 1980s-like performance under groupfarming if alternative policies had been pursued beginning in1955? I will address these questions by reference to both theliterature on the economic theory of agricultural andnonagricultural producers� cooperatives, and the empiricalsocial science literature on Chinese collective agriculture,including works by non-economists such as Chan, Madsen,and Unger�s Chen Village (1984).

Li,S., Long C., Liu, F. , Lee, S., Guo, Q., Li, R., Liu,Y. 2006;Herbs for medicinal baths among the traditional Yaocommunities of China. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. (108): 59�67.

Medicinal baths are an important traditional way to preventand cure common diseases among the traditional Yaocommunities of Jinping County, Yunnan Province, SW China.Approaches of anthropology, ethnobotany, and participatoryrural appraisal (PRA) were used to investigate the herbs usedfor medicinal baths; and 110 medicinal plant species were foundto be used by local people to treat a variety of diseases, such asrheumatic diseases, skin diseases, injuries from falls andgynecopathia. Of these 110 species, 6 (5%) had not beenpreviously identified as having medicinal properties, while 87(79%) were newly recorded for their use in medicinal baths.

These new ethnobotanical and medicinal records are a richsource of further phytochemical, pharmacological, and clinicalstudies on folk herbs in SW China.

Shan, L., Liu, R.H., Shen, Y.H., Zhang, W.D., Zhang, C. , Wu,D. , Min, L., Su, J., Xi-Ke Xu. 2006. Gastroprotective effect of atraditional Chinese herbal drug �Baishouwu� on experimentalgastric lesions in rats. Journal of Ethnopharmacology .(107): 389�394.

�Baishouwu� is an appellative name of dried root tubers fromthree Asclepiadaceae plants: Cynanchum auriculatum RoyleexWight, Cynanchum bungei Decne and Cynoctonum wilfordiiMaxim. In order to establish the pharmacological basis for theethnomedicinal use of Baishouwu in gastric disorders, this studyexamined the effects of ethanol extracts and fractions from roottubers of Cynanchum auriculatum, Cynanchum bungei andCynoctonum wilfordii on ethanol-, indomethacin-induced gastriclesions and histamine-induced gastric acid secretion in rats.Plant materials were collected from various areas of China.Oral administration of ethanol extract and chloroform fractionof Cynoctonum wilfordii collected from Changbai Cordillera atdoses of 150 and 68 mg/kg, respectively, significantly inhibitedthe development of ethanol- and indomethacin-induced gastriclesions and also caused significant decrease of gastric acidsecretion after histamine-induced gastric lesion. Oraladministrations of ethanol extract and chloroform fraction ofCynanchum auriculatum collected from Binhai at the doses of300 and 69 mg/kg, respectively, significantly inhibited ethanol-and indomethacin-induced gastric lesions. This study


demonstrates the gastro protective property of Baishouwu forthe first time.

Li, R.W., Myers, S.P, Leach,D.N. , Lin, G.D., Leach,G. 2002. Across-cultural study: anti-inflammatory activity of Australianand Chinese plants. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. (85): 25�32.

In this study, in vitro inhibitory effects of 33 ethanol extractsobtained from 24 plant species (representing 11 differentfamilies) on cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) were evaluated. Theplant materials selected for this study have been used inaboriginal medicine in Australia and traditional medicine inChina for the treatment of various diseases that are consideredas inflammation in nature, e.g. asthma, arthritis, rheumatism,fever, edema, infections, snakebite and related inflammatorydiseases. All of the selected plants, with one exception,showed inhibitory activity against COX-1, which supportstheir traditional uses. The most potent COX-1 inhibitionwere observed from the extracts of Acacia ancistrocarpa leaves(IC50 = 23_g/ml). Ficus racemosa bark, Clematis pickeringiistem, Acacia adsurgens leaves, Tinospora smilacina stem andMorinda citrifolia fruit powder exhibited inhibition of COX-1with the IC50 of 100, 141, 144, 158 and 163_g/ml,respectively. Aspirin and indomethacin used as the referenceCOX-1 inhibitors in this study inhibited COX-1 with IC50 of241 and 1.2_g/ml, respectively. The findings of this studymay explain at least in part why these plants have beentraditionally used for the treatment of Inflammatory conditionsin Australian aboriginal medicine and traditional Chinesemedicine.

Sheng-Ji.P. 2001. Ethnobotanical Approaches of TraditionalMedicine Studies: Some Experiences From Asia. PharmaceuticalBiology . (39): 74�79.

Ethnobotany, as a research field of science, has been widelyused for the documentation of indigenous knowledge on theuse of plants and for providing an inventory of useful plantsfrom local flora in Asian countries. Plants that are used fortraditional herbal medicine in different countries are animportant part of these studies. However, in some countries inrecent years, ethnobotanical studies have been used for thediscovery of new drugs and new drug development. In general,experiences gained from ethnobotanical approaches oftraditional medicinal studies in China and Himalayan countrieshave helped drug production and new drug development. Atthe same time, in many cases, over-harvesting, degradation ofmedical plants, and loss of traditional medical knowledge inlocal communities is common problems in these resource areas.Issues of indigenous knowledge, intellectual property rights,and uncontrolled transboundary trade in medicinal plantsoccur frequently in the region. This paper discussesethnobotanical approaches of traditional medicinal studies, inreference to experiences from China and Himalayan countries,with an emphasis on the conservation of traditional medicalknowledge and medical plant resources.

Jinxiu, W., Hongmao, L., Huabin, H., Lei, G. 2003. ParticipatoryApproach for Rapid Assessment of Plant Diversity through aFolk Classification System in a Tropical Rainforest: Case Studyin Xishuangbanna, China. Conservation Biology. 18(4) : 1139-1142.


Rural indigenous people are often very knowledgeable aboutplant and animal species, including their identification andecology. The use of indigenous knowledge has increasinglyattracted attention in scientific circles. The Dai people, adominant nationality in southwestern Yunnan, China, havedeveloped their own traditional plant classification system. Ina case study in Xishuangbanna, we compared the differencesin number of plant species identified between scientific andDai folk classification. The Dai people identified more than 80%of the plant species, and the correspondence between folk andscientific plant species was 87.7%. Our results indicate thatfolk plant classification could be used in rapid assessment ofplant species in certain regions. The use of folk systems of plantclassification for rapid biodiversity assessment will contributeto conservation of both indigenous knowledge and regionalbiodiversity

Saks, M. 2006. Commentary on Wong et al.: Strengths,Weaknesses, and Development of Traditional Chinese Medicinein the Health System of Hong Kong: Through the Eyes of FutureWestern Doctors. The Journal Of Alternative And ComplementaryMedicine. 12 (2): 191�192.

This is an interesting paper on Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM) based on a pilot exploration of the attitudes towardthis approach of 28 experienced medical students at the ChineseUniversity of Hong Kong, through the use of five open-endedfocus groups. The employment of the focus group methodologyin relation to the medical students is powerful and illuminating.In this case it picked up issues related to the following themes:

personal knowledge and experience of TCM; perceivedweaknesses of TCM; reasons to modify the current medicaltraining curriculum; TCM knowledge wanted by the students;the direction of development of TCM in Hong Kong; and theintegration of Chinese and Western medicine.

CHEN, J.X. ,HU, L.S. 2006. Traditional Chinese Medicine forthe Treatment of Chronic Prostatitis in China: A SystematicReview and Meta-Analysis. The Journal of Alternative andComplementary Medicine. 12(8):763�769.

Electronic medical database from China National KnowledgeInfrastructure (CNKI) was searched, language is Chinese; dateis from January 1, 1994 to December 31, 2003. A total of 108trials were found, and all studies with words like�randomization� or �quasi- randomization� in their abstractswere included, whether they used blinding or not. Nineteentheses that met the entry criteria were downloaded and fullyprinted. Four groups were divided: Chinese herbs orally treatedgroup (based on syndrome differentiation), Chinese herbsexternally treated group, Chinese herbs orally and externallytreated group, and integrated Western with Chinese herbstreated group. All of the four groups in the clinical trials havenot provided evidence of evidence-based medicine (EBM) Aclass (including 1a, 1b, 1c level), failed to prove that the TCMmay have beneficial effects for patients with CPT, because oflow quality in all the trials and a positive publication bias.Therefore, in light of some positive outcomes, a good design ofmulticentered, randomized, parallel-controlled and blindingtrials is needed in order to make further studies, and deservefurther examination for the treatment of CPT with TCM.


Aiyi Wang, Gilsun Song, Feiyu, Kang. 2006. Promoting aLifelong Learning Society in China: the Attempts by TsinghuaUniversity. Higher Education Management and Policy. 18( 2): 1-16.

Because of the uneven development between different areaswithin China, the uneven distribution of learning resourceshas been one of the greatest obstacles to the realisation ofa learning society in China. As a top university located inthe cultural and educational centre of China, TsinghuaUniversity has taken on a multi-dimensional role in theprocess of eliminating regional imbalance and promotingChina�s lifelong learning society. It will also advocate,disseminate, impart thrust, and provide. For years it hasplaced much emphasis on providing education/trainingservices for the common people by opening its door tosociety. Moreover, since 2003, Tsinghua University hassubscribed to a national programme �Constructing thetheory and practices of lifelong learning system in China�which is sponsored by the China Ministry of Education. Aspart of the programme, Tsinghua University has initiatedfour pilot learning projects covering four mainstream sectionsof Chinese society, namely learning city, learning countryside,learning community and learning army. Based on the studiescarried out by Tsinghua University, this article describes theimplementation and effects of these four pilot projects,which can also be seen as a vivid snapshot of the constructionof lifelong learning society in China.

C. INDIA

Gautam, R., Saklani, A., Jachak, S.M. 2007. Indian medicinalplants as a source of antimycobacterial agents. Journal ofEthnopharmacology. 110: 200�234.

The review article describes the antimycobacterial activities of255 (70% of 365) plant species from a wide range of families.The species are enumerated in table format describing plantspecies and family, plant part used, type of extract and in vitroactivity (MIC value), information on active compounds, if any,and uses in the ethnomedicine and Ayurveda. Interestingly,most of the plant species have shown strong positiveethnopharmacological correlation with the traditionalknowledge. An attempt has been made to highlight thepromising plant species for further investigation as leads fordrug development.

Ballabh, B., Chaurasia, O.P. 2007. Traditional medicinal plantsof cold desert Ladakh�Used in treatment of cold, cough andfever. Journal of Ethnopharmacology (in press).

Health care of tribal population of Leh-Ladakh region of Indiais mainly dependent on traditional system of medicine whichis popularly known as Amchi system of medicine. The Amchisystem is principally based on Tibetan system of medicine. Theirherbal practitioners are known as �Amchis�. This paper presentsthe findings of an investigation on traditional remedies of cold,cough and fever among Boto (the Buddhists) tribal community.


Fifty-six valuable species belonging to 21 families were identifiedwith relevant information and documented by the authors.

Jagtap, S.D., Deokule, S.S., Bhosle, J.V. 2006. Some uniqueethnomedicinal uses of plants used by the Korku tribe ofAmravati district of Maharashtra, India. Journal ofEthnopharmacology. 107: 463�469.

The ethnobotanical study was carried out among the ethnicgroups (Korku tribe) in the Chikhaldara, Achalpur and partsof Morshi in Amravati district of Maharashtra, India by theauthors of this paper. Traditional uses of 66 plant speciesbelonging to 40 families are described. The documentedethnomedicinal plants were mostly used to cure skin disorders,diarrhea, jaundice, tuberculosis, stroke, migraine, menstrualproblems, fertility problems, urinary problems, piles, woundsand poison bites.

Mukherjee, P.K., Maiti, K., Mukherjee, K., Houghton, P.J. 2006.Leads from Indian medicinal plants with hypoglycemicpotentials. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 106: 1�28.

Several medicinal plants have found potential use ashypoglycemic in the Indian system of medicines, includingAyurveda. This article aims to provide a comprehensive reviewon various plant species from Indian biosphere and theirconstituents, which have been shown to display potenthypoglycemic activity. The chemistry, activity and usage of theconstituents isolated from these plants from India for thetreatment of diabetes are described in this paper.

Ayyanar, M., Ignacimuthu, S. 2005. Traditional knowledge ofKani tribals in Kouthalai of Tirunelveli hills, Tamil Nadu, India.Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 102: 246�255.

The authors carried out ethnobotanical survey among the ethnicgroups (Kani/Kanikaran) in Southern Western Ghats of India.Traditional uses of 54 plant species belonging to 26 familiesare described and compared with the already existing literatureon ethnobotany of India. The plants are mostly used to cureskin diseases, poison bites, wounds and rheumatism.

Chhetri, D.R., Parajuli, P., Subba, C.G. 2005. Antidiabetic plantsused by Sikkim and Darjeeling Himalayan tribes, India. Journalof Ethnopharmacology. 99: 199�202.

Herbal medicine is the dominant system of medicine practicedby the local tribes of Sikkim and Darjeeling Himalayan regionparticularly for the treatment of diabetes. 37 species of plantsbelonging to 28 families are used as antidiabetic agents in thefolk medicinal practices, 81% of which are hitherto unreportedas hypoglycemic agents.

Katewa, S.S., Chaudhary, B.L., Jain, A. 2004. Folk herbalmedicines from tribal area of Rajasthan, India. Journal ofEthnopharmacology. 92: 41�46.

The Aravalli hills of Mewar region of Rajasthan are inhabitedby many tribes; Bhil, Garasia, Damor and Kathodia being themain ones. A survey of ethnomedicinal plants occurring in thearea was conducted to assess the potentiality of plant resources


for modern treatments. 61 ethnomedicianl plant speciesbelonging to 38 families were recorded from this region.

Ram, A.J, Bhakshu, L.M.D., Venkataraju, R.R. 2004. In vitroantimicrobial activity of certain medicinal plants from EasternGhats, India, used for skin diseases. Journal ofEthnopharmacology. 90: 353�357.

The paper deals with ethnopharmacological and antimicrobialproperties of certain medicinal plants used by tribes of theEastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh, India. Ethanolic extracts of23 crude drug samples used for various skin diseases wereassayed for antimicrobial activity against four bacterial andone fungal human pathogens.

Grover, J.K., Yadav, S.,Vats, V. 2002. Medicinal plants of Indiawith anti-diabetic potential. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 81:81 � 100.

In the present paper, authors tried to review 45 plants andtheir products (active, natural principles and crude extracts)that have been mentioned/used in the Indian traditional systemof medicine and have shown experimental or clinical anti-diabetic activity. The most commonly studied plants are: Alliumcepa, Allium sativum, Aloe vera, Cajanus cajan, Cocciniaindica, Caesalpinia bonducella, Ficus bengalenesis, Gymnemasylvestre, Momordica charantia, Ocimum sanctum,Pterocarpus marsupium, Swertia chirayita, Syzigium cumini,Tinospora cordifolia and Trigonella foenum graecum. Authorshave also evaluated M. charantia, Eugenia jambolana, Mucuna

pruriens, T. cordifolia, T. foenum graecum, O. sanctum, P.marsupium, Murraya koeingii and Brassica juncea for theirhypoglycemic activity.

Simonsen, H.T., Nordskjold, J.B., Smitt, U.W., Nyman, U.,Palpu, P., Joshi, P., Varughese, G. 2001. In vitro screening ofIndian medicinal plants for antiplasmodial activity. Journal ofEthnopharmacology. 74: 195�204.

Plants traditionally used in India to treat fever or malaria havebeen studied in vitro for antiplasmodial properties againstPlasmodium falciparum. Of 80 analysed ethanolic extractsbelonging to 47 species, 31 produced significant effect. Of theactive species, 20 were tested against P. falciparum for the firsttime. Casearia elliptica, Holarrhena pubescens, Pongamia pinnata,Soymida febrifuga and Plumbago zeylanica seems to be of specialinterest for further antimalarial studies.

Valsaraja,R., Pushpangadan, P., Smittb, U.W., Adsersen,A.,Nyman,U. 1997. Antimicrobial screening of selected medicinalplants from India. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 58: 75 � 83.

78 plants From the Indian traditional medicines were selectedon the basis of their use in the treatment of infectious diseases.Different concentrations of ethanol extracts were tested, usingthe agar dilution method, against four bacteria: Bacillus subtilis,Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonasaeruginosa and, using the agar-well diffusion method, againsttwo fungi: Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger.


Sharma, P.K. and Singh,V. 1989. Ethnobotanical studies innorthwest and Trans-himalaya. V. Ethno-veterinary medicinalplants Used in jammu and kashmir, India. Journal ofEthnopharmaoclogy. 27: 63 � 70.

In ethnobotanical exploration among Nomadic tribes andpastoral communities dwelling in the North-West and Trans-Himalayan region of India, 18 plant species were documentedby the authors which have been used to alleviate the commonsufferings of livestock.

Pushpangadan,P. and Atal, C.K. 1986. Ethnomedical andethnobotanical investigations among some scheduled castecommunities of Travancore, kerala, India. Journal ofEthnopharmacology. 16: 175-190.

Investigations were conducted among some prominentscheduled caste communities, namely Pulayar, Kuravar, Vedar,Parayar and Nayadi, inhabiting the Travancore region ofKerala. Special attention was paid to the study of theirmedicinal practices which is essentially a magico-religious-herbal therapy. These tribals utilize over 500 plant species fortreating various ailments.

Chhetri, D.R., Parajuli, P., Subba,G.C. 2005. Antidiabetic plantsused by Sikkim and Darjeeling Himalayan tribes, India. Journalof Ethnopharmacology. 99: 199�202.

Herbal medicine is the dominant system of medicine practicedby the local tribes of Sikkim and Darjeeling Himalayan region.

37 species of plants belonging to 28 families are used asantidiabetic agents in the folk medicinal practices in the region,of which, 81% plants are hitherto unreported as hypoglycemicagents.

Hebbar,S.S., Harsha V.H., Shripathi V., Hegde, G.R. 2004.Ethnomedicine of Dharwad district in Karnataka, India�plants used in oral health care. Journal of Ethnopharmacology.94: 261�266.

35 plants belonging to 26 families are being used to treatdifferent types of oral ailments like toothache, plaque and caries,pyorrhea and aphthae in the Dharwad district of Karnatakain southern India. Sixteen of which are not previously reportedin the ethnomedicinal literature of India. Basella alba, Blepharisrepens, Capparis sepiaria, Oxalis corniculata and Ricinus communisare used for the treatment of aphthae; Azima tetracantha,Caesalpinia coriaria, Cleome gynandra, Gossypium herbacium,Leucas aspera, Merremia chryseides, Pergularia daemia, Prosopisjuliflora and Solanum nigrum are used to treat tooth ache andCassia hirsuta and Cassia tora are used in the treatment of plaqueand caries.

Samya, R. Perumal, Ignacimuthua, S., Raja, D.P. 1999.Preliminary screening of ethnomedicinal plants from India.Journal of Ethnopharmacology 66: 235�240.

Antibacterial activity of aqueous residues of 16 differentethnomedicinal plants have been studied. The effect of theaqueous extract at two different weights of plant residues were


tested against three gram positive bacteria and seven gramnegative bacteria by disc diffusion method. Cleome gynandropsisand Ageratum conyzoides showed a significant control of thegrowth of Alkaligens 6iscolactis, Klebsiella aerogenas, Bacilluscerues and Streptococcus pyogens. The maximum inhibitions wereobserved in Tridax procumbens, Cleome 6iscosa, Acalypha indicaand Boerhaa6ia erecta against Aeromonas hydrophilla and Bacilluscerues.

Nyman, U., Joshi, P., Madsen L.B., Pedersen T.B., Pinstrup,M., Rajasekharan S., V. George, Pushpangadan,P.. 1998.Ethnomedical information and in vitro screening forangiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition of plants utilized astraditional medicines in Gujarat, Rajasthan and Kerala (India).Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 60: 247�263.

Plants utilized as traditional medicines in India have beeninvestigated for their ability to inhibit the angiotensinconverting enzyme (ACE). In total, 75 species belonging to 42families have been investigated. Four species were found topossess a high ACE inhibiting ability and were low in theirtannin content.

M. Mashkoor Alam and Mohammad Anis. 1987. Ethno-medicinal uses of plants growing in the Bulandshahr distrlctof northern India. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 19: 85-88.A medico-botanical study was carried out in certain villages ofthe Bulandshahr district in Uttar Pradesh, India, on thetraditional uses of medicinal plants by the rural population for

curing human diseases. Authors have suggested the suitabledose, precautions, if any, and mode of administering the drugs.

Vedavathy,S. and Rao.,K.N. 1991. Antipyretic activity of sixindigenous medicinal plants of Tirumala Hills, Andhra Pradesh,India. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 33: 193-l 96.

The authors have conducted a study to identify some antipyreticindigenous medicinal plants of the Tirumala Hills area of India.They have a valuable heritage of herbal remedies and its ruralpopulation still relies on the indigenous system of medicine toa great extent.

Garcia,C., Gisella. 2005. Children�s knowledge and valuationof wild food plants: The influence of an educational program withtribal and non-tribal children in Western Ghats, India. Proc. IVthInternational Congress of Ethnobotany (ICEB 2005) (21-26August, 2005, pp 65-67.

The tribal and non-tribal people of Western Ghats of Indiagreatly depend on wild food resources for their subsistence.The present paper focused on changes in values and knowledgearound WFPs among tribal and non-tribal children. The M SSwaminathan Foundation through their educational program�Every child a scientist� is trying to reinforce traditionalknowledge and values around biological resources in the region.

Salunkhe, C. B. and Dravid,N.K. 2006. Little known medicinaluses of some flowering plants of Maharashtra, India. Proc. IVth


International Congress of Ethnobotany (ICEB 2005), (21-26August, 2005), pp 189-192.

The ethnomedicinal information of the region is documentedfrom local tribal inhabitants called �dhanagar� (medicinemen).The authors have tried to document some unnoticed or littleknown medicinal uses of 30 flowering plants of MaharashtraState of India. The plants are effectively used to cure variousdiseases of skin, rheumatism, urinary infections, hepatitis andinfertility.

Punniamurthy, N. 2006. Ethno veterinary medicine (EVM): Useof fresh herbal extracts under field conditions for primary veterinaryhealthcare in India. Proc. IVth International Congress ofEthnobotany (ICEB 2005), (21-26 August, 2005), pp 249-255.

The paper discusses on the strategies for validation of EVM,along with some functional remedies under field conditionsfor primary veterinary healthcare. The documentation/validation for some common diseases such as simplegastrointestinal disturbances, bloat, wounds, reproductive andudder disorders, intestinal worms, ectoparasites etc. have beenprovided.

Gupta, A.K. 2006. Ethical issues in accessing peoples� knowledgeand innovations for developing law cost health technologies. Proc.IVth International Congress of Ethnobotany (ICEB 2005), (21-26 August, 2005) 507-515.

The paper deals with four issues: (1) What can be learn fromthe analysis of a countrywide campaign in India ondocumenting more than 30,000 local health traditionsmaintained by communities and individuals, (2) Whether thehealth priorities and the options for addressing them requirenew technological and institutional paradigms, (3) How cannew partnership between people, professionals, public policymakers and profit-oriented corporations be conceptualized sothat not only benefits are shared fairly but also the knowledgesystems grow and thrive, (4) What should be the ethical codeof conduct guiding the knowledge exchange, value additionand benefit sharing for generating viable health options forknowledge rich, economically poor people.

Ramachandran, V.S. and Vijayan, J. 2006. Contribution to theknowledge of non timber products from tropical forests: A case studyfrom Walayar range, Palakkad district, Kerala, India. Proc. IVthInternational Congress of Ethnobotany (ICEB 2005),( 21-26August, 2005), pp 593-596.

The ethno botanical data was collected from 12 tribal settlementsbelonging to Irular tribal community. The investigation aimedto identifying the species of plants collected, the purpose forwhich they were collected, the manner of their utilization, theimpact of such activity on the biodiversity of the medicinalplants and their own well being and life style. Total 76 speciesfrom wild and 32 among the cultivated ones belonging to 45families of angiosperms are included in the presentinvestigation.


Paterson, C., Mara, D., Curtis,T. 2007. Pro-poor sanitationtechnologies. Geoforum (article in press).

The current situation in water and sanitation services formillions of peri-urban residents is starkly anti-poor andrepresents a major challenge for the 21st century. This papersummarises low-cost sanitation technologies that have beendeveloped by engineers from around the world, and seeks toprovide evidence that there is such a thing as a pro-poortechnology.

Rao, S.S. 2006. Indigenous knowledge organization: An Indianscenario. International Journal of Information Management. 26:224�233.

The paper presents an overview of Indigenous Knowledge (IK)by defining it as a local and tacit knowledge that is unique to agiven culture or society and forms the basis for local-leveldecision; its characteristics and types; its impact on socialdevelopment with successful IK initiatives in other countriesand Indian initiatives with case studies. The paper alsodiscusses sustaining of IK and identifies reasons for currentIntellectual Property Systems (IPSs)� inability to protect IK.Finally, the paper concludes that the emerging challenge tothe existing IPSs is to take care of systems that include animateobjects such as plants and animals, and informal systems ofinnovation such as those by grassroots innovators.

Pohekara, S.D., Ramachandran, M. 2006. Multi-criteriaevaluation of cooking devices with special reference to utilityof parabolic solar cooker (PSC) in India. Energy. 31: 1215�1227.

In this paper, the case of the parabolic solar cooker (PSC), whichis a relatively recent innovation, is evaluated with respect toeight prevalent domestic cooking devices in India. Thirtydifferent criteria categorized under technical, economic,environmental, social, behavioral and commercial aspects areconsidered for the evaluation.

Subrahmanya, M.H.B. 2005. Pattern of technologicalinnovations in small enterprises: a comparative perspective ofBangalore (India) and Northeast England (UK). Technovation25: 269�280.

This paper presents a comparative perspective of the patternof technological innovations carried out by small enterprisesin the engineering industry in Bangalore of India and NortheastEngland of the UK.

Lobe, K., Berkes, F. 2004. The padu system of community-basedfisheries management: change and local institutional innovationin south India. Marine Policy 28: 271�281.

As a common institution, the padu system in VallarpadamIsland, Cochin, Kerala, defines the group of rights holders andresource boundaries and fishingsites, and discussed in thispaper. It is caste-specific, gear-specific (stake-nets) and speciesspecific (shrimp). It may also be seen a response of fishingcommunities to keep their options open, that is, to be resilient.

Sikka, P. 1999. Technological innovations by SME�s in India.Technovation (19): 317�321.


The article highlights the entrepreneurship capabilities whichis being developed by SME�s in India for producing qualityproducts as well as undertaking ancillarization and sub-contracting activities for the larger firms in India. The authorhas advocated the need for SME�s to utilize the technicalfacilities available at the S&T infrastructure created in thecountry and vice-versa.

Prahladachar, M. 1994. Innovations in the use andmanagement of groundwater in hardrock regions in India.Ecological Economics. 9: 267-272.

Owners of large farms have appropriated the gains of liftirrigation disproportionately more than small farmers. In thissituation the use and management of groundwater forinnovative institutional arrangements to improve accessibilityto small farmers especially in water-scarce hardrock regions.The paper examines critically some innovative experiments suchas groundwater legislation, land reforms, pricing of water andelectricity in hardrock regions in India.

Gupta, A.K., Sinha, R., Koradia , D., Patel R., Parmar , M.,Rohit , P., Patel, H., Patel, K., Chand V. S., James, T.J., Chandan,A., Patel, M., Prakash, T. N., Vivekanandan, P. 2003. Mobilizinggrassroots� technological innovations and traditionalknowledge, values and institutions: articulating social andethical capital. Futures 35: 975�987.

The Honey Bee Network has helped provide a sort of looseplatform to converge creative, but uncoordinated individuals

across not only Indian states having varying cultural, linguisticand social ethos, but also in 75 other countries around theworld. What the Network is trying to do in a rather quietmanner may transform the way the resources�in which poorpeople are rich�are used in the future. These resources aretheir knowledge, innovations and sustainable practices. Theauthors conclude that the Honey Bee Network has tried toarticulate the social and the ethical capital of society at thegrassroots to demonstrate how local individuals andcommunities are trying to solve local problems without anyoutside help.

Bhargava, P.M. 2007. How to make India a knowledge-basedsociety. Futures (article in press).

The National Knowledge Commission set up by the PrimeMinister of India was perhaps the ûrst of its kind. One of itsthree objectives is to make India a knowledge-based society.Among the important areas in the country where problemsneed to be addressed to achieve the above objective, threeeducation, knowledge empowerment of Panchayats (the lowestof the three-tier local self-government system in India), andethical commercialization of the country�s creative and culturaltradition�are brieûy described in the article.

D. Indonesia

Sandee, H., Rietveld, P. 2001. Upgrading TraditionalTechnologies in Small scale Industry Clusters: Collaborationand Innovation Adoption in Indonesia. Journal of DevelopmentStudies, 37(4): 150 � 172.


Gough, N. 2002; Thinking/acting locally/globally: Westernscience and environmental education in a global knowledgeeconomy; INT. J. SCI. EDUC. 24(11): 1217�1237.

This paper critically appraises a number of approaches to�thinking globally� in environmental education, with particularreference to popular assumptions about the universalapplicability of Western science. Although the transnationalcharacter of many environmental issues demands that we�think globally�, I argue that the contribution of Western scienceto understanding and resolving environmental problems mightbe enhanced by seeing it as one among many local knowledgetraditions. The production of a �global knowledge economy�in/for environmental education can then be understood as

creating transnational �spaces� in which local knowledgetraditions can be performed together, rather than as creating a�common market� in which representations of local knowledgemust be translated into (or exchanged for) the terms of auniversal discourse.

Chambers K.J., Corbett J., Keller, C.P., and Wood, C.J.B. 2004.Indigenous Knowledge, Mapping, and GIS: A Diffusion ofInnovation Perspective. Cartographica. 59( 3): 19-31.

This article explores the relationship between Indigenousknowledge, mapping, and contemporary Gis applications. Itcommences with an introduction to Indigenous peoples andIndigenous knowledge, as well as a review of reasons whyIndigenous peoples are mapping. Using a diffusion ofinnovation model as an organizational framework, the articlethen examines the adoption and use of GIS by Indigenouspeoples, based on published literature as well as on the authors�fieldwork, personal observations, and experiences. Attentionis drawn to research areas and issues that seem lacking or arepoorly addressed. Suggestions for future inquiry to advanceunderstanding of the relationship between high-technologymapping and the recording and communication of Indigenousknowledge are offered.

Miyata, S., Manatunge, J. 2004. Knowledge Sharing and OtherDecision Factors Influencing Adoption of Aquaculture inIndonesia; Water Resources Development, 20( 4) 523-536.

This paper examines the factors that influenced adoption ofFloating Net aquaculture (FNA) utilizing the reservoir water


by farmers who were resettled as a result of a dam constructedin Indonesia. Data from 400 households were analyzed and itwas found that the main reason households adopted FNA wasthat they observed their friends�, family�s or neighbour�s successwith FNA. The main reason households did not adopt FNAzvas the difficulty in financing the initial capital cost.Additionally, based on further examination of informationcollected from 400 households as well as group interviews, testswere made to find whether the adoption factor changed withthe timing of adoption. �Learning from others� seems to be themost important factor during the earlier years but not in thelater years of the adoption period. These findings provideimportant lessons for future policy in managing similar waterresource development projects and this paper offers some policyrecommendations.

Wie, T.K. 2005. The Major Channels of InternationalTechnology Transfer to Indonesia: An Assessment. Journal ofthe Asia Pacific Economy.10(2): 214-236.

Like other developing countries, Indonesia is a net importer ofadvanced technologies developed in the industrial countries.These technologies are crucial to generate and sustain the rapideconomic growth necessary to raise the standards of living ofthe Indonesian people. In view of the economic importancefunction of imported technologies, it is important to identifythe major sources and channels through which thesetechnologies are transferred to Indonesia and to assess theextent to which the transfer has indeed contributed to thedevelopment of local technological capabilities. At its present

relatively low level of industrial and technological development,Indonesia should focus its technology strategy on importingthose technologies most relevant to its development needs, atthe most favourable terms, and to assimilate, adapt and improvethese imported technologies, very much like Japan and laterthe East Asian NIEs -particularly Korea and Taiwan �successfully did in earlier decades. Several studies ontechnology transfer in Indonesia�s manufacturing sector haveindicated that foreign direct investment; technical licensingagreements without equity involvement by the foreign licensor,capital goods imports, and participation in world trade throughexports have been the major channels of internationaltechnology transfer to Indonesia.

Joshua A. Drew. 2005. Use of Traditional Ecological Knowledgein Marine Conservation; Conservation Biology. 19(4): 1286-1294.

Traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) represents multiplebodies of knowledge accumulated through many generationsof close interactions between people and the natural world.TEK and its application via customary ecological managementplans can be useful in modern conservation programs. Idisaggregate the term TEK into its constituent parts and showseveral ways in which TEK can strengthen research designsby increasing locality-specific knowledge, includingenvironmental linkages occurring in those localities. Examplesof the uses of TEK in conservation include folk taxonomy insystematics in Micronesia, species knowledge for conservationin Kiribati, and fishers� knowledge of ecological interactionsfor reserve design in Belize. When conservationists recognize


the utility of TEK, they can engage in an equitable exchange ofknowledge and foster shared responsibility with indigenouspeople. These types of exchanges can also provide anopportunity for indigenous people to develop a scientificinfrastructure.

E. Iran

Manouchehr Mohseni. 1979. Attitude Towards Modern AndTraditional Medicine In An Iranian Community; Soc, Sci. &Med.. 13(A): 499 � 500.

The purpose of the paper is to determine attitudes towardstraditional and modern medicine and, the use of the medicalservices in a southern province of Iran. The data are taken froma health survey conducted in 1975. The samplings of the ruraland urban areas were done by a multi-stage cluster samplingtechnique. 1085 urban and 871 rural male head-of-householdshave been interviewed. The data indicates more favourableattitudes of the urban household towards modern medicine,and utilization of health services, in comparison with the ruralsample, and there is strong confirmation of the hypothesis of alink between non-traditional attitudes towards medicine, onthe one hand, and the contact with the urban way of living onthe other. Education has an intermediate effect upon attitudestowards modern medicine.

Rosenberg, M. 1990. The Mother of Invention: EvolutionaryTheory, Territoriality, and the Origins of Agriculture; AmericanAnthropologist, New Series. 92 (2): 399-415.

Abbasi, F., Hajihoseini, H. 2004. Evaluating Iranian NationalInnovation System (NIS); Iranian Research Organization forScience and Technology (IROST)

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate of Iranian NationalInnovation System (NIS). Innovation is a mean for achievingsustainable development and it is a central element of manypolicies to increase competitiveness at corporate and nationallevels. The ability of a nation to produce, select, transfer, adopt,commercialize, and use knowledge is critical for sustainedeconomic growth and improved living standards. Scientific andtechnological knowledge yields its greatest benefits when it isused within a complex system of institutions and practicesknown as a National Innovation System (NIS). Evaluating andmonitoring on NIS is necessity to take optimum decisions forachieving determined goals for the technology system.Therefore, it is vital to determine periodically the status ofcomponents of NIS, using technological indicators and publishannually NIS Report for facilitating goal-setting, comparativestudies and planning.


Ayman, I. 1974. Educational Innovation in Iran; Experimentsand innovations in education No. 10; Asian series.

Mr. Ayman�s monograph shows that, largely as a result ofinadequate research and periods of rapid reform and socialdevelopment, many educational innovations in Iran have beenintroduced through political motives. Significant changes inthe conceptual framework, methodology or basic principles ofeducation, but rather modified its operation. The authorbelieves, however, that these �operational innovations� may, indue course, lead to such fundamental changes. This studyshould therefore be read in the light of these considerations.

Ghazanfari, H., Namiranian, M., Sobhani, H. And Mohajer,R. M. 2004. Traditional Forest Management And Its Applicationto Encourage Public Participation for Sustainable ForestManagement in the Northern Zagros Mountains of KurdistanProvince, Iran. Scand. J. For. Res. 19(Supp. 4): 65-71.

For many years, the Iranian Forest Service has beenimplementing forest management plans in Zagros forests usinga number of different approaches. These have met with limitedsuccess owing to conflicts of interest and expectations betweenthe local communities and the forest service. This study,conducted in a village in Kurdistan Province, Iran, evaluatedtraditional forest management practices and their elTects onstand structure to Hnd ways to modify and apply thesetechniques for developing modified traditional forest co-management plans. Field data on traditional managementpractices and forest structure were collected using a

participatory research approach. The results indicate thattraditional forest management can offer sustained yield andcan be prescribed for sustainable forest management in northernZagros with some modifications. Key words: forest management.Iran, participatory research, Quercu.s. Pistaehia, traditionalknowledge, traditional forestry practices, Zagros mountains.

World Intellectual Property Organization; Sixth SessionGeneva, March 15 To 19, 2004; Intergovernmental Committee onIntellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledgeand Folklore.

The document provides a succinct summary of policy and legaloptions for the protection of TK, distilling previousdocumentation on laws and measures for TK protection andsummarizing previous policy debate. It categorizes the legaland policy options that may be considered when developingprotection under national laws, and may thus facilitate futurework of the Committee concerning protection of TK, includingits international dimension. This material is set out at two levels:

1. General objectives, principles and legal doctrines, thatare common to many national and regional approaches,which may form the basis of a shared internationalperspective; and

2. Detailed provisions for giving effect to general principlesand policy objectives in national legal systems, reflectingthe inherent diversity of national approaches and theneed to share understanding about the costs andbenefits of particular mechanisms for TK protection.


Yesilada, E. July 2005. Past and future contributions totraditional medicine in the health care system of the Middle-East. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 100: 135�137.

Due to the rich cultural heritage and relatively rich flora, awealth of knowledge on traditional and folk medicine has beenaccumulated in the Middle-East. However, except Turkey, thenumber of ethnobotanical field studies is few and mainlyfocused on Unani medicine, which is practised widespread inthe southern communities. Urgent scientific field surveys shouldbe conducted among the native people in order to documentthe wealth of knowledge on folk medicine, other than Unanimedicine, before it will be lost by the erosive effects ofmodernization.

F. KOREA

Lee, M.H., Lee, J.M., Jun, S.H., Lee, S.H., Kimb, N.W., Lee, J.H.,Young Ko, N., Hwan Mun, S., Kyung Kim, B., Lim, B.O., Choi,D.K., Wahn Soo Choi. 2007. The anti-inflammatory effects ofPyrolae herba extract through the inhibition of the expressionof inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and NO production.Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 112: 49�54.

The extract of Pyrolae herba (PH), which has been used as ananti-inflammatory folk remedy in Korea and China, wasinvestigated for its antiinflammatory action using arachidonicacid, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate or carrageenan-induced edema assays. The results provide a scientific basis to

explain the effects of PH as an anti-inflammatory folk remedyin Asian countries.

Moonkyu Kanga, Jong-Hoon Kimb, Chongwoon Choa, Hwan-Suck Chunga, Chang-Woon Kang, Yangseok Kim, MinkyuShin, Moochang Hong, Hyunsu Bae. 2007. Anti-ischemic effectof Aurantii Fructus on contractile dysfunction of ischemic andreperfused rat heart. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 111: 584�591.

Aurantii Fructus (AF) is one of the most well-known traditionalherbal medicines frequently used for the treatment ofcardiovascular symptoms in Korea. The anti-ischemic effectsof AF on ischemia-induced isolated rat heart were investigated.These results suggest that AF has distinct anti-ischemic effectsthrough recovery of contractile dysfunction in ischemic heart.

Ho-Jeong Na, Phil-Dong Moon, Hee-Jung Lee, Hyung-RyongKim, Han-Jung Chae, Taekyun Shin, Youngwan Seo, Seung-Heon Hong, Hyung-Min Kim. 2005. Regulatory effect of atopicallergic reaction by Carpopeltis af.nis. Journal ofEthnopharmacology. 101: 43�48.

Carpopeltis af.nis Okamura (CA, Halymeniaceae) has long beenused as therapeutics for various allergic diseases in Korea. Theeffect of methanol extract of CA on atopic allergic reactionwere studied. The results suggest that CA has an inhibitoryeffect on mast cell-dependent allergic reaction and thus maybe useful in the treatment of atopic dermatitis.


Seung-Heon Hong, Hyun-Ja Jeong, Hwan-Suck Chung, Hyung-Ryong Kim, Han-Jung Chae, Taekyun Shin, Youngwan Seo,Hyung-Min Kim. 2005. An herbal formula, Herbkines, enhancescytokines production from immune cells. Journal ofEthnopharmacology. 98: 149�155.

In Korea, Herbkines is a newly modified Oriental drugprescription for the purpose of immune enhancement,especially for those who are suffered from wasting diseaseslike cancer. The results suggest Herbkines has immune-enhancement effect through the cytokine production.

Keyong-Ho Lee, Hye-Ran Choi, Chang-Han Kim. 2005. Anti-angiogenic effect of the seed extract of Benincasa hispidaCogniaux. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 97: 509�513.

In Korea Benincasa hispida is used mainly for diabetesand diuresis diseases. The study was carried out to evaluateanti-angiogenic effect of the seed extract of Benincasa hispida.The results suggest that the seed extract of Benincasahispida inhibits the proliferation of endothelial cellsinduced by bFGF, which may explain its anti-angiogenicproperties.

Eunjung Ko, Samwoong Rho, Eui-joon Lee, Young-Ho Seo,Chongwoon Cho, Yongwon Lee, Byung-Il Min, Min-Kyu Shin,Moo-Chang Hong, Hyunsu Bae. 2004. Traditional Koreanmedicine (SCRT) modulate Th1/Th2 specific cytokineproduction in mice CD4+ T cell. Journal of Ethnopharmacology.92: 121�128.

Traditional Korea medicine, So-Cheong-Ryong-Tang (SCRT)also called as Xiao-qing-long-tang or Sho-seiru-to, containseight species of medicinal plants and has been used for treatingallergic diseases, such as allergic rhinitis and asthma, forhundreds of years in Asian countries. Present study impliesthat SCRT can correct Th2 dominant condition directly affectingto the CD4+ T cell without significantly depressing general Tcell activities. The results also suggest that the effect on CD4+T cell may be the one of key pharmacological effect point fortreating IgE medicated allergic asthma by SCRT.

Kang, D.G., Lee, Y.S., Kim, H.J., Lee, Y.M., Lee, H.S. 2003.Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitory phenylpropanoidglycosides from Clerodendron trichotomum. Journal ofEthnopharmacology. 89: 151�154.

The stems of Clerodendron trichotomum have been traditionallyused for treatment of hypertension in China, Korea, and Japan.The results of experiments suggest that the antihypertensiveeffect of Clerodendron trichotomum may be, at least in part, dueto ACE inhibitory effect of phenylpropanoid glycosides.

Kang, D.G., Yun, C.K., Lee, H.S. 2003. Screening andcomparison of antioxidant activity of solvent extracts of herbalmedicines used in Korea. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 87: 231�236.

The hexane, ethylacetate, n-butanol, and water extracts of 10Korean herbal medicines were screened and compared for theirantioxidant activities. The antioxidant activities of more-polar


solvent extracts (BuOH and water extracts) were relativelyhigher than that of non-polar solvent extracts (hexane andEtOAC extracts).

Mi-Sun Kim, Hwan-Suck Chung, Jun-Gyoung Lee, Woon KiLim, Chung-Yeon Hwang, Eon-Jeong Lee, Kwang-Ho Cho,Dac-Han Wi, Hyung-Min Kim. 2002. Inhibition of cytokineproduction by the traditional oriental medicine, �Gamcho-Sasim-Tang� in mitogen-stimulated peripheral bloodmononuclear cells from Adamantiades-Behc¸et�s patients.Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 83: 123-128.

Gamcho-Sasim-Tang (GS-Tang) is a traditional Chinesemedication, which has been successfully used in Korea for thetreatment of Adamantiades-Behc¸et�s disease (ABD). Theinhibitory effects of GS-Tang on cytokine production showeddose-dependent manner. The results suggest that GS-Tangmight have anti-inflammatory and immuno-regulatory effectsthrough the cytokine modulation.

Jang-Sik, P., Gordon, R.B. 2007. Traditions and transitions inKorean bronze technology. Journal of Archaeological Science.(article in press).

Metallurgical examination of Korean bronze artifacts showsthat a technical tradition based on casting and use of leadedhigh-tin alloys was established in Korea at the early stages ofbronze use. The unique conditions during the time of innovationsuggest that the transition to new metallurgical techniques was

gradually achieved through domestic technical innovationinspired by external influences.

Yoon, S.Y. 1983. A legacy without heirs: Korean indigenousmedicine and primary health care. Soc. Sci. Med. 17(19): 1467-1476.

The ancestral shadow of Korean indigenous medicine is long,alive and kicking. The model proposed identifies the indigenousand cosmopolitan medical systems along with the householdas the main units of the �social reproduction� of the society, or,the means by which society is renewed. In the final analysis,integration would mean that a compromised alliance had beencreated between all institutions involved in social reproduction-including biological reproduction, reproduction of the labourforce and society�s values and institutions. The key structuresare the triangle-indigenous medicine, primary health care andthe household.

G. MALAYSIA

Lee, C.C., Houghton, P. 2005. Cytotoxicity of plants fromMalaysia and Thailand used traditionally to treat cancer. Journalof Ethnopharmacology. 100: 237�243.

The SRB cytotoxicity assay was used to screen extracts andisolated constituents of some traditional medicinal plants fromMalaysia and Thailand against two human cancer cell lines.Five out of the seven species tested, i.e. Thai Alpinia galanga,Alpinia of.cinarum, Cayratia japonica, Physalis minima,


Tabernaemontana divaricata, exhibited interesting cytotoxicityactivity. The Malaysian Alpinia galanga showed weak activitycompared with the Thai sample.

Husen, R., Pihie, A.H.L., Nallappan, M. 2004. Screening forantihyperglycaemic activity in several local herbs of Malaysia.Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 95: 205�208.

Screening of aqueous extract of Phyllantus niruri (PL), Zingiberzerumbet (ZG), Eurycoma longifolia (TA-a and TA-b) andAndrographis paniculata (AP) to determine their blood glucoselowering effect were conducted. Significant reduction in bloodglucose level at 52.90% was shown when hyperglycaemic ratswere treated with 50 mg/kg body weight (BW) aqueous extractof AP.

Donald T.T., Yapp, S.Y., 2003. Lansium domesticum: skin andleaf extracts of this fruit tree interrupt the lifecycle ofPlasmodium falciparum, and are active towards a chloroquine-resistant strain of the parasite (T9) in vitro. Journal ofEthnopharmacology. 85: 145�150.

Seed, leaf, and fruit skin extracts of Lansium domesticum, acommon fruit tree in South-East Asia, are used by indigenoustribes in Sabah, Malaysia for treating malaria. The skin andaqueous leaf extracts of the tree were found to reduce parasitepopulations of the drug sensitive strain (3D7) and thechloroquine-resistant strain (T9) of P. falciparum equally well.The skin extracts were also found to interrupt the lifecycle ofthe parasite.

Ibrahim, D., Osman, H. 1995. Antirnicrobial activity of Cassiaalata from Malaysia. Journal of Ethnopharmacoiogy. 45: 151-156.

Ethanolic extract of Cassia alata leaves was investigated for itsantimicrobial activities on several microorganisms includingbacteria, yeast, dermatophytic fungi and non-dermatophyticfungi. In vitro, the extract exhibited high activity against variousspecies of derrnatophytic fungi but low activity against non-dermatophytic fungi. However, bacterial and yeast speciesshowed resistance against in vitro treatment with the extract.

Teo, L.E., Pachiaper, G., Chan, K.C., Hadi, H.A., Weber, J.F.,Deverre, J.R., David, B., Slvenet, T. 1990. A new phytochemicalsurvey of Malaysia v. Preliminary screening and plant chemicalstudies. Journal of Ethnopharmaeology. 28: 63-101.

The authors conducted a large phytochemical survey of theflora of the Malaysian Peninsula and Sabah, covering thesystematic search for alkaloids, and partly, for saponins andflavonoids. Details of some chemical studies are reported.

Noor, H., Stephen J.H.A. 1989. Antidiabetic effects of Zwvosporacrispa in rats. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 27: 149-161.

In Malaysia, an aqueous extract of Tinospora crispa stems istaken orally to treat diabetes mellitus. In the present study, thehypoglycaemic properties of the extract has been evaluated.The data support the traditional belief that T, crispa extractcould improve diabetic conditions by virtue of its action on theendocrine pancreas.


Paul, C.Y.C. 1981. Traditional and modern medicine inMalaysia. Soc. Sci. Med. 15: 127-136.

Malaysia has a large variety of traditional medical systems thatare a direct reflection of the wide ethnic diversity of itspopulation. These can be grouped into four basic varieties,namely, traditional �native�. traditional Chinese. traditionalIndian, and modem medicine. The forces influencing thedevelopment, acceptance, and integration of the medicalsystems are discussed.

Paul, C.Y.C. 1975. Medical systems in Malaysia: cultural Basesand differential use. Soc. Sci. Med. 9: 171-180.

A variety of traditional medical systems thrive with vigour inMalaysia among the Malay, Orang Asli. Iban, Kadazan andChinese peoples. It is noted that traditional medicineaccommodates a larger proportion of illnesses thought to bedue to supernatural causes than does modern medicine. Thetraditional medicine-man can be viewed as a ritual specialistand a Focus of social and emotional support for the patient.

H. NEPAL

Shrestha, P.M., Dhillion, S.S. 2003. Medicinal plant diversityand use in the highlands of Dolakha district, Nepal. Journal ofEthnopharmacology. 86: 81�96.

The paper presents the ethnomedical uses of wild species amongnine rural communities managing local forest resources in the

Bonch Village Development Committee (VDC), Dolakhadistrict, Nepal. They have knowledge of 113 medical remediesderived from 58 species belonging to 40 families to treat a widerange of aliments particularly cough/cold, digestive problems,fever, headache, and skin infections.

Rajbhandari, M., Wegner, U., Julich, M., Schopke, T., Mentel.R. 2001. Screening of Nepalese medicinal plants for antiviralactivity. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 74: 251�255.

In an ethnopharmacological screening, plants used in Nepalesetraditional medicine were evaluated for antiviral activity.Methanolic and methanolic-aqueous extracts derived of 23species were assayed against influenza virus and herpes simplexvirus. Two species, Bergenia ligulata and Nerium indicum showedthe highest antiinfluenzaviral activity. Holoptelia integrifolia andN. indicum exhibited considerable antiviral activity againstherpes simplex virus.

Joshi, A.R., Joshi. K. 2000. Indigenous knowledge and uses ofmedicinal plants by local communities of the Kali GandakiWatershed Area, Nepal. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 73: 175�183.

Traditional medicine remains an integral part of the healthsystem in the villages of Ramdi, Malunga, Balam, Beltari, Mirmi,Burgha and Ridi in the Kali Gandaki watershed, Nepal. 48medicinal plants belonging to 31 families were reported whichmay be utilized as crude drugs.


Kumar, S., Ziereis, K., Wiegrebe, W., Muller, K. 2000. Medicinalplants from Nepal: evaluation as inhibitors of leukotrienebiosynthesis. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 70: 191�195.

The methanolic extracts of 25 different Nepalese medicinalplants used in traditional herb remedies to treat inflammatorydiseases such as asthma, bronchitis, rheumatism, and skindisorders were tested for their activity to inhibit the biosynthesisof leukotriene B4 in bovine polymorphonuclear leukocytes.

Eigner, D., Scholz, D. 1999. Ferula asa-foetida and Curcuma longain traditional medical treatment and diet in Nepal. Journal ofEthnopharmacology. 67: 1�6.

Food and eating have powerful symbolic value among thehinduistically-influenced ethnic groups of Nepal. In addition,food plays a major role in the concepts of illness and curingand constitute an integral part of traditional medicalprescriptions. Materials that are consumed in 0.5�1.5 g amountsin the daily diet (e.g. the spices turmeric and asafoetida) areused in minute amounts for medical purposes. Threehypotheses are offered here by the authors.

Kumar, S., Muller, K. 1999. Medicinal plants from Nepal; II.Evaluation as inhibitors of lipid peroxidation in biologicalmembranes. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 64: 135�139.

In an ethnopharmacological screening of selected Nepalesemedicinal plants, the inhibitory effect on lipid peroxidation of36 methanolic extracts of 28 different plant species were

evaluated. The most potent inhibitor was the extract obtainedfrom the bark of Clerodendrum indicum. The extracts obtainedfrom Aglaia roxburghiana fruits, Euonymus pendulus barks andEmblica officinalis fruits were also active. The most active extractswere from indigenous plants traditionally used to treatinflammatory diseases.

Manandhar, N.P. 1998. Native phytotherapy among the Rautetribes of Dadeldhura district, Nepal. Journal ofEthnopharmacology. 60: 199�206.

47 species of plants including one species of pteridophyte, fourmonocotyledons and 42 dicotyledons being used for thetreatment of 17 different types of diseases by the Raute tribe offar-western Nepal are discussed in this paper. Medicinal usesof 15 species (31%) are unrecorded from other parts of thecountry.

Larhsini, M., Lazrek, H.B., Amarouch, H., Jana, M. 1996.Investigation of antifungal and analgesic activities of extractsfrom Sium nodiflorum. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 53: 105-110.

Different extracts of aerial parts of Sium nodiflorum wereexamined for their antifungal activity against two groups offungi. The growth of both yeast and mold was significantlyinhibited. Analgesic activity study of these extracts was alsocarried out but showed no significant effect.

Taylor, R.S.L., Manandhar, N.P., Hudson, J.B., Towers, G.H.N.1996. Antiviral activities of Nepalese medicinal plants. Journalof Ethnopharmacology. 52: 157-163.


Screening of plants used traditionally in Nepal to treat diseasesthat could be caused by viruses, were investigated by theauthors. The methanol extracts from 21 species were assayedfor activity against three mammalian viruses: herpes simplexvirus, Sindbis virus and poliovirus. Individual species ofHypericum, Lygodium, and Maesa exhibited impressive antiviralactivities.

Taylor, R.S.L., Edel, F., Manandhar, N.P., Towers, G.H.N. 1996.Antimicrobial activities of southern Nepalese medicinal plants.Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 50: 97-102.

In an ethnopharmacological screening of selected medicinalplants used in Nepal, methanol extracts from 20 plant specieswere assayed for activity against eleven strains of bacteria andfour strains of fungi. Fifteen of the extracts showed activityagainst bacteria and fourteen showed activity against fungi.Two of the most active extracts were from plants used to treatdiarrhoea and dysentery. Bark from both Terminalia alata(Combretaceae) and Mallotus phillppensis (Euphorbiaceae) wasactive against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.

Manandhar, N.P. 1995. A survey of medicinal plants of Jajarkotdistrict, Nepal. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 48: 1-6.

The medicinal plants used by the healers as remedies in Jajarkotdistrict, Nepal are discussed. Sixty species (including 2 speciespteridophytes, 2 species monocotyledons and 56 speciesdicotyledons) used to treat 25 types of diseases have beenidentified.

Smit, H.F., Woerdenbag, H.J., Singh, R.H., Meulenbeld, G.J.,Labadie, R.P., Zwaving, J.H. 1995. Ayurvedic herbal drugs withpossible cytostatic activity. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 47:75-84.

To investigate which Ayurvedic plants might have cytostaticactivity, an Ayurvedic model for the pathogenesis of cancerwas made. The ethanol extracts of 14 species were tested forcytotoxicity on COLO 320 tumour cells, using the microculturetetrazolium (MTT) assay. Extracts of the flowers of Calotropisprocera (Ait.) R. Br. (Asclepiadaceae) and of the nuts ofSemecarpus anacardium L.f. (Anacardiaceae) displayed thestrongest cytotoxic effect. The extracts of several other plantsdid not show a cytotoxic effect.

Taylor, R.S., Manandharh, N.P., Towers, G.H.N. 1995. Screeningof selected medicinal plants of Nepal for antimicrobial activities.Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 46: 153-159.

In an ethnopharmacological screening of selected medicinalplants used in Nepal, methanol extracts from 21 plant specieswere assayed for activity against 8 strains of bacteria and 5strains of fungi. All 21 of the extracts showed activity againstat least 2 bacterial strains, and 20 showed activity against atleast 2 fungi. Six extracts were active only when exposed toUV-A light, and the antibiotic or antifungal effect of 14 extractswas enhanced upon exposure to light.

Bhattarai, N.K.. 1989. Traditional phytotherapy among thesherpas of Helambu, Central Nepal. Journal ofEthnopharmacology. 27: 45-54.


The traditional phytotherapy to treat ailments like minor cutsand wounds, bone fractures, gynaecological complaints andtuberculosis in the Sherpas of the Helambu region, CentralNepal, has been investigated. Sixty-seven widely acceptedprescriptions involving 49 plant species (one species of fungi,two species of ferns, one species of gymnosperms and forty-five species of angiosperms) are documented.

Kulakkattolickal, A.T. 1987. Piscicidal plants of Nepal:preliminary toxicity screening using grass carp(Ctenopharyngodon idella) fingerlings. Journal ofEthnophannacology. 21: l-9.

A survey of tractions fishermen in Chitwan District of Nepalidentity the native names of 97 species of plants believed topossess piscicidal properties. Ninety-two were collected andidentified. Eighty-two of these were tested for toxicity. Thirty-six species were categorized as poisonous.

Manandhar, N.P. 2006. Native phytotherapy among ruralpopulation of Nepal. Proc. IVth International Congress ofEthnobotany (ICEB 2005), 21-26 August, 2005. pp 101-106.

The author tried to document 102 species of plant belonging to100 genera and 56 families, used in native medicine forhealthcare. The paper aims to record the medicinal uses ofplants thus far unreported or differ in uses of parts of plantsand treatment of the diseases.

Stapleton, M.C. 1989. Diarrhoeal diseases: perceptions andpractices in Nepal. Soc. Sci. Med. 28(6): 593-604.

A study undertaken in Nepal collected information on believedcauses of diarrhoea and traditional treatments. A wide varietyof nutritious foods and fluids were reported to be consideredbeneficial and it is concluded that these traditionally acceptedfeeding practices should be reinforced, especially at the onsetof diarrhoea in Infants and children.

Thapa, N., Chongsuvivatwong, V., Geater, A.F., Ulsteinc, M.,Bechteld, G.A. 2000. Infant death rates and animal-sheddelivery in remote rural areas of Nepal. Soc. Sci. Med. 51: 1447-1456.

This article outlines a community-based retrospective study ina remote area of Nepal and describes local birth practices andtheir impact on infant mortality. The preparation of the deliveryplace was inadequate and thereby facilitated infection of boththe newborn and the mother. Traditional norms and animal-shed delivery practices are common in the Jumla community.

I. PAKISTAN

Jabbar, A., Asif Raza, M., Iqbal, Z., Khan, M.N. 2006. Aninventory of the ethnobotanicals used as anthelmintics in thesouthern Punjab (Pakistan). Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 108:152�154.


The authors of paper conducted survey in southern Punjab,Pakistan, in order to document existing ethnobotanicalknowledge by the herdsmen/key respondents aboutanthelmintics in ruminants. The paper describes 29 plants totreat helminthosis in ruminants. The main plants used wereLamium amplexicaule L., Mallotus philippinensis Muell.,Withaniasomnifera (L.) Dunal., Azadirachta indica A. Juss., and Citrulluscolocynthis (L.) Schrad.

Muhammada, G., Khan, M.Z., Hussaina, M.H., Iqbal, Z., Iqbal,M., Athar, M. 2005. Ethnoveterinary practices of owners ofpneumatic-cart pulling camels in Faisalabad City (Pakistan).Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 97: 241�246.

Information concerning the ethnoveterinary practices for thetreatment of common disorders of digestive tract (indigestion,colic and diarrhea), respiratory tract (cold/rhinitis,pneumonia), skin problems (mange, ulceration of nostrils withor without nasal myiasis, ticks and lice, harness sores), systemicstates (fever, ze/rba/d, anhidrosis) and preventive therapy ofindigestion and halitosis was documented from the owners ofpneumatic-cart pulling camels in Faisalabad Metropolis(Pakistan).

Zaidi, M.A., Sidney, A.C. Jr. 2005. Biologically active traditionalmedicinal herbs from Balochistan, Pakistan. Journal ofEthnopharmacology. 96: 331�334.

The biological activities of Grewia erythraea Schwein f.(Tiliaceae), Hymenocrater sessilifolius Fisch. and C.A. Mey

(Lamiaceae), Vincetoxicum stocksii Ali and Khatoon(Asclepiadaceae) and Zygophyllum fabago L. (Zygophyllaceae)were checked. The antifungal and antibacterial activities ofthese plants were determined against 12 fungal and 12 bacterialstrains by agar well diffusion and disk diffusion assays. Theextract of Zygophyllum fabago was found to be highly effectiveagainst Candida albicans and Escherichia coli. The extract ofVincetoxicum stocksii was also found to be significantly activeagainst Candida albicans, Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus cereus.Extracts of Hymenocrater sessilifolius and Grewia erythraeashowed good activity only against Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Akhtar, A.H., Ahmad, K.U. 1995. Anti-ulcerogenic evaluationof the methanolic extracts of some indigenous medicinal plantsof Pakistan in aspirin-ulcerated rats. Journal ofEthnopharmacology. 46: 1-6.

Anti-ulcerogenic activity of the methanolic extracts of 4medicinal plants were studied. Bauhinia racemosa (flower buds)decreased the ulcer index significantly, and Moringapterygosperma (flower buds) showed some decrease in the ulcerindex. Trianthema pentandra (whole plant) did not show anydecrease in the acid or pepsin content or any increase in mucin;however, it showed a highly significant decrease in the ulcerindex. Cordia latifolia (ripened fruit) did not however decreasethe ulcer index.

Haq, I., Asghar, M. 1989. Lead content of some traditionalpreparations -�kushtas�. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 26: 287-291.


Traditional remedies/medicines of the Indo-Pakistan sub-continent prescribed and used under the name of �Kushtas�have been reported to contain heavy metals, e.g. lead, silver,mercury, etc. as one of their active ingredients. The ingestionof such preparations in high doses would result in acutepoisoning whilst low doses, taken over a period of time, wouldbe cumulative and prove to be a serious health hazard. Thelead content of a number of Kushtas has been analysed and isreported.

Shinwari, M.I., Shinwari, M.I. 2006. Ethnobotany of Medicinaland Aromatic plants in Pakistan. Proc. IVth InternationalCongress of Ethnobotany (ICEB 2005), 21-26 August, 2005. pp115-121.

Indigenous knowledge of about 250 medicinal plants has beendocumented from Pakistan and verified from existingdocumented literature. The research concludes the indigenousknowledge about medicinal plants can give new directions forimprovement and development of new products for herbalindustry.

Warwick, D.P., Reimers, F., Mcginn, N. 1992. Theimplementation of educational innovations: Lessons fromPakistan. Int. J Educational Development. 12(4): 297-307.

The paper draws on the five cases to illustrate a model ofimplementation that can be used for planning, managing, orevaluating educational innovation. The summary of eachinnovation contains only those details necessary to show keyfeatures of the model.

Nazir, M. 1991. Biogas Plants Construction Technology forRural Areas. Bioresource Technology. 35: 283-289.

The suitability of a number of different anaerobic digesterdesigns for use in rural regions of Pakistan, has beeninvestigated. These innovations also reduced corrosion, avoidedexcessive dilution of slurry by rain water, made the plant moresanitary and reduced odour as compared with conventionalIndian plants.

Mull, S., Anderwn, J.W., Dorothy, J.D.M. 1990. Cow dung,rock salt, and medical innovation in the Hindu Kush ofPakistan: the cultural transformation of neonatal tetanus andiodine deficiency. Soc. Sci. Med. 30(6): 675-691.

In mountain villages of Chitral District in northwesternPakistan, dried cow dung is used as Westerners would usetalcum powder when babies are swaddied and rock salt isconsumed in tea and other foods. Both substances are esteemedas conveying beneficial �heat� and �strength�. Unfortunately,however, cow dung sometimes contains a bacterium that causesneonatal tetanus, and the resulting toxin may enter throughthe baby�s unhealed umbilical cord and cause death. Further,rock salt contains no iodine, and Chitral�s soil is so iodine-deficient that goiter is very common. Thus local health workersadvocate use of talcum powder rather than cow dung,immunization against tetanus, and replacement of rock saltby powdered iodized salt. The present report documentswidespread community acceptance of these innovations despitethe fact that the biomedical model of tetanus and goiter was


not well understood and indigenous concepts of the causes ofthe diseases remained virtually undisturbed.

J. PHILIPPINES

Reyes, B.A.S., Bautista, N.D., Tanquilut, N.C., Anunciado, R.V.,Leung, A.B., Sanchez, G.C., Magtoto, R.L., Castronuevo, P.,Tsukamura, H., Maedaf, K.I. 2006. Anti-diabetic potentials ofMomordica charantia and Andrographis paniculata and theireffects on estrous cyclicity of alloxan-induced diabetic rats.Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 105: 196�200.

Momordica charantia and Andrographis paniculata are thecommonly used herbs by the diabetic patients in Pampanga,Philippines. Momordica charantia fruit juice or Andrographispaniculata decoction was orally administered to alloxan-induceddiabetic rats. The results suggest that the anti-diabetic potentialsof Momordica charantia and Andrographis paniculata couldrestore impaired estrous cycle in alloxan-induced diabetic rats.

Walters, B.B., Sabogal, C., Snook, L.K., de Almeida, E. 2005.Constraints and opportunities for better silvicultural practicein tropical forestry: an interdisciplinary approach. ForestEcology and Management. 209: 3�18.

The authors of this paper presented three case studies ofresearch on tropical silviculture practice from each ofPhilippines, Brazilian Amazon and Mexico. Findings from thesestudies indicate that a variety of factors may influence whetheror not silvicultural practices are adopted. These range from

characteristics of the local environment and individual users(knowledge, motivation, etc.) to wider geographical, economicand political influences.

Fujisaka, S. 1994. Learning from Six Reasons Why Farmers DoNot Adopt Innovations Intended to Improve Sustainability ofUpland agriculture Agricultural Systems. 46: 409-425.

Upland agriculture in southeast Asia has been associated withresourcepoor farmers, land degradation, soil and water losses,and increasing pest problems. The authors described sixoverlapping reasons - why farmers do not adopt are thatfarmers do not face the problem targeted by the innovation,farmer practice is equal to or better than the innovation, theinnovation does not work, extension fails, the innovation coststoo much, and �social� factors.

Barnett, A. 1990. The Diffusion of Energy Technology in theRural Areas of Developing Countries: A Synthesis of RecentExperience. World Development. 18(4): 539-553.

This paper provides a synthesis of the experience of attemptsto diffuse energy conversion technologies in the rural areas ofdeveloping countries. It draws on the experience reported inthe literature as well as the five other articles included in thisSpecial Section. The first four articles report the results ofresearch supported under the Rural Energy TechnologyAssessment and Innovation Network (RETAIN), funded by theInternational Development Research Centre of Canada. Thesecover biogas in China, gasitiers in the Philippines, decentralized


electricity supply in Argentina, and dual-fuel biogas enginesin India. The final paper provides a review of the experience ofthe diffusion of a number of successful �mature� energytechnologies. The paper concludes by drawing from thiscomplex picture of rural technical change a set of basicprinciples which might guide policy makers and researchersin improving the prospects for the diffusion of rural energytechnology.

Ruttan, V.W. 1989. Institutional-Innovation and AgriculturalDevelopment. World Development. 17(9): 1375-1387.

This paper elaborates a theory of institutional innovation inwhich shifts in the demand for institutional change are inducedby changes in relative resource endowments and by technicalchange. The supply of institutional innovations responds toadvances in social science knowledge and changes in culturalendowments. Case studies drawing on (1) innovations in landtenure and labor relations in the Philippines; (2) exportpromotion and import substitution of agricultural commoditiesin East Asia; and (3) farm commodity policy in the United Statesare presented. Elements of a general institutional innovationmodel are outlined.

Tabbal, D.F., Bouman, B.A.M., Bhuiyan, S.I., Sibayan, E.B.,Sattar, M.A. 2002. On-farm strategies for reducing water inputin irrigated rice; case studies in the Philippines. AgriculturalWater Management. 56 (2002) 93�112.

This paper reports results of on-farm experiments in thePhilippines to reduce water input by water-saving irrigation

techniques and alternative crop establishment methods, suchas wet and dry seeding. With continuous standing water, directwet-seeded rice yielded higher than traditional transplantedrice by 3�17%, required 19% less water during the crop growthperiod and increased water productivity by 25�48%. Theintroduction of water-saving technologies at the field level canhave implications for the hydrology and water use at largerspatial scale levels.

Nelson, R.A., Cramb, R.A. 1998. Economic incentives forfarmers in the Philippine uplands to adopt hedgerowintercropping. Journal of Environmental Management 54: 83�100.

Land degradation in the Philippine uplands is severe andwidespread. Hedgerow intercropping can greatly reduce soilloss from annual cropping systems and has been consideredan appropriate technology for soil conservation research andextension in the Philippine uplands. The objective of this paperis to investigate the economic incentives for farmers in thePhilippine uplands to adopt hedgerow intercropping relativeto traditional open-field maize farming. The results indicatethat there have been strong economic incentives for farmerswith limited planning horizons to reject hedgerowintercropping because the benefits of sustained yields are notrealized rapidly enough to compensate for high establishmentcosts. Alternative forms of hedgerow intercropping such asnatural vegetation and grass strips reduce establishment andmaintenance costs and are therefore more economicallyattractive to farmers than hedgerow intercropping with shrublegumes.


Fujisaka, S. 1990. Rainfed lowland rice: building research onfarmer practice and technical knowledge. Agriculture,Ecosystems and Environment. 33: 57-74.

The world�s 40 million ha of rainfed lowland rice account for29% of rice land and 19% of rice supply. Although scientistshave defined broad rainfed lowland subecosystems, individualfarmers in such areas usually manage lands distributed acrosslocal landscapes that include a diverse and dynamic range ofrice environments. Field conditions are interrelated and changeyear to year due to rainfall differences such that a presently�favorable� middle terrace parcel and a drought-stressed upperparcel may be submerged and favorable, respectively, the nextyear. Farmer practice and knowledge are adapted to thecomplex risks, potentials and problems characteristic of suchsystems. Onfarm and diagnostic research conducted in rainfedlowland areas of Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Nepal andMadagascar show that rice research can benefit by buildingon farmer perspectives.

K. SRI LANKA

Arambewela, L.S.R., Arawwawala, L.D.A.M., Ratnasooriy,W.D. 2004. Antinociceptive activities of aqueous and ethanolicextracts of Alpinia calcarata rhizomes in rats. Journal ofEthnopharmacology. 95: 311�316.

Rhizomes of Alpinia calcarata Roscoe (Zingiberaceae) are usedin traditional medicine of Sri Lanka. The antinociceptiveactivity of hot water extract (HWE) and hot ethanol extract(HEE) of Alpinia calcarata rhizomes were investigated.

Deraniyagala, S.A., Ratnasooriya, W.D., Goonasekara, C.L.2003. Antinociceptive effect and toxicological study of theaqueous bark extract of Barringtonia racemosa on rats. Journalof Ethnopharmacology. 86: 21�26.

Barringtonia racemosa Linn. (Family Lecythidaceae) is used intraditional medicine of Sri Lanka. The antinociceptive potentialof an aqueous bark extract of B. racemosa was investigated inmale rats. The results showed that the extract hasantinociceptive activity (when evaluated in hot plate andformalin test but not in tail flick test) without producingunwanted side effects or toxicity. Further, the extract did notalter fertility, gestational length, peri- and neonataldevelopment and appears to be non-teratogenic.

Nicholl, D.S., Daniels, H.M., Thabrew, M.I., Grayer, R.J.,Simmonds, M.S.J., Hughes, R.D. 2001. In vitro studies on theimmunomodulatory effects of extracts of Osbeckia aspera. 2001.Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 78: 39�44.

Ayruvedic medical practitioners in Sri Lanka use aqueousextracts of the mature leaves of Osbeckia aspera to treat liverdisease. The effect of an aqueous extract of Osbeckia onlymphocyte proliferation stimulated by mitogens and antigenwas investigated. The results suggest that the inhibitoryagent(s) in the aqueous extract of Osbeckia may have an effecton antigen-presenting cell function. The combinedhepatoprotective and immunosuppressive effects of the extractare more likely to be beneficial in acute hepatitis rather thanchronic hepatitis viral infection.


Thabrew, M.I., Senaratna, L., Samarawickrema, N.,Munasinghe, C. 2001. Antioxidant potential of two polyherbal.preparations used in Ayurveda for the treatment of rheumatoidarthritis. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 76: 285�291.

An investigation has been carried out to compare theantioxidant potentials of two polyherbal formulations,Maharasnadhi quathar (MRQ) and Weldehi choornaya (WC),used by Ayurvedic medical practitioners in Sri-Lanka for thetreatment of RA patients.

Malalavidhane, T.S., Nalinie Wickramasinghe, S.M.D., Jansz,E.R. 2000. Oral hypoglycaemic activity of Ipomoea aquatica.Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 72: 293�298.

Ipomoea aquatica is a commonly consumed green leafy vegetablein Sri Lanka. The authors studied the oral hypoglycaemicactivity of single and multiple doses of I. aquatica in healthy,male Wistar rats after a glucose challenge. There was asignificant reduction in the serum glucose concentrations withboth single (33%, PB0.0027) and multiple (25%, PB0.02) doses.The study indicates that a boiled, whole extract of I. aquaticaexerts an oral hypoglycaemic effect in healthy, male, Wistarrats after a glucose challenge.

Fernando, M.R., Nalinie Wickramasinghe, S.M.D., Thabrew,M.I., Karunanayaka, E.H. 1989. A preliminary investigationof the possible hypoglycaemic activity of Asteracanthus longifolia.Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 27: 7-14.

Investigations were carried out to confirm the view ofAyurvedic and other traditional medical practitioners in SriLanka, that Asteracanthus longifolia possesses hypoglycaemicproperties. The effects of an aqueous extract of the whole planton fasting blood glucose level and glucose tolerance wereinvestigated using Sprague-Hawley rats. The results indicatethat aqueous extracts of A. Zongifolia can significantly lowerthe fasting blood glucose level and markedly improve theglucose tolerance of the rats.

Arseculeratne, S.N., Leslie Gunatilakam, A.A., Panabokkec,R.G. 1985. Studies on medicinal plants of Sri Lanka. Part 14:toxicity of some traditional medicinal herbs. Journal ofEthnopharmacology. 13: 323-335.

Seventy five medicinal plants of the traditional Ayurvedicpharmacopoeia of Sri Lanka have been screened chemicallyfor alkaloids and pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Of these, Crotoluriajuncea L. was found to contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids withbiological effects consistent with pyrrolizidine alkaloid toxicity.Aegle marmelos (L.) Corr., Hemidesmus indicus (L.) Ait. F. andTerminuliu chebula Retz. produced hepatic lesions whichincluded central vein abnormalities while Terminalia chebulaand Withania somniferu (L.) Dunal produced marked renallesions.

Perera, P., Kanjanapoothi, D., Sandberg, F., Verpoorte, R. 1984.Screening for biological activity of different plant parts ofTabernaemontana dlchotoma, known as Divi Kaduru in Sri Lanka.Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 11: 233-241.


Different parts of the plant Tabernaemontana dichotoma,known in singhalese as diui kaduru in Sri Lanka is reported in avariety of medicinal applications. The most common use of thisplant is for wound healing. In the screening for antimicrobialactivity strong activity was found against gram-positive, gram-negative bacteria, a yeast and a fungus, particularly for extractsof root bark. Extracts from all parts of the plant showedhypotensive activity. The extracts of fruit and seed showedstimulant activity and the extract of leaves showed inhibitoryactivity on uterus contraction.

Arseculeratne, S.N., Leslie Gunatilaka, A.A., Panabokke, R.G.1981. Studies on medicinal plants of Sri Lanka: occurrence ofpyrrolizidine alkaloids and hepatotoxic properties in sometraditional medicinal herbs. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 4: 159� 177.

There are no data on the hepatotoxic properties of herbalmedicines that are used in the traditional pharmacopoiea ofSri Lanka and other Asian and African countries. The authorshave screened fifty medicinal plants for pyrrolizidine alkaloidsand have obtained positive results with three species, namelyCrotalaria verrucosa L., Holarrhena antidysenterica (L.) Br., andCassia auriculuta L. These three species produced liver lesions -disruption of the centrilobular veins, congestion orhaemorrhage in the centrilobular sinusoids, centrilobular orfocal hepatocellular necrosis - and histopathology in the lungsand kidneys after feeding.

Weragoda, P.B. 1980. The traditional system of medicine in SriLanka. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 2: 71 � 73.

The authors described four systems of traditional medicine inSri Lanka: Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Deshiya Chikitsa.The Ayurveda and Deshiya Chikitsa systems use mainly plantand herbal preparations for the treatment of diseases � theformer uses about 2000 species, the latter about 500. The plantsare used singly or as mixtures. The traditional systems ofmedicine have a vast literature, mainly in the form ofmanuscripts. The compilation of encyclopaedias of plants usedin traditional medicine is highly recommended interested inpreserving the traditional systems of medicine.

Senevratne, G., Kulasooriya, S.A., Thomas, R.L. 1994.Sustainment of soil fertility in the traditional rice farming, dryzone, Sri Lanka. Soil Biol. Biochem. 26(6): 1-588.

Changes in soil fertility during the rice cropping season andthe subsequent fallow period were investigated in the dry zoneof Sri Lanka. The effects of grazing by cattle and soil dryingduring the fallow on soil fertility was also studied. Cattlegrazing also controlled annual weeds in the succeeding ricecrop. It was hypothesized that the loss of N from harvest ofthe crop was replenished through associative and free-livingN, fixation during the fallow and cropping phases, thussustaining soil fertility in this traditional rice farming system.

Wickramasinghe, A. 1997. Anthropogenic factors and forestmanagement in Sri Lanka. Applwd Geography. 17(2): 87-110.

This paper explores anthropogenic factors operating againstthe full enforcement of legislation formulated to protect the


forest. A field investigation conducted in the Ritigala areaindicates the factors influencing indigenous peoples� silent andformally unacknowledged engagement in forest management:socially accepted rights to the forest; traditional links that forestfringe communities have maintained with the forest; indigenousknowledge; intra-household factors such as labour availability,needs, gender, and sources of income, as well as extra-household factors like distance to the forest; demand for forestproducts and access to markets. This paper argues thatindigenous peoples� rights to resources need to be incorporatedinto management strategies.

L. Thailand

Celia Lowe. 2004. The Potential of People: an Interview withChayan Vaddhanaphuti. Positions 12:1. Duke University Press

The interview is part of an extended conversation that we hadin May 2000 at the University of Washington, Seattle, and inJune 2002 in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The developmentexperience in Thailand exemplifies the common phenomenonof development, which is propelled by governments as well asthe capitalist economic system. It should be noted that in theprocess of development it is always the small people, thepowerless people, such as women, children, and ethnicminorities, who have to sacrifice and suffer. Thai studies ofcultural practices have led to further understanding of shiftingcultivation, indigenous knowledge of forest conservation andforest fire control, customary rights, and beliefs and ritualceremonies as discursive practices. Inevitably, this has led to

an investigation into how the state uses technologies of power,such as mapping, and into the discursive practices the stateuses to legitimate, exclude, and marginalize people.

Hogan, D.P., Frenzen, P.D. 1981. Antecedents to ContraceptiveInnovation: Evidence from Rural Northern Thailand.Demography. 18(4): 597-614.

Numbers of different causal mechanisms have been proposedto explain the onset of fertility declines in populations withpreviously uncontrolled fertility, but they have never beenadequately tested. The present study identifies and tests fiveantecedents to family limitation practices in a sample of 755currently married couples resident in rural Northern Thailand.The log-linear multiple regression models estimated indicatethat couples in more developed districts, more modern couples,couples in which wives have more equal roles, couples believingthat intergenerational wealth transfers favour children ratherthan their parents, and more wealthy couples, were allsignificantly more likely to be early adopters of contraception.Local development levels appeared to have the greatest neteffects on the timing of adoption of fertility control. In addition,couples in areas where contraceptive services were more readilyavailable were also significantly more likely to be contraceptiveinnovators, net of these five variables.

Chuakul, W. 2000. Medicinal Plants In Khao Kho District,Phetchabun Province, Thailand. Pharmaceutical Biology. 38(1):61�67.


A survey on the utilization of medicinal plants used by Thaipeople at Khao Kho District, Petchabun Province was carriedout by interviewing herbalists followed by collecting plantspecimens and identifying the specimens. In addition, the plantspecimens were compared with the authentic specimens at twoherbaria: the Bangkok Herbarium, Botany Section, Botany andWeed Science Division, Department of Agriculture, Ministryof Agriculture, and the Forest Herbarium, Royal ForestDepartment, Ministry of Agriculture. Fifty-nine kinds ofmedicinal plants belonging to 32 families are reported, fromwhich 12 kinds are newly recorded as medicinal plants. Theywere found belonging to 47 dicots, eight monocots, onegymnosperm, two Ferns and one lichen. Forty-one kinds areused in combination with other medicinal plants whereas theother 17 kinds are used as a single remedy.

Jongeward, C. 2002. Sustainable livelihoods within globalmarket places: Rural Artisans in Thailand. Women andEnvironment. Spring 2002.

Traditional methods and forms of art reflect millennia ofcultural adaptation and change that occur at the interfacebetween cultures, generations and creative individuals. Thecurrent intersection of the needs of the low-income artisans inthe rural areas and the desires of the urban consumers, hasinstigated both the organisation of the grassroots communityenterprises and a wide range of craft adaptation andinnovation. In a process that starts with the hands of ruralartisans, in Asia and finishes when a craft item reaches thehands of distant consumers, there are possibilities for increasing

awareness of economic connectedness and social responsibilityin the global market.

Petersen, A., Dalsgaard, A. 2003. Species composition andantimicrobial resistance genes of Enterococcus spp., isolated fromintegrated and traditional fish farms in Thailand. EnvironmentalMicrobiology. 5(5): 395�402.

Integrated fish farming uses the manure from animalhusbandry as fertilisers in the fish ponds. A total of 410enterococcal isolates, from integrated and traditional fish farmsin Thailand, were collected to assess whether the input ofmanure from chickens receiving feed containing growthpromoters and antimicrobial treatments influenced the speciescomposition and the bacterial antimicrobial resistance in thefish pond environment. Enterococcus faecium and E. faecalis werethe predominate species isolated from the integrated farms,whereas E. casseliflavus and E. mundtii isolates were mostprevalent in traditional farms. Enterococcus faecalis and E.faecium demonstrated the highest prevalence of resistance,whereas E. mundtii isolates were susceptible to all antimicrobialstested. All the enterococci species isolated from the integratedfarms, generally demonstrated higher resistance phenotypesto the tested antimicrobials compared with the same speciesfrom traditional farms. The term (B) and tet (M) genes, associatedwith resistance to erythromycin and tetracycline, respectively,were found in 87% of the erythromycin-resistant and 95% ofthe oxytetracycline-resistant enterococci isolates respectively.These results suggest that the species composition andantimicrobial resistance of enterococci in tropical aquatic


environments are influenced by faecal and antimicrobialpollution.

Jonsson, H. 2005. Mien Alter-Natives in Thai Modernity;Arizona State University pp 673-704.

This article discusses the repeated framing of Mien ethnicminority highland people as un-modern in relation to projectsof modernity and modernization in Thailand. As uplandlivelihood bas become increasingly precarious and entangledwith state regulation, Mien people are engaging with nationalmodernity and modernization through public displays thatvariously highlight their tradition or modernity or creativelycombine the two. In this national space, modernization hashegemonic force and serves as the anchor to varied projects ofself-fashioning in relation to modernity, including those oftradition. Articulations of tradition are one aspect of modernity,and the notion of ethnic groups as the carriers of tradition maybe equally specific to modernity�s conceptual schemes

Naklang, K., Harnpichitvitaya, D., Amarante, S.T., Wade, L.J, Haefele, S. M. 2006. Internal efficiency, nutrient uptake, andthe relation to field water resources in rainfed lowland rice ofnortheast Thailand. Plant Soil. 286:193�208.

Rice-based (Oryza sativa L.) rainfed lowlands are the majorcropping system in northeast Thailand. Average yields are low,which is generally explained by frequent drought events, lowsoil fertility, and poor fertilizer response. However, neither therelative importance of these factors nor their interaction is well

understood. Therefore, we analyzed an existing database onfertilizer trials conducted between 1995 and 1997 at eightdifferent sites in northeast Thailand with the objective todetermine indigenous nutrient supplies, internal efficiencies,and recovery efficiencies of applied nutrients in rainfed lowlandrice. Of particular interest was the effect of variety type(traditional) and water supply on these components.

Schiller, D. 2006. Nascent Innovation Systems in DevelopingCountries: University Responses to Regional Needs in Thailand.Industry and Innovation. 13(4): 481�504.

Universities are playing a major role in regional innovation byinteracting directly with regional stakeholders. Up to now thereis little evidence on responses of universities to regional needsin developing countries. This paper applies an adoptedframework of nascent regional innovation systems indeveloping countries to a study of the potential impacts of fiveuniversities in three regions in Thailand. The empirical evidencesuggests that more systematic approaches toward regionaluniversity-industry knowledge transfer are still limited bycentralized national policies, a low sophistication of regionaltechnological needs, and institutional barriers within the highereducation system. University responses to regional needs differmarkedly between the Bangkok region and two peripheralregional innovation systems.

Carolyn, J. 2001. Alternative Entrepreneurship In Thailand:Weavers and the North-eastern Handicraft and Women�sDevelopment Network. Convergence, 00108146, 2001, 34(1).


In the context of rural Thailand, alternative entrepreneurshipis a socioeconomic strategy of organizing, educating andempowering people to work collectively at the village level tostrengthen their capacities to create sustainable livelihoods intheir own communities. In particular, rural women weaversare learning to work together to build organizations that servetheir needs and concerns for income and social security, health,safety and environmental protection. As a means ofemployment, alternative entrepreneurship promotes collectiveresponsibility and involvement in management and marketing.As a forum for integrating new knowledge with local wisdom,alternative entrepreneurship fosters appropriate technology andenvironmentally sustainable practices. And as a counterforceto the devaluation of traditional rural ways of life, alternativeenterprises are people�s organizations concerned withpreserving cultural heritage. The purpose of the article is tofocus on a number of the complex issues involved in creatingand sustaining artisan enterprises in rural Thailand.

M. VIETNAM

De- Th, L., Xuh Dufig, N. 1991. Native drugs of Vietnam: whichtraditional and scientific approaches? Journul ofEthnopharmacology. 32: 51-56.

For thousands of years, the people of Vietnam are treatingdiseases with herbs and plants which are gathered from gardensand forests. In the htstory of Vietnamese national medicme,two names in particular stand out before 18th century. Thefirst one is Tue Tinh of the 17th century. author of two treatises:

Nam Duoc Than Hieu (The Miraculous Efficacy of VietnameseMedtcmes) describing 580 indigenous drugs in 3873prescriptions and Hong Nghia Giac Tu Thu. (Medical book fromvillage Hong Nghia) summarizing the indications of 630 drugs.The second name would be Le Huu Trac (1720-1791) writmgas Hai Thuong Lan Ong, author of the great treatise oftraditional medicine with more than 30 volumes. The authorsof this paper also compiled a book: Medicinal Pkunts and Drug.5/ram Vtetntm. More than 700 drugs common in Vietnam aredescribed.

Doan Du Dat, D., Nguyen, N.H., Doan, H.K., Nguyen, T.L.,Phan, T.S., Nguyen van, D., Magnus, G., Johansson, R.,Lindgren, G., Stjernstriim, N.E. 1992. Studies on the individualand combined diuretic effects of four Vietnamese traditionalherbal remedies (Zea mays, Imperata cylindrica, Plantago majorand Orthosiphon stamineus). Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 36:225-231.

The diuretic effect of four traditional Vietnamese herbalremedies from Zea mays, Imperata cylindrica, Plantago major andOrthosiphon stamineus were assessed. No influence wasrecorded for the 12- and 24-h urine output or on the sodiumexcretion for any of the drugs when tested under standardizedconditions in a placebo controlled double-blind crossover model.The present study indicates the need for critical review of thepresent recommendations regarding therapy with plantmaterials in countries relying on empiric traditions.

Nguyen-Pouplin, J., Tran, H., Tran, H., Phan, T.A., Christiane,D., Farrar, J., Tran, T.H., Philippe, C., Bernard, B., Philippe, G.


2007. Antimalarial and cytotoxic activities ofethnopharmacologically selected medicinal plants from SouthVietnam. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 109: 417�427.

An ethnopharmacological investigation was undertaken ofmedicinal plants traditionally used to treat malaria in the SouthVietnam. Forty-nine plants were identified, 228 extracts wereprepared and tested for their in vitro activity againstPlasmodium falciparum, and assessed for any cytotoxicity. In afirst screening, 92 extracts from 46 plants showedantiplasmodial activity. Six plants showed interestingantiplasmodial activity.

Hoang Fagerström, M.H., van Noordwijk, M., Phien, T., Vinh,N.C. 2001. Innovations within upland rice-based systems innorthern Vietnam with Tephrosia candida as fallow species,hedgerow, or mulch: net returns and farmers� response.Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment. 86: 23�37.

Agroforestry systems with a leguminous shrub Tephrosiacandida (Roxb.) D.C. were experimentally tested on-farm in anupland rice (Oryza sativa L.) system on sloping land in northernVietnam. The upland rice-based systems tested were: (1) fallowcrop rotation, including natural fallow (NaFa) and Tephrosiafallow (TepFa); (2) continuous cropping, includingmonocropping (Mono), Tephrosia hedgerow intercropping(TepAl), and Tephrosia mulch transfer (TepMu). In this paper,the Tephrosia systems (TepFa, TepAl, and TepMu) and theexisting systems (NaFa and Mono) were evaluated using both

experimental measurements and participatory rural appraisal(PRA) techniques.

Craig, D. 2000. Practical logics: the shapes and lessons ofpopular medical knowledge and practice Ð examples fromVietnam and Indigenous Australia. Soc. Sci. Med. 51: 703-711.

Popular medical knowledge and practice exist in forms thatpeople are able to remember, and that they use to manage theirdaily lives. This knowledge is fundamentally practical andrelates to the patterns of everyday life and the rhythms of thebody. The broad �polythetic� concepts of this knowledgesystem are typically drawn from both dominant and othermedical knowledges, and combined in pragmatic, mnemonicways that constitute a hybrid system. Such popular medicalknowledge is attuned to local, family and cultural patterns ofmedical and other authority, and to the personal dispositionsand environmental contexts of its users. Health promoters andeducators who understand these formal, embodied and familiardimensions of popular knowledge can potentially mimic thisknowledge system, making their interventions a sustainablepart of everyday family life.

Other Important Articles

Crane, D. 1977. technological innovation in developingcountries: a review of the literature. Research Policy. 6(1977):374 - 395.


This article is a revised version of a roneod report for the OECDDevelopment Centre (Crane, D., An hater-Organizationalapproach to the Development of Indigenous TechnologicalCapabilities: Some Reflection of? the Literature, Industry andTechnology: Occasional Paper No. 3, OECD DevelopmentCentre, December, 1974).

Kurien, J. 1998. Traditional Ecological Knowledge andEcosystem Sustainability: New Meaning to Asian CoastalProverbs. Ecological Applications 8(1):, Supplement: EcosystemManagement for Sustainable Marine Fisheries. pp. S2-S5. http:// l i n k s . j s t o r . o r g / s i c i ? s i c i = 1 0 5 1 -0761%28199802%298%3A1%3CS2%3ATEKAES%3E2.0.CO%3B2-Z (Website visited on 24.05.2007).

This article is about the traditional ecological knowledgecontained in five proverbs that reveal the wisdom of Asiancoastal communities in relation to the coastal ecosystems withwhich they interact. It attempts to examine these old truths ina search for providing new meanings which may help to obtainstimuli on questions regarding institutions, technology andpolicy orientation for ecosystem sustainability.

Berkes, F., Colding, J., Folke, C. 2000. Rediscovery of TraditionalEcological Knowledge as Adaptive Management. EcologicalApplications. 10(5): 1251-1262.

Indigenous groups offer alternative knowledge andperspectives based on their own locally developed practices ofresource use. We surveyed the international literature to focus

on the role of Traditional Ecological Knowledge in monitoring,responding to, and managing ecosystem processes andfunctions, with special attention to ecological resilience. Casestudies revealed that there exists a diversity of local ortraditional practices for ecosystem management. These includemultiple species management, resource rotation, successionmanagement, landscape patchiness management, and otherways of responding to and managing pulses and ecologicalsurprises. Social mechanisms behind these traditional practicesinclude a number of adaptations for the generation,accumulation, and transmission of knowledge; the use of localinstitutions to provide leaders/stewards and rules for socialregulation; mechanisms for cultural internalization oftraditional practices; and the development of appropriateworld views and cultural values. Some traditional knowledgeand management systems were characterized by the use of localecological knowledge to interpret and respond to feedbacksfrom the environment to guide the direction of resourcemanagement. These traditional systems had certain similaritiesto adaptive management with its emphasis on feedbacklearning, and its treatment of uncertainty and unpredictabilityintrinsic to all ecosystems.


1. Report of Exploratory Visit to China (April 17-18, 2007)

Search for grassroots innovations and traditional knowledge(GRI-TK) as a means for improving livelihood of disadvantagedcommunities and for sustainable conservation of resources is arecent concern in many Asian societies. The exploration oftraditional medicine, however, has continued for far longer inmost countries. The purpose of the visit was to meet withsome of the policy makers, academicians, consult libraries andcollect literature/insights about the scouting anddocumentation of GRI-TK.

On April 17, 2007, Prof. Zhang Liyan picked me up at 1.00 pmfrom the hotel in Beijing to have a meeting with the Chairpersonof the Tianjin University of Finance and Economics (TUFE).The Chairperson is a member of the communist party and headsthe university though the executive responsibility rests withthe President. She also invited me for dinner with the seniorofficials of the university. We reviewed the experience ofsurvey of GRI through the students of the university startedabout six months ago. Later, in the night, I had discussionswith a group of students who had visited different villages

themselves and had also compiled the innovations by farmersand artisans collected by other students in the university, fromthe net and from the school children.

About 400 grassroots innovations have been documented.Some of them interestingly are similar to the ones scouted byHoney Bee Network in India. For instance, a cycle based hoe,a tree climber, a simple agriculture produce lift for drying thethings on rooftop, amphibious vehicle, etc. Similarly, amongthe innovations by school children, there were many ideas,which were extremely inspiring in terms of their sweep ofimagination. A student thought about the problem that manypeople have of shoe odour in the evening. He thought of aUV shoe hanger in which one can hang shoes on differenthooks fitted with UV rays emitters so that by morning the shoeswill be disinfected and become fresh. Similarly, anotherstudent thought about a solar panel based power generationon the tree top such that wires having current are intertwinedaround the branches. When the pest will crawl and get intouch with wires, they will get a shock. What an imagination!

If a proof was needed about the tremendous scope of creativityand innovation at grassroots, it was available in plenty. I also

Building Capacity for Scouting, Documentation, Database developmentand Dissemination of Green Grassroots Innovations in Asia- Pacific Region:An APCTT and SRISTI’s Initiative

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visited a traditional bone healer in a village near Tianjin tostudy how the traditional knowledge was actually put to useand what was the policy framework. In this clinic, there wasa large rush of people. Many of them came in cars withfractures, sprains and various other problems. The healer andhis two sons would look at the x-rays, prescribe and dispensemedicine, provide muscular relief where needed and the blendof tradition and modern continued. The Chinese policy ontraditional medicine practice encouraged such TK holders tonot only practice but sometime synergise with the modernsystems1. This is a lesson, which is very useful for the othercountries in the region where TK holders have not beensystematically incorporated in the knowledge, innovation andpractice systems at national level.

I went back to Beijing on 18th morning and met Dr.Zhang Weiand Dr.Liexun Yang and discussed about the research goingon at National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC)on GRI-TK. It was suggested that Indo-China cooperationcould be considered under Science and Technology agreementbetween two countries. However, they also showed interestin encouraging thinking about a Twin Centre viz., InternationalCentre on Grassroots Innovations at Tianjin and SRISTI,Ahmedabad. The centre will demonstrate an extraordinarypossibility of a knowledge-based approach to development. Wehave to involve youth in taking the grassroots innovationmovement forward. We have to realize and accept that unlesswe take the innovations through value and knowledge chain,we do not make a significant impact on poverty alleviations.The purpose is to create capacity in both the countries in

building upon GRI-TK. Further, the goal is to extend thisexperience to other countries. Prof Liyan Zhang would sharethe experience of her students and faculty colleagues in scoutingand documentation meet at Nanjing Conference organised byAPCTT. If need be, we could also invite some students fromTUFE to share their experience at Nanjing conference. This isthe first major replication of Honey Bee approachinternationally and the results are very inspiring. Thetremendous interest shown by the CNNSF indicates the possiblescaling up of Asian cooperation with SRISTI and Honey BeeNetwork.

In the evening, we had a meeting with the team at ACTIONAID in Beijing. This is an NGO and has a network of 400other NGOs in China. They were very keen to get their entireteam trained in S&D of GRI-TK. Some of their senior colleagueswill attend the Nanjing conference at their own cost. ACTIONAID is very keen to mobilise their team to learn from peopleand highlight their creativity. They gave examples of groupsin Yunan province who have tried to document the knowledgeof local communities, particularly minorities about thebiodiversity and its uses. We also discussed the strategy toinvolve provincial officials, students and others in the activityover the dinner, arranged by ACTION AID.

A meeting was also held with the faculty and students and inparticular with Prof. Li Ninghui at Chinese Academy ofAgricultural Sciences (CAAS). They have done studies ontechnological change though not on people�s knowledgesystems per se. They had an interest in knowing more about


the APCTT project. I also was taken to the library, which wasmuch richer in international publications about agriculturalsciences rather than about knowledge of people of China inEnglish.

2. Report of Exploratory Visit to Malaysia (April 19-21, 2007)

I reached Kuala Lumpur at the mid night of April 19, 2007.Dr. Mat Rasol Awang, a very senior scientist at the MalaysianInstitute for Nuclear Technology Research (MINT), receivedme at the airport. Dr. M A Fatimah, Head of MINT was earlierlooking after innovations programme at MOSTI (Ministry ofScience, Technology and Innovations). While she had to goon tour, she had arranged for me to meet her entire team (M/s Mohd. Zaidan Kandan, Ahsanul Khaliqin, KhariruddinAbdul Rahim, Ahamad Sahali Mardi, Mohd Fofri Osman, MatRasol Awang, Ros Anita Ahmad Kamli and Salmah Moosa)the next day at 9.00 am dealing with documentation ofknowledge of plants used by indigenous people in a particularpart of the country. The purpose of the research was to findout such practices and/or plants, which could help in radiationtherapy or in improving the immune system of people exposedto radiation in nuclear research. This is a very forward lookingapproach, in some sense unique, about linking traditionalknowledge with modern science. I suggested to them thatthey should not disclose their research to me without my signingnon-disclosure agreement.

We had a detailed discussion on the Honey Bee Networkapproach, Prior Informed Consent, intellectual property rights,

relationship between private, community and public domainknowledge. If this meeting had not taken place, they wouldhave published all their findings in a book. I tried to persuadethem not to publish unique findings till the patents were filedon behalf of the local communities and knowledge holders. Itis expected that they would do the prior art search and separatethe unique knowledge. It was stressed that we, theprofessionals, did not have the God-given right to bringproprietary knowledge of people (individuals/communities)in public domain without their informed consent andprotecting their rights and acknowledging their identity. Inaddition, we also discussed as to how this research wouldbenefit the local community. The publication should also be intheir local language. Could they get an oral version on acassette or a CD for their own children?

Each of the interaction in China and Malaysia actually becamea kind of capacity building mini workshop for scouting,documentation and dissemination of GRI-TK. In the afternoonon 20th I had a detailed meeting with Dr. Hathija Bebe Bintiand her colleagues at MOSTI. They recalled my meetings withthem last year when I had spent three days at their invitationto help them develop a strategy for their 200 million RinggitInnovation Fund. In a very self-critical tone, they admittedthat they had not been able to generate many applicationsbased on community knowledge or their own initiatives andinnovations. Hardly eight projects were funded and that toomainly in the area of infrastructure for local communicationand development.

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They were very keen to organise workshops with largerparticipation of the civil society organisations, provincial staffand other stakeholders interested in the matter.

Dr. Rasol was very kind to invite me to his place and accompanyme at the airport next day. They had helped me in bookingthe hotel accommodation and meeting various people. Giventhe long distances, it was not possible to squeeze more meetingsthan the one I could have. But a good idea could be obtainedabout the ongoing efforts for scouting and documentation ofpeople�s knowledge and innovations. The meeting with Dr.Paul Quek could not take place because he had some hospitalappointment, so also with the SIRIM.

I returned India on April 22, 2007 AN and received veryencouraging mails from colleagues in Malaysia who found thediscussion very useful. Two of the colleagues would like tocome to India and spend time in SRISTI�s lab as well as otherlabs.

3. Report of Exploratory Visit to Indonesia (Sept 7-8, 2007):

After interactions with the team of the scientists and extensionworkers, we visited a farm machinery manufacturer who hadreceived many awards for developing grassroots innovations.He had developed different kinds of hullers, threshers and otherpost harvesting machines. He did not claim that most designswere original though many were. He was out of station theday we visited his workshop. But his office staff was very

cooperative in explaining different designs. He had a catalogueof machinery which was also showcased by the governmentin various exhibitions.

Later, we visited a wooden puppet maker who carved woodentoys and puppets based on mythical Mahabharat characters.Despite being Muslim, the harmonious spirit of the communitywas apparent from the nature of cultural artifacts made socreatively by the family of the artisan. One of the innovationsdone by him was to use a heated wire to create darkimpressions on the wood to make it appear as a feather. Insteadof using any colour, this wire was used to give different kindsof shading created by mild burning of the surface.

We visited an entrepreneur, Mr. Baedowy, who had developeda technology for crushing the plastic waste to develop various

kinds of brooms and other recycledproducts. What impressed us mostwas his willingness to share histechnology with anyone who wantedto learn. The openness of his feelingswas infectious. He had developedseveral improvements in the crusher

for ensuring smoother flow of waste and also for its propermelting so as to create high quality recycled products. He hadreceived many awards and was featured in many televisionand news reports. On his table, one could notice two Ganeshidols, symbolizing in his words, the gatekeepers of the goddessof wealth. Despite being Muslim, he had no hesitation inseeking blessings from Hindu gods. Such an assimilative


culture was an extraordinary experience for us. He had beenexporting his products to many countries besides selling themachine. He had started small but had achieved the successthrough his hard work. His wife had supported him all thiswhile. One way in which he overcame all the difficulties washis sense of humour. He is a good role model for thoseinnovators who have not yet become entrepreneurs.

The overall impression was that the process of identifyinggrassroots innovations had begun but a great deal remained tobe done. The distinction between traditional knowledge andinnovation was not very clear.

The most encouraging part was the enthusiasm of the teamwhich wanted to find out new methods of discoveringgrassroots innovators and giving them visibility andrecognition.

The discussions of the workshops may be able to stimulate moreinterest and involvement in the GRI. Time was too short tomake more in-depth investigation.

Report of Exploratory Visit to Philippines (October 19 � 20,2007)

Mr. Rozul, an entrepreneurial farmer was chosen for our firstfield visit to a village in Cavite. He had actually used a biomass fired coffee roasting machine developed by formal R&Dsystem. He had grown organic coffee and developed his ownbrand and packaging system. While coming back, we asked

whether he had tried any innovation on his own. His facebrightened and he mentioned that he had found a few plantsin his coffee garden which were natural cross between robustaand arabica coffee species. We went to his house to see thoseplants, which he and his wife had protected carefully, hopingto develop a naturally blended coffee. The officials who walkedwith us were impressed with this discovery, which was quiteaccidental for us. This conveyed a message that by little moreexploration, we can discover grassroots innovations.

Later, we visited a unit by Mr.Fernando Esguerra, MapagmahalFoods. He had grown organic fruits and vegetables andestablished a restaurant serving only such food creating marketfor niche products.

Mr. Erano had developed many innovative environmentaltechnologies including an Eranio Electronic Pre-CombustionAir Treatment Device, which reduced exhaust gases andimproved fuel efficiency in the automobile [http://www.alibaba.com/company/10938327.html].

He had also developed a mechanism to separate hydrogen andoxygen from water so as to use hydrogen as a fuel. In addition,there were many other improvements in the design of engines.His whole home was more a workshop than residence. Hewas expecting major orders from local city transport company.It was a bit ironical that despite his extremely creative ventures,he had to depend upon an expatriate entrepreneur fromSingapore for commercializing his technology.

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Next we visited a sweet making workshop by Ms.Janet (MotzFood Products) in which sweets were made by boiling pineapplejuice and sugar together to create a very attractive brown colourcandies. Every lady making the sweets had covered her hairsand was using gloves to maintain sanitation. There was noinnovation per se except using traditional knowledge in acreative way.

Various officials of PCIERD who accompanied us on the fieldvisit were very helpful in meeting creative people. In a way,the search for innovations had begun and it was expected thatthe workshop on GRI would give a fillip to the whole process.

Report of workshop on Grassroots Innovations in Sri Lanka

National Engineering Research and Development (NERD)Centre of Sri Lanka organised a two days workshop onGrassroots Innovations during September 17 � 18, 2007 atColombo. It was attended by participants from government,voluntary organisations, academic institutions and innovationpromotion groups. It was very encouraging to learn that theSri Lankan Minister for Science and Technology has set up acommittee on grassroots innovations to steer the activities inthe country. NERD Chairman is steering the committee.In the opening remarks, the Minister highlighted theimportance of grassroots innovations and felt that these couldhave a revolutionary impact on the development of Sri Lanka.He stressed that poverty gap was actually a technology gap.The notion that technology for larger social development couldbe imported from outside is largely misplaced. A very

encouraging and positive statement by the Hon�ble Minister ofScience and Technology, Government of Sri Lanka set the tonefor the workshop. He not only identified various steps beingtaken by the government to create countrywide awarenessabout the role of innovations, but also highlighted theimportance of encouraging grassroots innovations throughmulti level interventions. The application of ICTs for bothscouting as well as dissemination were also stressed as animportant part of the policy. The introductory remarks byAPCTT and SRISTI representatives were focused on providingthe larger context of the grassroots innovations and traditionalknowledge. The need for blending formal and informal sciencewas highlighted and the importance of building a nationalregister was underlined.

There were several presentations on traditional classicalmedicine as different from folkloric knowledge of people. Tothat extent, the workshop could not draw clear line betweenpeoples knowledge of contemporary origin vs. traditionalcodified classical knowledge such as ayurvedic system. It isimportant to distinguish the policy for grassroots innovationsand traditional knowledge from the research on classicalsystems of knowledge. One of the most impressive presentationswas on innovations by school children, which was beingrecognized and rewarded. This was a very promising initiativeof Sri Lankan government. The presentations on indigenoussoil and water conservation, agriculture and healing systemswere also highly appreciated. There is a considerable scopefor Honey Bee Network philosophy to be operationalised withnecessary modifications in Sri Lankan context.


Footnotes

1 Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is under the administration of StateAdministration of TCM and Pharmacology. TCM and its development areregulated. National strategies, law and regulations governing TCM are nowin place to guide and promote the research and development in this promisingindustry. Hopitals specializing in TCM are also available for m,edicalprescriptions in China. TCM is now available to 75% of the areas in China.(Source: http://www.index-china.com/index-english/TCM-s.html)

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Inaugural session

The workshop was attended by delegates2 from thirteencountries of Asia-Pacific region including Bangladesh, China,India, Iran, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Republicof Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, Nigeria, Brazil andUSA.

The APCTT representatives introduced the concept of theproject, supported by Department of Scientific and IndustrialResearch, Government of India, with SRISTI as knowledgepartner to replicate its experience of Honey Bee Network forscouting, documenting and disseminating grassrootsinnovations in Asian and Pacific regions. Government of Indiaattached considerable importance to sharing the uniqueexperience of Honey Bee Network and SRISTI, which had ledto setting up of National Innovation Foundation (NIF), GIAN(Grassroots Innovation Augmentation Network), etc. TheSRISTI representative highlighted the ethical foundation ofHoney Bee Network philosophy and assured fullest cooperation

to all the regional representatives in building their own nationalprogrammes for promoting grassroots innovations. Theexperience of the recent workshop at Tianjin University ofFinance and Economics (TUFE) was recalled in the context ofextraordinary beginning already made at TUFE for scoutingand documenting grassroots innovations.In fact, the Chinese experience demonstrated how theinvolvement of students could achieve much faster and effectiveprogress in this regard compared to any other method. TheChinese representatives were very happy to have hosted theconference and assured all cooperation in taking the projectforward.

Technical Session I

Grassroots Innovation (GRI): Institutional mechanisms,intellectual property and value chain development

Introduction to GRI Project and its planned activitiesDr. K. Ramanathan and Mr. N. Srinivasan, APCTT

Asia-Pacific Regional Workshop on Grassroots Innovation forSenior Policy-Makers1

Building Capacity for Scouting, Documentation, DatabaseDevelopment and Dissemination of Grassroots Innovation

Nanjing, China 04th-05th June 2007

11


The innovation funnel concept of Schilling, 2006 was discussedin the forum highlighting the struggle for success rates ofinnovations faced in the market on commercial terms. It wasobserved that when sources of innovation (that generate ideasfor the innovation funnel) are considered, often, individualsand communities possessing valuable traditional and localknowledge are ignored. GRIs can be product, process, orarchitectural innovations; they are not about achieving lowerprices but creating a new utility (performance/cost) paradigm.Successful commercialization of GRIs that can be scaled upfrom regional to global level may require partnerships withformal organizations. GRIs can enhance resource conservation,empower women, and foster social entrepreneurship.

Dr. Ramanathan drew attention to Prof. Anil Gupta�sexplanation of GRI as innovations by �people� and�communities� who do not have access to moderneducational systems, science and technology inputs, andother socioeconomic support from the formal system.

He then stated that national funnels like the National Inno-vation Foundation and SRISTIharness this very potential of the grassroots to initiate a processof development which has knowledge and creativity at thebase. While the need for a second phase of involvement ofpartner countries was identified by Dr. Ramanathan and MrSrinivasan, it was categorically emphasized that the currentworkshop would largely focus on the strategy for scouting,documentation, database development and dissemination ofGrassroots Innovations and Traditional Knowledge practices.

Findings of the study on institutional mechanisms forscouting and documentation of GRI in selected countriesProf. Anil K. Gupta, SRISTI

Prof.Gupta, President, SRISTI3, gave an overview of theorganization�s activities and its involvement with GRIs andTK. He shared the results of the desk study looking at GRIsand incubation experience in thirteen countries of the AsiaPacific. It was emphasized that most of the review literaturedoes not acknowledge the contribution of knowledge holderswho had been researched upon. He added that official scientificsystem has for so long believed in extraction of the knowledgeof rural people without acknowledgement, reciprocity andrecognition. This has to change. He mentioned that grassrootsinnovators are economically poor but rich in knowledge, valuesand ethics. The frontier of science could extend by new waysof thinking and approaches. He illustrated how some of thegrassroots innovations scouted and documented by Honey BeeNetwork when blended with formal sciences could generatenew concepts or applications found viable in the market place.A variety of a crop developed by a farmer (new variety ofpigeon pea with pink to red colour flower, not attracting thepests), coconut tree climber and innovative community practiceof using Salvadora in paddy nursery as a mulch crop, etc., wereonly a few examples of local creativity. It was discussed thatexistence of such creativity at grassroots is common in everycountry of the region but national institutions and networksare needed which could identify and support such talents.Questions about the scope of such innovations, their possibilityto excel in the market and attempts at bringing together the

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formal and the informal scientists were raised by the group.The reply to which were the real life success stories shared byProf Gupta. The consortium moved ahead with their discussionon the clause of �How to achieve what was exemplified�.

Prior Informed Consent (PIC) and Intellectual PropertyRights

Mr. David E. Martin, Battern Institute, University of VirginiaProf. Anil K. Gupta, SRISTI

The concept of Prior Informed Consent (PIC)4, its need, ethicsof SRISTI and Honey Bee network were explained. The HoneyBee network strongly believes in the right of people when itcomes to knowledge, a resource that they are extremely richin. Concept of PIC is practiced by National InnovationFoundation (NIF), India and SRISTI. Mr. PreedaYoungsuksathaporn, Department Manager, NationalInnovation Agency, Thailand added that PIC is part of civillaw and not Intellectual Property Laws of any country. Hence,in effect, PIC is not to protect the IPR but is a clause for thirdparty protection.

Grassroots innovations leverage a competitive advantage in thepresent day market. It was brought to the notice of the forumthat inherently green grassroots innovations resolve localconcerns with minimum ecological footprint. Numerousexamples were shared with the delegates to enumerate themarket potential of these innovations in the national and globalarena. It was emphasized that GRIs has immense potential to

influence the development of a country towards an inclusiveor harmonious growth curve.

Identification of originality and value chain development

Dr. Vipin Kumar, SRISTIMr. Mahesh Patel, GIAN

Dr. Vipin Kumar, SRISTI presented his case on the process ofidentifying the originality or novelty of specific form, featureor function of innovation and building value chain developmentof GRIs and TK. He explained that the originality of aknowledge practice is based on the factor of novelty in either/or material, method and product/use of knowledge. Heexplained the criteria for evaluation of originality/ novelty ofgrassroots innovations, and the process of marketbenchmarking as undertaken in SRISTI/NIF. Prior Art Searchabout the knowledge entry and Patent Search are useful tools/methods in this process. Dr Kumar explained the value chainfor herbal knowledge entries and the processes followed -detailed documentation, verification, field trials, laboratorytrials and linkages with formal institutions for validation, valueadditions in grassroots innovations. He also shared theincubation cycle of herbal products with the successful exampleof Herbavate � a cream to cure eczema made by pooling thebest practices of nine herbal healers from Gujarat andRajasthan in India.

The dissemination of innovation could take place throughmarket as well as non-market channels. The word of mouth


was a very powerful mechanism of spreading non-commercialisable as well as other innovations. The role ofnetworks such as Honey Bee Network was very crucial fordissemination.

Mr. Mahesh Patel, GIAN and Mr. L. Chinzah, NIF presented afew case studies of grassroots innovations and the incubationcycle undertaken in each case. Mr. Patel presented the casestudy of wonder variety of cardamom, which is droughtresistant, can be grown in lower attitude, is resistant to stemborer and has high demand in market. He presented thetechnological and market benchmarking process of �Chalakh� amango nipper, and a case study of social diffusion of modifiedhand pump. He also shared the case study of �Mitti Cool� - clayrefrigerator for storing water, vegetables, fruits etc. Mr. L.Chinzah explained the process of fabrication and incubationof Areca nut peeling machine developed by Mr. Uddhab K.Bharali who is a dropout from college.

Technical Session IIGrassroots Innovation: Evolution, scouting, documentationand database development

Evolution of local knowledge, innovations and practicesProf. Anil Gupta, SRISTIProfessor Gupta described the evolutionary process throughwhich public, private and community domain of knowledgeevolved. There were occasions when outsiders accessedproprietary knowledge of healers and brought in public domainwithout authorization or consent of the knowledge holders.

The generosity of local communities and individuals had oftenbeen misutilised.

Participants requested a definition for Grassroots Innovatorsor those knowledge holders eligible to garner support frominstitutions like NIF and SRISTI. Grassroots innovators weredefined as �individuals without professional education orbackgrounds who solved local problems on their own (unaided)without any outside institutional help. This precluded thetechnologies, which were induced by public or privateinstitutions, though for local development. The clear distinctionbetween endogenous and autonomous innovation at grassrootsand induced innovation was the point of origin and the processof development. The purpose of strengthening suchinnovations by individuals or groups was to reinforce the self-reliant capacity of every society at the community level. Therole of individuals was stressed only to highlight the process ofcreative dissent and diversity. The submission was not thatsuch individuals did not get inputs or support from their socialnetworks. Mr. Preeda Youngsuksathaporn inquired aboutprofessionals and the need to support their innovations. Thereis no doubt that innovations by professionals also neededsupport. But they obviously have access to formal institutionsand their professional networks which grassroots innovatorsmostly did not have. This project (a part of a longer term socialmovement) focused on strengthening national capacity to helpthe creative people in the unorganized sector. That did notmean that other creative people should not be helped. It isjust that the sharper focus of a programme could generatebetter results.

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The forum consequently discussed the lack of supportinginstitutions to augment grassroots innovations and hence theneed to develop structures and support mechanisms for it. ProfGupta pointed to the fact that the NIF does maintain a databaseof professional innovators but does not offer them anyincubation support. All professional entries are forwarded toCentre for Innovation, Incubation and Entrepreneurship,Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad or TePP(Technopreneurial Promotion Programme of Department ofScience and Technology and Department of Scientific andIndustrial Research) for further action and support. The HoneyBee Network hence is dedicated to the cause of knowledge ofthe grassroots, by the grassroots!

When it comes to financial support to Grassroots Innovations,it was highlighted that in no country at present, a mechanismof �micro-venture innovation fund� exists. There was a worldwide awareness of the micro finance movement but the conceptof micro venture finance had not yet become acceptable. Eitherit was assumed that there were no innovations at grassrootslevel which required risk capital for product development andcommercialization or the assumption was that suchinnovations could be scaled up without risk capital. Bothassumptions were not correct. The importance of suchinstitutions in fostering creativity of the grassroots wasemphasized and the existence of a venture innovation financefund existing with the NIF was shared. It was very differentfrom the classical venture funds which could only invest incompanies and not in individual unregistered enterprises. ThisMVIF fund primarily supported people under single signaturewho may not even have had a bank account.

Methodologies for documentation5

Mr. T J. James, NIF and SRISTI team

Different methodologies of scouting and documentationcurrently undertaken by SRISTI and NIF were presented. Thesewere identified as scouting through the network, using mediato invite innovations and promote them, Shodhyatra � the walkin search of knowledge, through students, through innovatorsthemselves, shodh sankal � farmers� club meetings, scanning ofold literature, documenting the knowledge of the centenarians,inviting applications or entries through the national biennialcampaigns, cultural fairs / exhibitions / Traditional foodfestivals, through women Self Help Groups, Fellowships toscouts, involving other institutions, etc. He emphasized thatthe primary level documentation of an innovation involvesdocumenting the minimum level of information which includesthe name of the innovator, his contact details, his educationand occupation, sources of income and annual income, theinnovation title, brief summary of the innovation, and othercomments, if any. This is to simplify the documentation processand facilitate an initial round of screening of the innovation/practice. Only those entries which are evaluated as eligibleentries are further pursued for detailed documentation. Also,the process of screening of an entry for incubation process andnational awards was discussed.

The design, development and management of databases of GRIsand TK was presented next by the SRISTI team. Various kindsof databases maintained at SRISTI and NIF, namely, national


registry, professional innovations, public domain knowledgeregister, common property institutional innovations, medicinalplants, prior art search, students� ideas and innovations, etc.The role of multi-media, multi-lingual database was emphasizedwhile identifying the need for overcoming the barriers oflanguage, literacy and localism. That means people should beable to learn in their mother tongue, even if they were illiterateand not only from local knowledge but also from externalknowledge base of other peoples� innovations. Such a databasestructure should facilitate collaborative work with experts,entrepreneurs, collaborators and mentors. It was outlined thatorganizing data and making it accessible is the first step ofadding value to grassroots innovations and traditionalknowledge practices.

The experience of Traditional Food Festival to disseminate theculinary creativity as well as other innovations was presentedby Hema Patel. She also discussed the experience of ShodhYatra (learning walk), recipe competition and other ways oflearning and sharing the knowledge of women, men andchildren. The involvement of organic food producers as wellas other innovators in fairs like these provides an opportunityto urban people to learn from them. It also creates market forinnovative products and generates feedback from users to theproducers. Lateral learning among the producers is an addedadvantage of such fairs and festivals.

Documentation of GRI and Traditional knowledge:Experiences of China

Prof. Zhang Liyan, Tianjin University of Finance and Economics

Prof. Liyan Zhang, Associate Professor, Tianjin University ofFinance and Economics, China, presented the scouting anddocumentation experience in China. Prof. Zhang had madetwo extended visits to IIMA and SRISTI to understand andlearn firsthand the process of scouting and documentation.This gave a head start to the process in China. An earlierproject supported by InfoDev had created the foundation forHoney Bee Network activities to take off in China.

Prof Zhang and her colleagues started the process of S&D bymobilizing some students at TUFE. The process was initiatedthrough training and educating students and faculty of theuniversity about grassroots innovations and traditionalknowledge. Prof Zhang received her training at SRISTI, Indiaand then facilitated the training of university members at TUFE,China. She shared in the forum that in the first level offieldwork, students visited farmers in different villages, learntabout their practices of agriculture and traditional wisdom.Prof. Zhang and her colleague Prof. Biyan also involved schoolchildren from urban areas in the process. So far, the team hasscouted 500 grassroots innovations, out of which six arecurrently under incubation.

Technical Session III

National Policies and Support Mechanisms: Presentation ofcountry papers

Mr. He Fuxiang, Director, Division for Strategic Studies andPolicy, Ministry of Science and Technology, China, made apresentation on China�s S&T System and Grassroots

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Innovations. His main focus was on National programmes onS&T in the country which mostly catered to formal sectorscientists and experts. He also discussed the strategy, policylegislations and regulation for GRI. Mr. Fuxiang expressedsupport for the cause of GRIs and TK and promoted networkingof organizations for the process along with the need to identifyproper incentives for grassroots innovations to flourish in thecountry.

In his presentation on �Financing innovations for the bottomof the pyramid market �, Dr. Aynampudi Subbarao, Advisor,DSIR, Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST),Government of India, shared different strategies andprogrammes of Govt. of India to support grassroots innovationsand traditional knowledge practices. He discussed thechallenges and opportunities in financing innovations for thecurrent market structure and gave examples of TechnoprenurePromotion Programme (TePP) Innovation Funnel. Dr Raoclearly identified the process of screening of innovation entrieswhich inadvertently decreases the number of innovations tobe incubated under the TePP assistance drastically. He addedthat innovations for BOP market require a distinct sub-nationalinnovation system with primary emphasis on creatively altering`price-performance� envelope. He felt that the large body ofindependent innovators can make a significant contributionin developing and marketing solutions for the problems thelocal population of a country faces. He further emphasizedthat only a network mode of operation can keep the transactioncosts involved lower while providing wide access and supportto such initiatives.

Dr. Akmadi Abbas from the Center for Appropriate TechnologyDevelopment, Indonesian Institute of Sciences, Indonesia,presented his case on �Grassroots Innovations in Indonesia�.Dr Abbas shared the Indonesian NIS and research andtechnology policies. He said that they have started severalprograms on creativity and community innovation (Krenomas)and teen scientific competition for Junior and Senior HighSchool. Apart from Government, different private bodies andNGOs are also actively organizing such programmes for S&Dof local innovations. He added that planned and integratedstructure and infra-structure utilization will help a lot inimplementing national and provincial innovation developmentsystem, including grassroots innovations.

Dr. (Ms.) Tahereh Miremadi, of Iran in her lecture on �Policyassessment of traditional knowledge and genetic resourceappreciation in Iran� highlighted the modern urban versestraditional village economy of Iran. In spite of this dualcharacter, Dr Miremadi pointed that Iran�s outstandingrichness of traditional knowledge still takes prominence. Shementioned that the Government of Iran is also active inprotecting and harnessing of knowledge through variouscampaigns. Keeping aside some limitations, she suggesteddifferent priority areas for capacity building. She focused onawareness building processes at different levels of communityinstitutions, facilitating a dialogue amongst relevant nationalinstitutions and stakeholders, strengthening administrativecapacities at national and local level, promoting exiting nationallegislations, removal of legislative gaps, immediate enforcement


of Laws, joining international and regional cooperation, andexisting multilateral, regional and international agreements.

Mr. Hamri Tuah, Principal Assistant Director, Ministry ofScience, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI), Malaysiapresented a general idea of grassroots innovations in Malaysia.Mr. Tuah discussed the national agenda, mission, plan andthe role of National Innovation Council of Malaysia in theprocess. He put forth that Innovation must be institutionalizedat national, enterprise and grassroots level. He added thatgrassroots innovation is one among the four categories ofrecognized innovations in Malaysia and these people canreceive the recently instituted National Innovation Award ofthe country, presented by the President. Mr. Tuah furthershared that it was only in the last two years that MOSTI hasbegun its work on grassroots innovations after Prof Anil KGupta introduced the idea to the institution in a similarworkshop. Though significant headway has not been achievedin the realm but the institution has begun to understand andfollow up the cause of grassroots innovations.

Prof. Mohan Bikram Gewali, Executive Director, ResearchCenter for Applied Science and Technology (RECAST), Nepal,presented the national policies and support mechanisms forgrassroots innovations in Nepal. Prof Gewali shared someinnovations from Nepal, to enumerate, four types of renewableenergy based drying systems, biofuel extraction, cooking stove,low cost housing material, natural products etc. He alsoexplained the Micro-Enterprise Development Program(MEDEP) undertaken in Nepal, and Institutions for

dissemination and demonstration of indigenous technology ofNepal. He further added that lack of coordination amonginstitutions, weak information technology infrastructure, poormarkets for product and limited finance are the majorchallenges. Networked approach as put forth by the HoneyBee network might just be the long awaited, right change inthe national strategy.

Following Prof Gewali, Dr. Muhammad Nawaz Khokkar,Senior Scientific Officer, Pakistan Council of Scientific andIndustrial Research, Pakistan presented the national policy andsupport mechanisms towards Innovations and creativity inPakistan. He explained that a successful innovation requires acontinual stream of new scientific, technological and businessideas. Dr Khokkar subsequently discussed the strategies andaction plan of Pakistan for furthering the cause of grassrootsinnovations.

In his presentation on �National Policies and InstitutionalMechanisms: Promotion of Grassroots innovations inPhilippines� Atty. Josephine R. Santiago, Director, TechnologyApplication and Promotion Institute (TAPI), DOST, Philippines,explained that traditional Knowledge and GRI must beconceptually understood by government for any work toproceed in the direction. He emphasized the need for theGovernment of Philippines to establish legal regimes for theprotection of GRIs and TK. He said that there is need foroutlining policy guidelines and framing proper procedures,mount advocacy campaigns with active involvement of regionaloffices of the state in coordination with other government

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institutions, industry, and academic institutions. This will helpin taking the cause of grassroots innovations and traditionalknowledge to greater heights.

Eng. Manikku Wadu Leelaratne, of Sri Lanka delivered apresentation on Policies and Institutional Mechanisms toPromote Grassroots Innovations in Sri Lanka. He said that atleast one percent of GDP shall be set aside for innovations. EngLeelarane shared various plans to promote S&T andinnovations at the micro level. He affirmed that the Sri Lankangovernment has taken policy initiatives to promote innovationsat all level throughout the country through its S&Tprogrammes.

In his presentation on �Thailand Grassroots Innovation:National Policies and Support Mechanisms�, Mr. PreedaYoungsuksathaporn, NIA, Thailand, supported the promotionof grassroots innovations. Mr. Preeda put forth that the mainpurpose to promote grassroots innovations are utilization oflocal resources and generation of extra income for the masses.He explained that Thai Grassroots innovations mostly originatefrom agriculture farms, belief in Buddhist philosophy andexperimental approach in real life. In his opinion, codification,verification, diffusion and upgrading are the major problemsin the applications of grassroots innovations. He discussed therole of Government, basic need of local products, supportmechanism and success factors in detail. He shared the lawfor the protection of GRI, and the three tier national innovationpromotion programme of Thailand. He showed somegrassroots innovations like organic soap, fish net machine,

spray machine, innovation garage. He put forth someinteresting questions like I) Can GRIs be competitive for thecountry? Or II) Can it �really� help with job creation andeconomic prosperity?

Mr. Tuyen Hoang Van, of Vietnam presented �GrassrootsInnovation for Sustainable Development in Vietnam�. Hediscussed the context, achievements and challenges,Government policies and Institutions concerning sustainabledevelopment (SD) and GRI. He shared the case studies of HanoiOrganics Products Company, Hung Thien Company and BaMoi organic grapes based on grassroots innovations. He addedthat Government recognizes the need for Scouting andDocumentation of GRIs and implements a number of policiesand institutional reform for Social Development (SD) andtransition process to organic food production in Vietnam.

Group Discussion

Dr. Ramanathan shared his views about the success of theworkshop and appreciated the interest and enthusiasm ofparticipants towards GRIs and TK. He believed that SRISTIunder the leadership of Prof. Anil K Gupta together withAPCTT would complete the project successfully and enter anew phase with broader objectives. The work of SRISTI, HoneyBee Network and Prof Anil K. Gupta towards protection ofgrassroots innovations and traditional knowledge wereacknowledged. He expressed his best wishes to all the resourcepersons and participants of the workshop. Dr. AS Rao of DSIR


also shared his view and thanked all participants/ delegatesof the workshop.

Finally, Prof Gupta concluded the workshop with apresentation on �Creativity counts, knowledge matters,innovations transform and incentives inspire�. He said goodethics makes good economics and efficient institutions. Lastlyhe shared the Tianjin declaration with the participants andannounced the Grassroots Innovation day on June 2nd (asproclaimed in the Global GIAN workshop on GrassrootsInnovations). He also encouraged Honey Bee network in locallanguages. Finally he expressed his sincere thanks to APCTTand Dr. Ramanathan for organizing such a wonderfulworkshop. He was thankful for active participation and interestof all delegates and resource persons. He added that this is notjust a project or activity, this is a mission of creating grassrootsinnovations movement and transforming scale, scope andspeed for matching aspirations of knowledge rich�economicallypoor people.

Conclusions and Recommendations

Some common observations by delegates in the workshopwere:-

1. The definition of Grassroots Innovation (GRI) and alsothe nomenclature vary in the Asia-Pacific countries, butin essence GRI includes those innovation by �people� and�communities� who do not have access to moderneducational system, science and technology and other

technology promotion services that are existing in acountry. These innovations are mainly developed to meetlocal challenges and for enhancing the quality of livingstandards of �people� and �communities�.

2. GRIs need not always be the output of TraditionalKnowledge (TK). They could be based on the productsand processes of modern S&T, but developed by �people�and �communities� by applying their own observations,knowledge and skills available locally.

3. To ensure equitable and inclusive development, and tobenefit from human, societal, cultural and traditionalknowledge, it is necessary for Governments to accordhigh priority in their policy measures and supportmechanisms for scouting, documenting, disseminatingand value-addition to GRIs.

More specifically, the participating countries strongly endorsedthe following:

a. GRI be promoted at all levels � schools, governmentdepartments, village and community heads andamong the �people�

b. The concept of Prior Informed Consent (PIC) mustbe promoted among the stakeholders of GRI,including local NGOs, women�s group andcommunities.

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c. A national regime of sui generis protection must beset up through legislation along with thesimultaneous development of a regional strategy forits protection

d. Awareness and advocacy programmes onprotection of TK and GRI must be implementednationally.

e. The dissemination approaches have to becustomized for communities. Thus, appropriatestrategies and methodologies for dissemination ofGRI must be developed after careful considerationand understanding the attributes of the targetgroups.

f. Governments may provide incentives to thecorporate and education sectors for nurturingGRI, including GRI in the curriculum of students,initiating national awards and celebrations,developing appropriate IPR policies to protect GRI,wherever required and ensuring benefits are sharedwith the innovators.

g. There should be cross-regional sharing/outsourcingof innovations (which might not be commerciallyapplicable but have some benefit to society). Thiscould help in solving problems of one region basedon GRIs from another.

h. Value could be added to information on GRI at thedocumentation stage by including information suchas the purpose of the innovation, details of theinnovator, areas of application, expected social andeconomic benefits/impact of innovation, andpotential to add value through modern science andtechnology.

i. The concept of micro-incubators/innovators atgrassroots may be promoted for value addition toGRI along with facilitating peer audit by fellowgrassroots knowledge holders to generate betterforms and improvements in innovations.

j. Governments have to develop mechanisms toprovide technical support through its establishedscience and technology systems to add value to GRIand enhance the packaging of final products.

k. Participating countries, while validating theactivities of the GRI project, implemented byAPCTT, also agreed to share informationconcerning GRI in their respective countries,including various scouting practices,documentation and dissemination methodologiesto promote regional cooperation. APCTT wouldplay a catalytic role in this effort and utilize itsInternet-based mechanisms for information sharing.


l. Among the member countries, Indonesia,Philippines, Sri Lanka and Vietnam agreed to hostand organize national workshops in cooperationwith APCTT to develop a road-map for scouting,documentation and dissemination of GRI in theirrespective countries.

(Footnotes)1 Organized byAsian and Pacific Centre for Transfer of Technology (APCTT)of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission forAsia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), New Delhi, India, NanjingMunicipal Science & Technology Bureau (NSTB), Nanjing,China, Nanjing Jianye District People�s Government, Nanjing,China.

Supported byNanjing Municipal People�s Government , Nanjing, China,Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), Beijing, China,Jiangsu Provincial Science & Technology Department, Nanjing,China, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research,Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India, NewDelhi, India.

Knowledge PartnerSociety for Research and Initiatives for Sustainable Technologyand Institution (SRISTI), Ahmedabad, India

2 Society for Research and Initiatives for Sustainable Technologyand Institution (SRISTI), Ahmedabad, India

3 PIC is a contract signed with the knowledge holdingcommunity or individual, seeking their permission.Documentation of knowledge and traditions from thegrassroots are often pursued by researchers in the academicarena. However, sharing of this knowledge, deriving benefitsof it or using it in various forms is often done without the consentof the actual knowledge holders/communities.5 The details are given in the background documents whichmay be referred for more elaborate discussion on each approachof scouting or documenting.

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Inaugural Session

Professor Anil k Gupta (President SRISTI and coordinator ofthe workshop) welcomed the participants. While discussingthe economic boom in the Asia Pacific region, he described thenext century as the Asian century. Despite the economicupturn, he regretted that this encouraging growth is notinclusive enough as the nature of demand generated in themarket place does not draw upon the skills and knowledge ofpeople belonging to the under privileged sections of ruralsociety. Indigenous and local communities in disadvantagedregions and sectors all across the world have been consistentlydenied the fair opportunities for inclusive growth. They havebeen overlooked in the process of growth. This also impliesthat critical gaps exist at the institutional level. The capacity ofthe institutions; structure of governance; the relevant criteriadefining the growth of a State; all of these aspects need to beaddressed.

Session IMechanisms of Scouting, Documentation andDissemination of Grassroots Innovations

Chair: Dr. K Ramanathan

Science and technology applications have made a significantdifference to the survival options of the underprivileged people.Technology has been able to display an equalizing effect amongvarious regions and classes within the country. For instance,mobile phones have connected places where landlines havefailed. Technology has brought about a leveling effect on theexisting inequalities in our societies and has positively impactedthe life chances of the underprivileged. Despite these, somegaps do exist which are not only technological but alsoinstitutional in nature.

This workshop aims to address the relationship betweentechnology and institutions; examine the kind of institutionswe design, develop, and create to meet different kind oftechnological gaps through endogenous innovations inconjunction with induced innovations. Prof. Gupta raisedseveral question such as: Will the emerging technologies servethe craftsmen and women and farming by offering low costsolutions? Will there be gaps between technology andinstitutions? And if so, how can we bridge these gaps? Citingthe instance of the strife ridden North Eastern region, Prof.

Workshop1 on Grassroots Innovation for Partner Institutions in SelectedAsia-Pacific CountriesAugust 16-17, 2007, at Ahmedabad, India

12


Gupta applauded its culture of communitarian spirit andcompassion borne out of it. The State by design is not equippedto cater to all the needs of every member of the society by itself.He also noted that negative externalities have been increasingin most societies putting heavy load on environmental capacityof any society to absorb the same. This was followed bydevelopment of participatory development approaches.

Mechanisms of Scouting and documentation of GRIsProf. Anil K. Gupta

Prof. Gupta held culture as pivotal to the entire process ofdevelopment of knowledge. Culture of creativity,communitarian spirit, and compassion, he explained, are borneout in the nature of technology a particular society develops.Creativity and culture cannot be observed in watertightcompartments. Knowledge is handed down throughgenerations and culture operates like an electronic circuitwithin which knowledge is honed. Culture provides the codethat in turn gives way for the technological inventions andinnovations. This is not an archival approach even though itmay be a part of the entire picture. The other aspect, ProfessorGupta, noted is that cultural identity must be respected whilescouting and documenting the knowledge and creativity ofinstitutions and communities. The Honey Bee Network has beentrying to constantly modify its approach. Students have to bemotivated to reach out more to the rural areas. Privileges oughtto be shared and this would need younger more privilegedpeople to be more compassionate. During the KashmirShodyatra no security arrangements were made for the

shodyatris. Therefore, trust becomes an important factor andso is a culture of transparency crucial to the entire process.

Dr. K. Ramanathan, APCTT, borrowing a phrase fromIndonesia�s late president Sukorno�s speech, discussed that intoday�s global setting the �revolution of rising expectations� shallalter the way the world actually lives. From the macro-levelperspective, a question arises that how can one meet thegrowing aspirations at all levels? Corporate entrepreneurshipmaximises profit and ensures a minimum level of social wellbeing. As opposed to this, social entrepreneurship maximisessocial well-being while ensuring a minimal level of financialprofits to maintain sustainability. Therefore, GrassrootsInnovations (GRI) provides a very elegant way of movingtowards social entrepreneurship. The United Nations seesgrassroots innovations as an important component ofdevelopment in all countries. This, according to Dr.Ramanathan was primarily the reason behind theirinvolvement in the cause.

Dr. Ramanathan stated that the workshop plays an importantrole in promoting grassroots innovation in the Asia Pacificregion. He said, �Technology transfer activities are animportant vehicle for socio-economic development. Here theAPCTT has a crucial role to play which is due to its corecompetence as a promoter of regional and inter-regionalcooperation in technology development. It has been activelyengaged in strengthening the technology transfer capabilitiesof member countries of the economic and social commissionfor Asia-Pacific region on promoting and strengthening

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networks of appropriate private institutions. He furtherelaborated that the current thrust of the center is on threeimportant areas: �technology transfer and support series forsmall and medium enterprises; capacity building in technologymanagement and innovation; and provision of information onimportant and emergent technologies.�

Prior Informed Consent (PIC) for grassroots innovationsand traditional knowledge

Mr. T.J James, National Innovation Foundation (NIF) andMr. Ramesh Patel, SRISTI

APCTT is implementing a project in the Asia Pacific region toensure an inclusive dimension in the center�s work intechnology management and innovation. For this APCTT hasreceived considerable support from the Government of India.The project highlights the process of social entrepreneurship.To promote inclusive development it is imperative to harnesslocal innovations of the laypersons. It is believed that theexperience gained by countries that are well advanced in theseareas, such as India, can provide inputs to other countrieswilling to pursuer similar initiatives by sharing theirexperiences. It was also noted that SRISTI will be APCTT�knowledge partner in this process.

Dr. Ramanathan further noted that in Nanjing, China, aregional meeting was held among senior policy makers of themember countries. At this meeting SRISTI took the lead to helppolicy makers of these member countries�, to gain valuable

insights into how we could develop and adopt a road map toscout and document, develop and disseminate GRI in the Asia-Pacific region. At this meeting, in accordance with the projectobjectives, four countries, mainly Indonesia, Philippines, SriLanka, and Vietnam offered to become major partners todevelop and adopt a road map to scout, document, anddisseminate GRI in their respective countries. The workshop isaimed at passing on to these four member countriesindependent and specialised knowledge on grassrootsinnovations. To assist these four partners to effectivelystrengthen their ability to scout, document and disseminateGRI. APCTT with the support of SRISTI will conduct a Nationalworkshop to disseminate this knowledge to larger audience ofnatural experts in each country.

Video clips of various innovations such as Appachan�s �TreeClimber�, �Washing Machine� by Remya Jose, �AmphibiousBicycle� by Md. Saidullah, and �coconut de-husker� were shownto the participants at the conference. Prof. Gupta noted thatboth the Chinese and the Indian society produced similar GRItechnologies in many areas. This might have been possiblebecause the needs of a particular segment of the society havebeen overlooked as none of the research institutions nor theagricultural department has come up with solutions cateringto those needs. Professor Gupta discussed innovations byfarmers including the development of local varieties of crops,the decrease in the level of pests by using non-chemical methods,and also the water management reducing need for irrigation.He also discussed the communitarian ethics underlying user


friendly and cost-effective technologies developed in Vietnamand Philippines.GRI, Professor Gupta, said emerge from the minds of peoplewho do not adapt to inertia for too long. Innovators search forsolutions as opposed to people who manage to live with aproblem. However, the former� products are not optimal andthere is usually a need for the formal scientific system tointervene. There are immense challenges in persuading scientiststo work on the innovations from the informal sector. However,there can be a possibility for a change in the former� attitude ifsociety puts pressure on the formal scientific sector and also ifquestions are raised at the legislative level.

On issues relating to the ethical foundation of scouting GRIwithout which the efforts to build a system of GRI within thecountry will not succeed, Prof. Gupta noted that there areseveral organizations which have failed to show results inscouting and mentoring innovations as their scouting processis guided by pure utilitarianism. It is imperative that the spiritof enquiry ought to be guided by an ethical concern. Anacceptable approach, according to Professor Gupta, is to initiallyshare knowledge and practices acquired from various otherregions ( that is disseminate first, scout later) and then followit by asking them to share their knowledge.

Elaborating on �social capital� Prof. Gupta said it includes trustand reciprocity. Reciprocity could be of two kinds: thegeneralized and the specific. In the case of the latter, accountsare settled in equally measured proportions. In case ofgeneralized reciprocity, there is an equivalence of the two

activities estimated in terms of the criticality of needs. He furtherelaborated upon the aspect of time. One must not think ofbuilding up relationships and therefore establishing aninnovation movement for a short period such as ten or fiveyears. In this context the investment involves an inter-generational period. He drove home the importance of planningout a long term agenda by citing the instance of the Japaneseeducational plan. In 1860s after Meiji Restoration, they hadembarked upon a 200 year education plan. It is not surprisingthat they were the first Asian country to become hundred percent literate by the turn of the century.

Likewise, for all developmental and sustainable purposes,the �reciprocity� has to be a long term project. �Knowledgesystems� Prof. Gupta said, need hooks to be hanged upon.These hooks are provided by institutional systems. Drawinginteresting comparisons, Professor described that technologyis like words, the basic building block, institutions are likegrammar and culture is like thesaurus. The latter generatesdiversity just as different rituals carry the same function.Not all knowledge holders are motivated by the same setof incentives. Prof. Gupta warned that it would bepresumptuous to imagine that all knowledge holders willdisclose their knowledge only if some incentives are providedto them. There is a possibility that the latter might feeloffended if dealt in terms of plain utilitarian logic. Orperhaps there are people for whom widespread disseminationof their knowledge is an incentive enough to make themwilling to disclose their knowledge. The portfolio ofincentives needs to be carefully examined: material and non-

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material, individual and collective. It also necessitates a setpolicy in place with allocated funds clearly stated for R andD, endowments, awards and benefits to the village.

On the aspect of empowering the community which hascontributed knowledge, Professor Gupta said, a culture ofinnovation needs to be established in our societies. People mustnot be dependent upon the state or the market. Innovation, hesaid, �is a process of being autonomous. A culture of innovationis a culture of autonomy and a culture of self-design whichpaves way for a culture of self-governance. While sharingbenefits in SRISTI, three cheques are shared with innovators,one earmarked for the individual, second for the communityand third for the nature otherwise the entire process will becomeunsustainable.

Professor Gupta stressed upon the fact that in the entire historyof civilization never before has so much of knowledge beenlost as was being lost in current times due to change in thefamily links. The purpose of the programme is to focus uponthe unorganized sections of society belonging to the lower endof the economic ladder. Besides, the practice of obscuring theinnovator from the public must be done away with totally.Traditional means of knowing is equally valuable as traditionalknowledge. The ways of feeling, knowing and doing aboutsomething should be its guiding philosophy. Then one can posithopes on the GRI movement to become successful.Professor Sudarshan Iyengar, Vice-Chancellor, GujaratVidyapeeth, Ahemedabad, spoke about modern man�s beliefon development. Human civilization is largely based upon the

Bacon�s principles of Philosophy. Scientific knowledge employsthe rational inductive methods of learning. It holds thateverything has to be proved beyond reasonable doubt outsideobservable objectives. According to this scientific method oflearning, secrets of nature have to be extracted like secretsextracted from a witch. This formed the bedrock upon whichrests the entire scientific philosophy of the western civilisation.This belief is diametrically opposed to the scientific beliefs ofChina and India. Scientific knowledge was not simply for thesake of living it was for the entire knowledge realm. In Westernparlance natural resources need to be extracted or exploited.In contrast to this, in Sanskrit, the word upayoga is employedto describe gains obtained from nature. This explains thebenevolent approach towards nature. Earlier, Prof. Iyenger hadspoken about the presumptions held by the mainstream society.The latter is oblivious of the marginalized sections of the society.There is also a need for a paradigm shift from the long heldview of the State as the �provider.� Rather, the State should beseen as a facilitator. The �top down� method has destroyed thenatural base. In the process of industrialisation the State actsas the biggest landlord. The present day� dominant philosophyis the top-down approach. It took forty years for India to realisethat the top-down approach by design is at fault and the statein itself is not equipped to help the entire populace. However,the gains made are not zero. But negative externalities of costsinvolved are immense. Viewed from another perspective, theidea of participatory development had already dawnedthrough SRISTI. There are societies that have been selfcapacitated. The past sixty years have revealed that thedeveloping countries have failed to attain the levels of the


developed countries. The scenario of the primary sector in thecountry shows that the worker�s dependency has notdecreased. About sixty percent of the workers engaged in theprimary sector contribute about twenty percent of the GDP.Prof. Iyenger discussed the mind, scientist and scientificdevelopment, and technology as one part of the brain;consumption demand as the other part. Unless these twoaspects are carefully balanced it might pose a problem. Thechallenges encountered by the poor in our societies on a dailybasis induce them to innovate and survive. . Quoting from thebhakti saint Kabir, Prof. Iyengar posited satisfaction as the mostvalued wealth among the poor in our society. This would bethe new mantra to make everyone become �rich.�

Prof. Anil Gupta discussed the methods to be employed forscouting. To survey the �odd balls� in both the urban as well asthe rural settings, undergraduate students ought to beencouraged for the purpose during summer vacation. Thiswould be a right fit because one, it involves less expenditure,two, the quest of knowledge among the younger age group ishigher than those with higher qualifications. Other reasonscited were that the undergraduate will be driven by intent of amission as opposed to a professional approach of those withhigher qualifications. For the purpose of scouting, Prof. Guptastressed on the need to be with the village community tounderstand the �rhythm of life.� This was particularly importantas he noted that out of the total entries received only a smallfraction, roughly fifteen percent, was by way of advertisementsuch as news paper coverage. In contrast to this a large marginof 85 per cent was from the efforts of volunteers.

Design, development and management of databases

Mr. Sandeep Sharma, NIF, Mr. Nilesh Jain and Ms. HemaPatel, SRISTI

Mr. Sandeep Sharma and Mr. Nilesh Jain delivered apresentation entitled �Design, Development & Managementof Databases.� In their presentation they discussed the databasedeveloped at the NIF; about internal and external clients; anddatabase management. The databases developed are the inward/ outward system; National Register of green grassrootsinnovations and traditional knowledge; separate category ofPKD (not part of NR). They also discussed database developedby SRISTI like kiosk database; plant database; and multilingualHB database. The search module was discussed briefly.

The National Register of Innovations and TraditionalKnowledge Practices is an electronic database of innovationsand outstanding traditional knowledge scouted by the NIF andHoney Bee network. The information is held confidential. It isexpected to support multi-language functions and multimediaoptions. The objective is to develop versions of the NationalRegister (NR) of Innovations and TK into local language; toprotect the IPRs of knowledge holders; to help in diffusion ofinnovations and traditional knowledge on a sectoral andregional basis to foster a culture of innovation. Finally, it alsoprovides an opportunity to scientists, technologists,entrepreneurs and investors to scan the NR for value additionor converting knowledge into possible enterprises for generating

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benefits for knowledge holders after signing the Non DisclosureAgreement (NDA).

The �plant database� maintains the database of those beneficialplants received by the NIF. It displays the vernacular andbotanical names, parts of plants, particular use, and references.It is helpful in Prior Art Search (PAS), literature search andidentifying new application areas. The �multi lingual database�available at sristi.org developed with the help of NISSAT, DST,GOI, has 4500 and above number of entries. It is available infour languages. It provides a user driven language selectionfor entry and viewing. Report Generation is offered in multilanguage.

Session IIDemonstration and hands-on training on design, use andmanagement of multilingual databasesChair: Mr. Hamri Tuah

In his presentation �ICT enabled Disseminations of GRIs,� Mr.Sandeep Sharma, discussed the possible methods ofdissemination. There are three ways of dissemination: social,commercial, and socio-commercial. Social dissemination fallsunder the category of technologies which irrespective of havingthe potential of widespread commercialisation, enhance socialwealth; improve people�s lifestyles; and facilitates sustainablealternatives for development; and constitutes open sourcetechnologies.

For commercial dissemination, the NIF facilitates incubation

of green grassroots innovations. It generates wealth for theinnovator, practitioners of traditional knowledge and thestakeholders. It covers five sets of activities: positioning, scoutingentrepreneurs, negotiating business opportunities, providinghand-holding support to new enterprises, and diffusion. Socio-commercial diffusion has high social impact but the drawbackis that some of the innovations have limited diffusion potentialthrough commercial channels. However within this categorythere are technologies that have a potential for a viable businessmodel.

Session IIIIncubation of Grassroots InnovationsChair: Prof. Anil K. Gupta

Some of the disseminating initiatives taken are by developmentof a multi-language, multimedia Honey Bee database that iscontributed by SRISTI to NIF; distribution of multimedia CDs;co-sponsorship of NIF on the portal www.indiainnovates.comwhich is developed by SRISTI and students of IIMA. Someother efforts made are entrepreneur, product, and mentorsearch; setting up of experimental village kiosk by HBN andknowledge partners across the country; and patentInformation. So far the NIF has received about 200 enquirieson grassroots products from over 30 countries across theworld. Some of the products that have been shipped areCoconut Tree Climber, Milking Machine, Garlic PeelingMachine, and Pomegranate deseeding machine. Some of thefuture strategies planned to further business sales are bydeveloping an online incubator, an online design platform,


technology exchange platform, colour code to measure levelsof dissemination, technology spread using GIS maps, paymentgateway for certain services and material, exhibition on wheelsand web marketing.

Session IVDemonstration and hands-on training on documentationof GRI and Prior Art SearchChair: Prof.Anil K Gupta

Mr. Arul George Scaria discussed �The Art of Prior ArtSearching.� He delivered a practical illustration on prior artsearch for both patent and non-patent databases. Describing�prior art� as encompassing all matters available to the publicbefore the date of innovation through written, oral descriptionor by any other form; he claimed prior art search (PAS) as ajourney for finding the �novelty� and �inventive step� of aninnovation. PAS is a navigator to identify the real scope of valueaddition, product development, and protection of intellectualproperty rights, business development, and diffusion of aninnovation through commercial or non commercial channels.A good PAS can help identify originality, relative uniquenessand comparative advantage of the innovation to InnovationManagers. Three important steps involved in PAS are one, toidentify the field of search, two, select the proper search tools,and finally, determine the appropriate search strategy. He alsogave a detailed introduction to various patent and non-patentdatabases and tools used for PAS.Mr Mahesh Patel, Chief Innovation Manager, GIAN, in hispresentation, �Grassroots to Global,� expounded the need to

have a better �web presence� to commercialise grassrootsinnovations. Currently an E-catalogue www.nifindia.org/bdcaters to the incubation requirement. It contains informationrelating to technology category and description, market (global)opportunities, application domain, cross sectoral application,technology status, IPR status, features, technical details, andinnovation profile.

Session V - Panel Discussion

Panelists: SRISTI, APCTT, GIAN, NIF, IIM (A), DSIR

There has been a considerable amount of interest generated bythese products worldwide. Out of hundreds of productenquiries from more than 65 countries across the world, only afew have been translated into sales. Constrains exists at severallevels. Location of DGFT Regional Export license offices in majorcities, such as Mumbai and Chennai, pose difficulties forinnovators located in remote places. It is cumbersome for theinnovator to undergo the process of export registration for afew trial pieces. Most export houses are unwilling to tie up forlack of critical mass, and therefore, NIF-GIAN has to resort tosmaller and relatively unreliable exporters. Some time therecould be mismatch between customer expectation in terms ofproduct features and what is being offered i.e. lack of real-market ready products.

Lack of understanding by innovators to deliver products intime and their tendency to experiment on product developmenteven for products made for a particular order contribute todelay some times. Added disadvantages are: Innovator�

117 GRI Project

unawareness about general export formalities such as packinglist; technical details; assembling and disassembling; and packaging.Lack of certification on innovations makes it impossible to exportto countries where import norms are stringent. IPR issues andfear of copy of simpler technologies; lack of purchasing powersin developing countries are a few other issues. The latter isparticularly true when the cost of technologies go up after logisticscost for export is incorporated. Other issues are: no guaranteeof a standardized product; lack of proper enterprise registrationby innovators thereby making it very hard to even make properinvoice and bills that customers may require; after sales serviceand maintenance issues in big machineries.

The presentation on �Value Addition to GrassrootsInnovations� was made by Dr Vipin, NC-VARD and Acting,CIO/CEO, NIF. He discussed the idea of pooling the local bestpractices and developing new products and also undertakingtest field trials. Initially SRISTI natural product Lab worked onproducing herbal pesticides and growth promoters, herbalveterinary medicines, and screening microbial diversity foranimal and human herbal medicines. It pooled the local bestpractices, performed prior art search, lab testing and finally todevelop new products. He explained the incubation process toevaluate its appropriateness and production, production andmarketing. He explained how a new grassroots innovationsbased formulation (Herbavate) came into market. He sharedthe formula of benefit sharing developed by SRISTI board inconsultation with grassroots innovators.Dr Ravikumar in the talk delivered on �Prior Art Search Reportfor a medicinal plant� explained the manner in which the plant

Tridax procumbens can cure the condition of �Retention ofPlacenta� in animals. Cows and sheeps occasionally suffer fromuterine inertia while expelling placenta after giving birth toyoung ones. The condition is termed as Retention of Placenta(ROP) when the placental mass is not delivered after 24 hours.Various properties of the plant like antibacterial, anti-protozoal,anti-viral, hepatoprotective, immunomodulatory, juvenilehormone and wound healing effects were discussed along withreferences from reviewed documents. The review clearlyindicates that the herb have a systemic impact upon the liver,immune system and endocrine action. Animals suffer from ROPdue to hormonal disturbances. Accordingly a hypothesis wasderived from the herb� role in endocrine metabolism. After a priorart search the lead obtained is held as potential and unique. Theplant needs to be probed further through validation trials.

Dr. Vivek, NIF, discussed the ideal pattern of documentingtraditional knowledge of human health and veterinarypractices. Documentation ought to follow a chronological orderbeginning with a brief introduction of the TraditionalKnowledge holder viz., name, gender, age, qualifications,profession and family background. This ought to be followedby a brief introduction of the village, community, socio-economic structure and major crops grown in the region.Documentation of the practice includes the followingcategories: medicine, human health and veterinary medicine;disease, local name and vernacular name; symptoms of thedisease; ingredients, single or multiple; plants (local name) andsample (herbarium), parts, ratio/ proportion, method ofpreparation, method of administration, dosage and finally


precautions. A brief account about the source of knowledge ofinnovator ought to be recorded. No of patients treated, timesince the patient has been treated, and the success rate.

For the Prior Art Search net search; databases through severalmediums (for eg: internal database, multi-lingual database, andNAPRALERT database); E-commerce websites; Publications /Books (Medicinal plants); Books (Ayurvedic text); internationaland national journals may be employed for the purpose.

In the entire process trust and control operate to check errorand quality of the system. Sometimes the entrepreneurialbenefits are shared with the scouts. At-times scouts haveemerged as social entrepreneurs. The former� potential as socialentrepreneurs has always been encouraged.

Session VI - Concluding SessionDr. K. Ramanathan, APCTT, Prof. Anil K. Gupta, SRISTI,NIF, GIAN

Speaking about the Honey Bee Network, Prof Gupta stated thatvolunteering opportunities are always open for the masses. TheHBN, interestingly has generated jobs within the NIF.Volunteering for the network is honourable, respectful, andchallenging despite offering none or little pecuniary benefits.For all these stated reasons recognizing and acknowledgingthe names of the volunteers becomes all the more important.Discussing the forthcoming Traditional Food Festival, Prof.Gupta said that the purpose was to create an urban demandfor organic food and such crop varieties which were underthreat of disappearance, and highlight their unique health

benefits where applicable. The aim of the festival is primarilyto generate awareness of food grown by various communitiesacross the country.

Finally, answering a few questions, Prof. Gupta explained thatthe centralised model of �lab to land� approach cannot developthe primary sector in a sustainable manner. Besides, size of thestate has no advantage towards furthering innovations. Smallerstates in India have produced better results in innovation. Ithas also been observed that �stress� has been an importantvariable in impacting innovation. Innovations, therefore, arenot generated by size; rather it is stress that has brought forthresults. High-stress regions such as highlands, deserts, and othersimilar ecologically stressed areas are to be kept in the screenof the scouting radar. Overlapping niches between twoecotones need to be kept in perspective while scouting. Ideasshould not be dismissed solely because causality has been provedincorrect. Functional explanation may be right irrespective ofcausal explanation. The latter can always be established afterresearch. Another significant suggestion made by Prof. Guptawas regarding innovations made during a period of crisis. Anatural calamity can generate valuable innovations and it iscrucial to monitor crisis-induced innovations.

Footnotes1 Organized byAsian and Pacific Centre for Transfer of Technology (APCTT) of the United NationsEconomic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), New Delhi,IndiaKnowledge Partner

Society for Research and Initiatives for Sustainable Technology and Institution(SRISTI), Ahmedabad, India, [email protected] www.sristi.org

119 GRI Project


Inaugural session

The workshop was attended by participants from government,voluntary organisations, academic institutions and innovationpromotion groups. It was very encouraging to learn that theSri Lankan Minister for Science and Technology has set up acommittee on grassroots innovations to steer the activities inthe country. NERD Chairman is steering the committee.

In the opening remarks, the Minister highlighted theimportance of grassroots innovations and felt that these couldhave a revolutionary impact on the development of Sri Lanka.He stressed that poverty gap was actually a technology gap.The notion that technology for larger social development couldbe imported from outside is largely misplaced. A veryencouraging and positive statement by the Hon�ble Minister ofScience and Technology, Government of Sri Lanka set the tonefor the workshop. He not only identified various steps beingtaken by the government to create countrywide awarenessabout the role of innovations, but also highlighted theimportance of encouraging grassroots innovations throughmulti level interventions. The applications of ICTs for both

Workshop1 on Grassroots innovation for partner institutionsin selected Asia-Pacific countries

September 17 – 18, 2007 at Colombo, Srilanka

scouting as well as dissemination were also stressed as animportant part of the policy. The introductory remarks byAPCTT and SRISTI representatives were focused on providingthe larger context of the grassroots innovations and traditionalknowledge. The need for blending formal and informal sciencewas highlighted and the importance of building a nationalregister was underlined.

Presentation by APCTT representatives including Dr.Ramanathan and Mr. Srinivasan described the genesis of theproject, role of SRISTI as its knowledge partner, support fromGovernment of India and long history of technologicaltransformation in Sri Lanka. Dr. Ramanathan recalled his ownassociation with various efforts towards early industrialisationin Sri Lanka and development of indigenous technologies forthe purpose. It was mentioned that GRI would play a crucialrole in making the development process more inclusive andharmonious. There was a case of close cooperation betweenSri Lanka, India and other countries in the region includingChina, Malaysia, Philippines, etc. He expressed hope that theworkshop would help in galvanising national resolve to mapthe creativity and innovation at community level so as to buildvalue chain around creative technologies.

13

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Technical session

Grassroots to Global: Prof. Gupta described the efforts ofNational Innovation Foundation (NIF) and Society for Researchand Initiatives for Sustainable Technologies and Institutions(SRISTI) in commercialising various technologies scoutedthrough the Honey Bee Network. He illustrated the processthrough which technologies have been commercialised indifferent parts of the world through web as well as direct queriesreceived from the potential buyers. However,commercialisation can take place only in a few cases. Largenumber of technologies is diffused through farmer to farmerin an open source manner. The concept of Prior InformedConsent (PIC) was explained for both traditional knowledgeand contemporary innovations.

The process of scouting and documenting knowledge,innovation and practices at grassroots level involves dealingwith private, community and public domains. The implicationof knowledge domains as distinct from property rights onresources was described next. Various methods of scoutingand documentation were presented so that a nation widemovement can be mounted with the help of students, localofficials, civil society actors and others.

He also discussed the precaution to be taken while sourcingknowledge and attributing the credits. The boundary betweenindividual and collective traditional knowledge are not alwaysvery clear. When in doubt, it was suggested that communityshould be given the credit.

Mr. Ranathunga described the efforts of National InventorsCommission, Department of Intellectual Property Rights andNational Committee on Grassroots Innovations in promotingGRI in Sri Lanka. He particularly referred to the efforts forrecognising junior inventor of the year. He acknowledged thatmany innovators were dissatisfied with the support given bystate, private sector and S&T institutions. He admitted thatscientific community many times did not fully appreciate thelimitation innovators had to either explain the logic of theirinnovations or to demonstrate complete functionality. Becauseof the historical exploitation, innovators had a generate distrusttowards the formal institutions.

He raised many questions such as:

- How to scout for innovations- How to pick winners- How to communicate failures without offending- How to deal with those unwilling to disclose- How to deal with those who seek only money and no

technical assistance- How to convince scientists & engineers that all inventions

are not understood through conventional wisdom- How to deal with those who claim technologies without a

novel step and which are already available- What kind of assistance that could be given to possible

winners- Design & engineering support for innovators- Financial support for manufacturing- Commercialization & marketing support


- IPR support- How to help those who want government support to

fabricate/manufacture and prove the validity? How tomotivate Angle investors, Venture capitalists, Joint venturepartners, Bank, NGOs, and potential licensee of patentsto become more empathetic towards grassroots innovators

At the end he talked about innovations which were furtherdeveloped and improved by NERDC such as corn seed remover,double acting water pump, bath room grater, developed teafilter, LPG Indicator, bulb remover, ground nut husk remover,coin counting machine, mini metal crusher, wall polisher, andland mine remover.

Mr. Leelaratne, General Manager, NERDC mentioned that inthe election manifesto of the ruling party it was acknowledgedthat under development in the field of science and technologywas one of the reasons for economic backwardness.Government is planning to increase the allocation towards S&Tby one per cent in the coming year.

A three year technology transfer programme was introducedin 2005 under VIDATHA viz., �Gamata Thakshanaya� thevillages) to close the gap between the urban and rural areas.By May 2007 more than 196 VIDATHA Resource Centres(VRC) had been set up. Sri Lanka Inventors Commission (SLIC)was set up in 1997 to encourage inventions and theircommercialisation in Sri Lanka. They promote inventions atall levels. More than 1400 inventors circles had been set up invarious schools. District level invention exhibitions are

organised besides participation in International YoungInventors Exhibition. President also gives awards under thescheme.

Given below are some of the innovations that were developedunder this scheme.

· Corn Seed Remover· Peanut Peeling Machine· LP Gas Indicator· Coin Counting Machine· Bulb Remover/Fixer· � Kohila� Cutter· Safety Kerosene Lamp· Rotty Making Machine· Candle Powered Polythene Sealer· Landmine Remover· Fertilizing Device· Mini Metal Crusher· Improved Bathroom Grater· Motorised �Kurakkan� Seed Remover· Wall Polisher· �Kurakkan Seed Remover· Double Acting Water Pump· Improved Tea Filter· Coconut Scraper Cum Squeezer· Folding Chair with a Bag· Efficient String Hopper Making Machine· Efficient Fruit Cutting Device· Wheel Barrow with Front Operated Tipper· Grain Fanning Device

123 GRI Project

Mr. Leelaratne added �Institution of Engineers, Sri Lankaorganizes an annual Junior Inventor of the Year (JIY)competition to promote grassroots innovations. The idea wasto stimulate young creative minded and talented innovators atschool level. The competition is open to all school children.Winners are awarded Gold, Silver and Bronze medals withcash prices, and merits awards for those who�s innovationsdeserve recognition. In addition, special awards are presentedto schools, which have produced these award winners. Theseawards are presented at the annual conference of the institutionin front of a distinguished audience.�

Conclusion and References________________________________________________________________________Chinese Experience

Dr. Liyan Zhang shared Chinese experience about GRI. Shefelt that GRI was very important for development ofharmonious society. New entrepreneurship was emerging.She drew attention to the fact that most grassroots innovatorswas very generous and shared their knowledge very openly.While it helped in diffusion, they did not get much benefit outof it. She felt that there should be a way of promoting diffusionand at the same time, generating benefits for the innovators.She also felt that youth could be involved in the process as ascout, disseminator and in some cases, for value addition.

Malaysian experience:

Mr. Hamri, MOSTI explained how Malaysian economy had

transformed from agriculture, to manufacturing and nowmoved towards knowledge based economy. He described thatthe national innovation system focused on creative thinking,life long learning, accessibility and affordability and variousother incentives for promotion of innovations.

Some In-roads have been made in Malaysia�s NIS�s like settingup or initiating Knowledge Institutes, HR DevelopmentProgramme, SME Training Programme, MSC InnovationCentre, Cyber cities National Rollout, MSC Malaysia Status,R&D Tax Incentives, SMI Development Corporation ACT 1995,Cyber lawsNational Biotechnology Policy, National ICT Policy, BumiputraIndustrial Fund, MOSTI Funding Schemes, New EntrepreneurFund and Venture Capital. He said that at the same timeMalaysia�s NIS needs to be customized to her culture, valuesand eco-system.

Dr Prakash began his presentation by asking the audience asto whether there can be any global approach to GRI as till dateit has been local in scale. He said even the language poses aproblem as the format of discourse is often oral or written bothof which are done in their native tongues. He added thatdecentralized nature of Honey Bee network is a model forconsideration as it has a regional base along with an informal,non- hierarchical approach. It publishes its newsletter in sixregional languages. The network has always been participatoryin nature and has tried to involve all stake holders. Heelaborated as to why it is important to scout and documentGRI & TK. He discussed as to how GRI provide constant source


of learning, encouragement of knowledge networking amongdisadvantaged sections, empowering local communities andindividuals, linkages with modern Science, creating a traditionand culture of innovation.

There were several presentations on traditional classicalmedicine as different from folkloric knowledge of people. Tothat extent, the workshop could not draw clear line betweenpeoples knowledge of contemporary origin vs. traditionalcodified classical knowledge such as ayurvedic system. It isimportant to distinguish the policy for grassroots innovationsand traditional knowledge from the research on classicalsystems of knowledge. One of the most impressivepresentations was on innovations by school children, whichwas being recognized and rewarded. This was a very promisinginitiative of Sri Lankan government. The presentations onindigenous soil and water conservation, agriculture and healingsystems were also highly appreciated. There is a considerablescope for Honey Bee Network philosophy to be operationalisedwith necessary modifications in Sri Lankan context.

Footnotes

1 Organized by: Asian and Pacific Centre for Transfer of Technology (APCTT)of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and thePacific (UNESCAP), New Delhi, India, Knowledge Partner: Society for Researchand Initiatives for Sustainable Technology and Institution (SRISTI),Ahmedabad, India, [email protected], www.sristi.org. National EngineeringResearch and Development (NERD) Centre of Sri Lanka organised a twodays workshop on Grassroots Innovations during September 17 � 18, 2007 atColombo.

125 GRI Project

Inaugural Session

Atty. Josephine R. Santiago, Director, Technology Applicationand promotion Institute welcomed the participants andexpressed hope that workshop will help in building the capacityin the country in the field of scouting, documenting anddisseminating grassroots innovations. Prof. Fortunato T. DelaPena, Undersecretary, DoST, Govt. of Philippines, talked aboutthe initiatives of DoST in Philippines and the inclusion of GRIsin the economic and technological growth of the country. Dr.K Ramanathan, Head, APCTT acknowledged the support byGovernment of India for the project and appreciated thecontribution of SRISTI, which had shown a way for theinclusion of GRIs and TKs into the National Innovation Scheme(NIS). As a Knowledge partner, SRISTI�s experience could bereplicated in other countries of the Asian Pacific region. Thiswhole project was conceptualized and implemented with aview of involving GRIs and TKs into the NIS of countries in theAsian Pacific region for technological and economic growth.The first workshop involving policy makers of member countrieswas held at Nanjing in China. The result of the workshop was

that a few countries were identified and the next phase ofhaving national workshops in those selected countries finalized.The countries selected were Indonesia, India, Philippines, SriLanka, Vietnam and Thailand. A National workshop has beenheld in Sri Lanka. Philippines is the next country where thisworkshop is being held. Workshops as per the project wouldbe held next in Indonesia, Vietnam and India.

Technical Session I

The Concept of GRI: Its Relevance in Today�s GlobalSetting and International Trends and PracticesDr. K. Ramanathan, APCTT, Mr. N. Srinivasan, APCTT

Dr. K. Ramanathan and Mr. N. Srinivasan (APCTT) discussedthe framework of national innovations system andacknowledged the gap in the conventional understandingwhich excluded the role of GRIs. They also stressed the needfor including GRI so that growth process can become moreinclusive.

Philippines National Workshop on Grassroots Innovation (GRI)1

University Hotel, University of Philippines, Diliman,Quezon City, Manila, Philippines

17th-18th October 2007

14


Mr. L. Chinzah discussed the evolution of various institutionsbeginning with SRISTI, GIAN and NIF as a part of Honey BeeNetwork. He explained all the five functions, which constitutethe value chain around GRI. Beginning with scouting anddocumentation (S&D), scope is identified for value additionand R&D (VARD), protecting the intellectual property rights(IPR), explore the scope of business development (BD) andpossible investments for micro venture innovation fund (MVIF).Many of these innovations need to be disseminated using ICTapplications or otherwise (IT & D).

After showing various videos of grassroots innovations, heillustrated the potential of innovations through some casestudies. The role of recognition by Hon�ble President of Indiain various award functions of NIF was highlighted in boostingthe morale of grassroots innovators. It is important that thelinkage between GRI and formal science and technology isdeveloped so that wider dissemination of value addedtechnologies can be facilitated. The experience of Honey BeeNetwork in providing various kinds of incentives (monetaryor non-monetary) for individuals and groups was highlighted.

The Concept of GRI: Opportunities and ChallengesProf. Anil K. Gupta, SRISTI

Prof. Anil K. Gupta explained the Prior Informed Consent andIPR issues related to GRI. He talked about the definition ofGrassroots innovations. The role of GRIs in making the societymore inclusive and harmonious was stressed. Many times,

grassroots innovators were very generous and shared theirknowledge without any hesitation. It did not mean that theformal system should exploit the generosity of knowledgeproviders. He mentioned that the drivers of growth in variousemerging economies around the world were capital-intensiveenterprises. The small and tiny enterprises provided most ofthe jobs. But, this sector of economy is not proving to be verycompetitive because of lack of innovation. GRIs can help ingeneration of jobs through knowledge-based enterprises.Discussion then moved further about the various methods ofscouting, which can be summarized in points as follows:

1) Students in their holidays can be engaged for scouting�odd balls� or �crazy� people.

2) Competitions can be held at various levels for scoutinginnovators

3) The experience of Shodh Yatra can be replicated so thatinnovators and traditional knowledge holders can notonly be scouted but also honoured at their doorstep.This helps in raising their esteem.

4) Traditional Food Festivals and recipe competitions canhelp in scouting culinary creativity and encourageorganic cultivation. The knowledge about nutraceuticalscan be uncovered and taken up for further valueaddition.

5) Journalists can be involved in scouting of innovations6) He also gave some examples of grassroots innovations

from various countries including India and highlightedthe need for promoting people to people learning inAsian Pacific and other countries. The example of

127 GRI Project

Kanak Das and his innovative cycle which harnessedenergy normally dissipated through shock absorbers forpropelling the cycle was particularly appreciated by theparticipants. Similarly, the innovation of Check Damof Bhanjibhai Mathukia, food cooker using pressurizedair by Duraiswami, and Bullet Santi (multi purposeagricultural implement driven by motorcycle) byMansukhbhai Jagani also generated lot of interest amongthe participants..

Prof Gupta also talked about the two forms of incentives viz.material (monetary rewards) and non-material (recognition),which can be given as reward to individual innovators and forcommunity practices.

Prior Informed Consent and IPR IssuesProf. Anil K. Gupta, SRISTI

Defining the operational concept of PIC, an experiment first ofits kind in the world, Prof Gupta explained its variousimplications and the IPR issues involved. The Convention ofBiological Diversity does deal with PIC but its operational formhas not been experimented by many social science institutions.In medical science, before undertaking certain kinds of tests orsurgeries, the tradition of taking the informed consent of thepatient and/or her wards is well established. But when wecollect knowledge from people, such a courtesy is often notshown by the outsiders to the knowledge holders. Honey BeeNetwork takes PIC from all those innovators/TK holders

whose knowledge is found to be distinctive and not in publicdomain already. It is not a legal but a civil contract. Theexplanatory note provides the implications of saying yes or nodo various options given in the PIC form. There are separateforms for grassroots innovators and TK holders. A separatecontract is entered into while facilitating technology transferand benefit sharing among different stakeholders. The formuladeveloped by SRISTI in consultation with grassroots innovatorsfor sharing benefits was presented. The Honey Bee Networkfacilitates incubation of innovations and TKs as per thepermission granted by the innovator or knowledge holder inthe PIC. Majority of innovations are in public domain but forsome, patents are filed within and outside the country.

Some of the questions posed and statements put forth in thissession were:

1) Partial Vs. full disclosure in the PIC form, what isthe advantage in each? Prof. Gupta answered thatwhen we decide for commercialization partialdisclosure is the right option. It was suggested fromthe audience that this option could be a form of tradesecret.

2) What if we apply for initial publication ofknowledge, what is the merit over patent and canwe lay claim on it if someone files patent for it? Prof.Gupta answered that as against patent, publicationsdo not give one any right to have proprietarycommercialization rights which can only be coveredby filing patent. He also added that some countries


consider oral knowledge in the society as valid forpreventing any claim in patent applications, whichcan be anticipated, by such knowledge. In thatsense, the entire oral knowledge becomes prior art.One has to be careful because if such is the case,then people will have no right and their knowledgecan be used without any compensation. Such aninterpretation needs to be challenged.

3) Sometimes smart people take old ideas modifyinginto new and file patents and claim originality. Thereshould be definite laws and legislatures to cater tothis problem and grey area. Prof Gupta mentionedtwo possible ways as solutions; one, knowing fullywell that prior art exist but not disclosed. This iswillful non-disclosure and can be used to revokepatent. Second, to allow longer grace period topermit original inventors to make their prior claims.

4) Ms. Atty Santiago stated that in Philippines theremedy is to file first to get patent. Within eighteenmonths of filing, the application has to be publishedafter which there is one year grace period. Thismakes room even for marginal grassroots people toidentify or challenge the claim. If proven that priorart exist then the patent is cancelled.

Technical Session II

Philippines National Laws and Policies on GRIAtty. Ms. J. Santiago, Director, TAPI, DOSTAtty. Josephine R. Santiago (Director, TAPI, DoST, Govt. of

Philippines) discussed the Philippines laws and policies onGrassroots Innovations. He explained that the focus so farwas mainly in supporting formal sector technologies. However,government was conscious of the need to bring informalinnovations in the fold of national policy and institutions.Considerable work has started particularly for farmers�innovations.

Presentation of Success Story/ Sample of GRI

Agriculture SectorSuccess Story/ Sample of GRI

In the presentation of success story/sample of GRI �beyondworm control in Goats: Experiences of the ILRI AFAD Tag443project in farming communities�, Ms. Anna Marie talked aboutthe participatory approach to goat rearing that was initiatedin 2001 in collaboration between ILRI and IFAD. At that timethere was a huge supply and demand gap due to high mortalityrate among goats being reared through �free ranging� byfarmers; the problem was the mortality due to worms andinbreeding. The project was for three years and at the end ofthree years the objectives were to:

1. Introduce innovative and sustainable option for goatrearing

2. Test their applicability to farming systems in Philippines3. Assist farmers generate the best mix of options for goat

worm control based on adaptabilities to their resources,capabilities and conditions

129 GRI Project

Initially a basket of options were offered to the goat rearers.1. Antihelmentic plants2. Pens with stilts3. Goat feeds

With active participation from the farmers, at the end of theproject period an optimum mix of sustainable option wasevolved which included new designs of pens as against freeranging, compartments in pens, mix of medicinal plants etc.

This was an experience in which institutional R&D systeminvolves the farmers in developing technologies. It was not anexample of grassroots innovations being valorized formalsystem.

Food SectorSuccess Story/ Sample of GRI

Dr. Almanzor talked about the intervention of his departmentin scaling up various traditional knowledge or practices withmodern science and technology to come up with more efficientways of food processing. The examples cited were in thefollowing:

1. Accelerated vinegar production2. Smoked fish production3. Calamansi food production4. Muscovado processing

Local Inventions success story/sample of GRI

Local innovator Mr. Florencio S. Marcelo of Rizal, presentedhis unique innovation called �Sakatos� an agricultural safetyshoes that he developed for poor farmers using old tubes ofautomobile tyres. He shared the problems of local farmers andfishermen not able to safeguard their bare feet against sharpstones, corals, broken glasses, tin can, shells and snakes in therice fields. After injuring himself by stepping on the dead shellof a �golden kuhol� he came up with the shoes and boots fromthe used tyre tubes.

Mr. Marcelo also shared information on the business he hasgenerated from manufacturing and sales of his �Sakatos�. Hesays that he currently employs three workers for making threeboots per day, which sells at 350 pesos per piece and each bootlast approximately two years. Selling is being done directly withno other intermediary in the supply chain. His answer to thelack of demand was given with an analogy of motorcyclehelmets; everyone requires it but for some reason not everyoneuses it.This was an excellent example of local innovation, which waslanguishing for want of institutional support. There is a needto provide handholding support to such innovator cumentrepreneur so that they can scale up their activities.

Open Forum

In the open forum the following questions were raised anddiscussed:


1. The confectionary industry in Philippines is highlyunorganized, non-standardized without lack of anytechnical knowledge. Although there is a huge potentialmarket. What is the solution to it? Market research hasalso shown that there is seasonal variation in ingredientsand that ingredients are also very expensive.

Prof. Gupta suggested that utilizing traditionalknowledge for confectionary sector might enhance theirappeal so as to result in better marketability. Specificbrands have to be developed which highlight thelocalness of the recipe. In some cases, these could evenbe promoted as nutraceuticals. He gave the examplesof initiatives taken on this front in Indonesia. He alsoillustrated how several unique products that the HoneyBee Network has promoted such as bamboo seedspudding and �sherbet� made of cactus flowers, done verywell in Traditional Food Festivals, organized at IIMAcampus. He also recommended that some things whichare known in traditional knowledge to have somespecial property like �Moringa� (which has somemedicinal property) can also be mixed as an ingredientto enhance value.

2. The idea of Grassroots innovations as a part of publicpolicy is generally absent in most countries of the regioneven though it is accepted that in general people wouldlike to innovate. Basically people do not know how toscale up their innovations; even if they innovate it willbe in the sense of �one product/innovation wonder�.

Maybe crash courses can be inculcated into schoolprogrammes. Prof. Gupta suggested (a) it is not truethat most innovators are single product based. Manyare serial innovators. Not all of their innovations maybe equally effective. (b) Innovations can also beinduced. He then gave some examples of inducedinnovations among students and some innovators inIndia, like the pulley with stopper, which happened asa result of challenges of real practical problems posedby the Honey Bee Network. (c) The fact that manyinnovators are school dropouts suggests thatinnovations need not be developed only by educatedpeople. The need for encouraging children to thinkcreatively cannot be minimized. The experience of onthe spot workshop in a school in Malaysia for triggeringnew ideas was narrated as an example of inducedinnovation. It can be taken forward.

3. A question was posed about the general structure ofthe National database maintained at the NationalInnovation Foundation in India. The answer given wasthat when innovations are sent to the NationalInnovation Foundation they are ether registered asaccepted or exploratory or rejected. If Innovations comeform the formal sector they are then forwarded to theTePP of Dept. of Science and Technology, Govt. of India.

4. It was felt that since the value chain involves manyfunctions/domains for any innovation and has to passthrough Scouting and documentation, IPR, Value

131 GRI Project

addition, Diffusion etc. there has to be one institute alsoin Philippines which can handle the entire value chain.Without this grassroots innovations will be left hangingand passed from one scientific institute to another witha lot of time lags and bottlenecks, without properdelivery.

Prof Gupta answered that the model of the NationalInnovation Foundation can also be replicated in thePhilippines through direct adoption or withmodifications to suit local requirements. It can be createdwithout a statutory order but a simple executive orderin the same way that NIF was created. However forproper governance the Governing board can berepresented like NIF, which has several of its membersbeing from various bodies of the Govt. of India like theDST, DSIR, Dept. of Agriculture, and Ministry ofFinance etc.

5. A question was asked whether significant numbers ofGrassroots innovations have been implementedsuccessfully in India. It was answered that a sizeablenumber has been implemented but in proportion to thenumber of entries that are lying in the national database,the number of implemented projects is negligible. Thereare various bottlenecks, a major one being that entriesreceived by NIF often have very limited documentation.This impedes the process of prior art search. Withoutsuch prior art search reports, neither value addition canbe taken up nor small time entrepreneurs can beengaged for potential technology licensing.

6. It was suggested by Prof. Gupta that the patent systemin India also needs to evolve so that innovations, whichreduce cost, wastage, energy consumption can bepromoted widely for use by the society. In response tothe statement given above, a question was posedwhether the Honey Bee Networkworks outside thenational patent system. As a reply Prof. Gupta gave theanswer that the Honey Bee Networkworks both withinthe patent system viz. by filing patents for grassrootsinnovators, and out of the patent system through the�Prior Informed Consent�, which is a civil contractbetween the National Innovation Foundation andgrassroots knowledge holder so as not to misuse theirknowledge.

7. It was also suggested that for the Philippines toduplicate the innovation movement in the country andmaybe come up with an institute to cater to suchrequirements, it would be really efficient if the NationalInnovation Foundation shares policies, strategies, etc.It was informed that NIF follows a transparent systemand all such information are posted on its website(www.nif.org.in). Other information not available onthe website has already been shared with the Dept. ofScience and Technology, Govt. of Philippines. HoneyBee Network, SRISTI and all its partners including NIFare committed to share all of their experience with othercountries in the region without any hesitation orlimitation. SRISTI has set up AASTIIK (Academy forAugmenting Sustainable Technological Inventions,


Innovations and Traditional Knowledge), which willbe happy to help in capacity building in the region.

8. A question was asked whether Grassroots innovationsare applicable to common people and whether theseaddress the gaps identified by the local academicianswho may have done need assessment surveys amongthe local communities. A policy has to be framed in thecountry so that local academia can also be involved. Itwas suggested that though grassroots innovations arefrom the common people, academicians can be involvedfor prior art search and value addition. For exampleprofessors from various Universities are involved ascollaborators in the Honey Bee Network India. Alsograssroots innovations can also have applications in theformal sector viz. the innovation of ribbed tawa (fryingpan) that can be applied to industrial boilers for makingthem more energy efficient.

9. For the question raised as to whether the database ofthe National Innovation Foundation has any status forlegal protection, the answer given was no. It is more ofa civil contact between the Foundation and theknowledge holder. A proposal (INSTAR) was given bythe Honey Bee Network to WIPO in 1993 to include thedatabase for awarding patent protection. RecentlyWIPO has agreed to host the PKD database of NIF sothat patent offices can have restricted access to thedatabase, on the terms given by the Honeybee network,for looking up prior art when considering awardingpatents to any patent application.

TECHNICAL SESSION � III

GRI in Malaysia: Policies and practicesMr. Peter Brian, Innovation and Commercialisation Division,Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI),Govt. of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

MOSTI has developed an innovation fund to supportinnovations in formal sector as well as at the community level.Prof. Gupta had visited MOSTI to help in thinking through theideas for increasing the flow of applications. The governmenthas elaborate plans to include creative ideas of variouscommunities particularly from the disadvantaged regions inthe national developmental plans. It is hoped that momentumfor supporting grassroots innovations will pick up in years tocome.GRI in China: Policies and practicesProf. Liyan Zhang, Tianjin university of Finance and Economics,Tianjin, China

Prof. Liyan gave an excellent presentation about the GRI inChina by giving some examples like bicycle Plough, bicyclefertilization tool, motorcycle plough, amphibian car, tool forseparating beans from stones, etc. She talked how thegovernment is supporting the cause of GRI in China byestablishing funds specifically for the purpose of innovationaid. In 2006, the first 39 grassroots innovations were supported.The same year, Shenzhen government released a series ofpolicies for grassroots innovation, including a special fund ofRMB 5 million for grassroots innovation aid. A special place

133 GRI Project

was given to the individual innovators in 2006 Shenzhen high-tech products exhibition. In Chengdu, local governmentprovided intellectual property exhibit to individual innovators,free of charge.

Among the helps from governments to peasants� innovations,some are organized and systematic, while some others are givenon a case by case situation.

In 2005, Wang Heng, a peasant from Shanxi province, wonthe second award of National Science and Technology ProgressAward. In 2006, another grassroots innovator from Henanprovince, Li Guanqi achieved the same prize for his innovationin bean fabric development. Some grassroots innovators wererewarded locally.

Farmers� own initiative

Grassroots innovators came to realize the necessity of settingup organizations to protect their patents and market andcommercialize their innovations and thus they have startedtheir own initiatives. The society is involved through thesupport from the international agencies, contribution of themedia and the participation of non-government organizations.

Governments get involved in all kinds of activities, onlydifferent in the depth, timing and reason. Currently, the GRIpractices and even the policies are decentralized. Activitiesorganized by grassroots innovators, without governmentsupport, usually end up as failure. Unfortunately, at present

many activities designed to promote grassroots innovations arerandom, unsystematic and unsustainable. Our survey showsthat most peasants don�t feel that support from government isadequate. In a special time and social environment, for somespecific innovators and innovation projects, governmentinvolvement indeed promotes the activities, but thisinvolvement has to be well organized and systematic. Thereare three parties sequentially involved with the GRI practicesin China: grassroots innovators�government�society; orgrassroots innovators�society�government. Academicinfluence is the direct reason for preferential national policiesand more aids.

Commercialization of GRI: Experiences of NationalInnovation Foundation (NIF), IndiaMr. L. Chinzah, National Coordinator, Business Development,NIF

Mr. L. Chinzah talked about the following issues in hispresentation

1) The incubation process/chain in the Honeybee network.2) Student clubs (SCAI) being formed at various technical

institutes for augmentation of grassroots innovations.3) Business plan competitions and other diffusion plan

competitions like �DISHA�, �PRATYANCHA�, and�SAAKAR�.

4) The online efforts being pursued by NIF for widerdissemination of grassroots innovations


5) Different types of licensing; covering manufacturing andmarketing and whether exclusive or non exclusive. Somecases of technology licensing were presented. There waslot of interest in these cases because these showed thecomplete transition of an idea to a product and then toenterprise.

6) The Micro Venture Innovation Fund (MVIF) schemethough which risk capital is given to grassroots innovators

7) The various bottlenecks that arise when incubatinggrassroots innovations like lack of funds for undertakinglab testing, clinical trials, product development etc. Lackof mentors, dispersed nature of innovations and hightransaction costs were some of the reasons which affectedthe conversion of innovations into enterprise.

8) Videos and brief profile were shared of a few innovationsthat have been commercially successful like garlic peelingmachine, multi crop thresher, cotton stripper, growthpromoter, milking machine etc.

9) The various enquiries from the international market andthe details about various innovative products that havebeen sent abroad were also shared with the audience.

TECHNICAL SESSION � IV

Establishing Regional-University-Industry Linkages forScouting, Documenting and Disseminating GRIsPanel Discussants: APCTT, SRISTI, DOST, NEDA, NCCA,NICP

The participants were divided into three groups having about

15 members each. Each of the three groups was given a separatetopic for discussion viz. scouting, documentation anddissemination. Following issues were discussed:

Group 1: Scouting

Scouting protocol1) Disclose the purpose of scouting and ensure complete

acknowledgement of their knowledge2) Organise walk through in the villages3) Seek permission from the local leaders4) Ask profile of the community/barangay (socio-

economic), human resources5) Presence of barangay official during the walk through6) List of elders especially in tribal areas, ethnic groups7) When we get there show the nature of activities

something tangible: brochure, list of activities8) Don�t make promises9) Accidental scouting- take note, take pictures with

permission, report to head office and then plan outthe approach

10) Students � request to list down artifacts andtechnologies developed in their area or by folks intheir area (to go through protocol)

IdentificationMulti level awareness should be created through contestsand festivals, personal interviews and communityconsultation. Community consent could be asked if aninnovation is community based. Forums could be conductedfor the same.

135 GRI Project

Issues:Funds to finance scouting activities (for those who will doscouting), Compilation of publications � who will lead,scouting skills can be developed.

Recommendations/Action plansNational network of GRI to be lead by TAPI � develop anational program for GRI; submit existing publications toDOST, Each institution to do advocacy on GRI , SUC � ride-on activity with existing programs, Government institutions� include GRI in proposals, Local government � introduceGRI and create awareness during the orientation ofbarangay officials (after the barangay election), Advocacy byreligious organizations, social/civic organizations.

Group 2: Documentation

Issues/Problems- Exposure/ awareness on GRI.- Documentation/no documentation, no grp office

mandated to document GRI- Unorganized/unsystematic documentation of GRI.- GRI are ignored/belittled/ dismissed.- Requirements/purpose for documentation, forms /

contents of documentation and how to document.- Need for funds and proper training.- no existing policy and mandate for documentation/

protection of indigenous knowledge.

Recommendations- Re education, re-orientation.

- Identify the office to undertake the documentation,stakeholder and program.

- Identify the policies, rules and regulations as stated inthe constitution.

- Promotion of GRI through mainstreaming.- Customize the language, using local documenter, to

create rapport between documenters and grassrootinnovators.

- Promotion and feedback.Action PlanGRI Week Proclamation, IEC/ Advocacy, Fund Sourcing,SRISTI Consultancy, benchmarking Activities, PrepareMOU, MOA, CHED Linkages on documentation by region,DOST S&T Centre,

Group 3: Dissemination group

Issues:� Barriers on language/dialects (eight dialects in

Philippines)� Methods of Dissemination� Network and Linkages� Financial Constraint

Recommendations� Brochures, magazine that are produced in eight dialects

can be distributed on major island clusters� Community radio, participation in exhibits.� GRI workshops done at the national and regional level.� Using NGOs, Academics, Innovators, students as scout

and disseminators.


� Allotment of budget for dissemination process bygovernment.

� Local Business Corporations can be tapped.� Tap the micro finance group/institutions.

Action plan� Creation of GRI Council, Executive and Working

Committee.� Assign GRI teams that will involved DOST, SUCs, LGU

at the regional level.� Clustering of Visayas, Luzon, NCR, Mindanao.� GRI Workshops at regional cluster and national level.� Sustaining the National Database for GRIs.� Tapping of existing consortium at the regional level.

Open forum

Panelists:Prof. Liyan Zhang (TUFE, Tianjin, China), Mr. L. Chinzah(NIF, India), Mr. Srinivasan (APCTT), Ms. Atty. Josephine R.Santiago (TAPI, Govt. Of Philippines)

Some of the questions raised in the open forum and answeredby the panelists were:-

1) When to start with students?At the level of High school, since one is not starting tooearly or too late at this stage

2) What is the difference between Innovation andInvention?

Mr. L. Chinzah described inventions as such things thatare being brought into a tangible form first time in whichthese have never existed before. Innovations areincremental improvements in existing forms, which maygive significant advantage in terms of cost, feature orproductivity etc. At the same time miniaturization orjust scaling up is not an innovation.

3) How many innovations or tk in NIF�s database havebeen commercialized?Mr. L. Chinzah told that though a lot of technologytransfers have taken place and a lot of ventures havebeen funded though its �MVIF� scheme, several of theseinitiatives have also failed in the market. Taking all casesof innovations being successful in the market, whetherat a micro level or relatively on a bigger scale, thenumber of successful cases is around 75. This excludeshundreds of technologies which have diffused fromfarmer to farmer through word of mouth withoutcommercial intervention from outside.The mostsuccessful innovator entrepreneur has been Mr.Mansukbhai Patel (cotton stripper) who earns revenueof about Rs. one crore ( about 300k usd) per year fromcommercialization of his innovation.

4) How do Universities in China play active role in theaugmentation of Grassroots Innovations?Prof. Liyan Zhang answered that Chinese Universitiesare the ones who are taking up the first step inaugmentation of grassroots universities in China. Tostart with, the Chinese Innovation Network (CHIN) has

137 GRI Project

replicated the Honeybee model in China and hasscouted over five hundred innovations till date. Aboutfive of them are in the process of technology licensingto business houses at present.

5) What is the link between APCTT and Honey Beenetwork?Mr. Srinivasan explained that APCTT is an UnitedNations body whose objective is to facilitate technologytransfer across the Asian Pacific region. The workshopis a part of a project for incorporating grassrootsinnovations into national innovation systems for whichSRISTI has been roped in as a knowledge partner. DSIR,Govt. of India is the funding agency for the project.Another member commented that India and Chinabeing the upcoming world superpowers it is importantto borrow their models and incorporate GRIs in Nationalpolicies of Philippines.


Before the closing of the workshop an open question sessionwas briefly held. Question was raised as to what action plancan be taken by members present who are already working indifferent agencies. Should it be in individual capacities ornetworking as in NIF/Honey Bee Network ? It was suggestedthat each one could act as personal advocates of GRIs.

Some of the members doubted whether such a meeting willtake place again due to the dispersed nature of the locations of

the various stakeholders, considering that Philippines is anArchipelago. It was suggested that the GRI workshops at thenational level could be followed at regional levels with regularcorrespondences through e-mails etc., and feedbacks can beshared across the different regions through regional leaders.An interdisciplinary steering committee for the same could beformed with eight members in TAPI itself with membersrepresented in their institutional and individual capacities.Such champions can always include GRIs in any conferencesthat may come up. In the same way GRIs can be advocatedamong scientists and various policy makers.

The Level of energy was extremely high as compared to otherworkshops. GRI has always been present in various parts ofthe world. Systematic approach to put them together has beenlacking in the past. Even after documentation a big challengecomes in the way for coming up with the facility for hostingthe database. A national Database is required whereingrassroots innovations can be pooled. The fact that in theworkshop representations from Governemnt agencies, womencouncil, inventor groups, IPR, S & T were present is a goodsign as each has a specific role to play in the value chain.However, one important fact that has to be kept in mind isthat the groups who work at grassroots are most important;they are the eyes, hands and voice of creative people.- A big challenge is who do you sent these innovations to

till there is a formal way?- To start with, innovations and practice scouted in

Philippines should be shared among farmers and peoplefrom the margins.


- Contribution of stories can also be done to the Honeybeenewsletter, which will give visibility to Philippines GRIs.

- Letter to all VCs in the Universities for bringing studentsto the network, should also be sent.

- Attempt should be made to reach out to people from allwalks of life.

- To start the formal process can Election to the Warangkai,be incorporated in the agenda for institutionalizing?

With positive interaction and feedbacks and a model in place,the task would be easier for the Grassroots innovationsmovement to spread in the Philippines by taking all therecommendations seriously.

Footnotes

1 Organized by· Asian and Pacific Centre for Transfer of Technology

(APCTT) of the United Nations Economic andSocial Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP),New Delhi, India

· Technology Application and Promotion Institute (TAPI),DOST

· Philippines Council for Industry and Energy Research andDevelopment (PCIERD), DOST

Supported by· Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Government

of Philippines· Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR),

Ministry of Science and Technology,

Government of India, New Delhi, India

Knowledge Partner· Society for Research and Initiatives for Sustainable

Technology and Institution (SRISTI),Ahmedabad, India

139 GRI Project

Inaugural session

After welcoming the participants, Prof. Ganjar Kurnia - Rectorof UNPAD said that Grassroots Innovations (GRI) are thestrength of a nation. Prof. Dr. Umar Anggara Jenie - Director,LIPI agreed with him and felt that formal institutions have toplay a greater role in strengthening the GRI for communitydevelopment in the country. Prof. Nurpilihan Bafdal�UNPAD,in his keynote speech said that GRI accommodates valuablesources of ideas at the local and community levels with veryhigh potential for local development. The utilization of GRIcan enhance resource conservation, empower women, andfoster social entrepreneurship thereby involving both formaland informal sectors. He said that there should be an institutionfor accommodating and distributing the GRI for local, regionalas well international needs. Research institutes, universities,private business organizations can provide the necessarysupport in this regard.

Concept of GRI and its Increasing Relevance in Today�sGlobal Setting

Dr. K. Ramanathan and Mr. N. Srinivasan - APCTT

�Dr. K. Ramanathan, Head of APCTT explained the conceptof the �innovation funnel.� He explained how the quantity ofqualitative ideas flowing into the funnel can be enhanced byincluding GRIs thereby increasing the chances of successfuloutcomes. He emphasized the need for mechanisms andtechniques to identify and support innovations, in the funnel,that have the potential for successful commercial and socialapplications. This requires experience and good capacity atvarious institutional levels for networking, progress monitoring,and engaging in regional and international partnerships. Theimportance of ensuring good flow of information betweenindividuals, organizations,and R&D institutes was alsostressed. Mr. Srinivasan added that the National InnovationSystem in a country should accommodate GRI so that theinnovative and productive efforts of communities andindividuals could be harnessed. The high commitment level

Workshop1 on Promotion of Grassroots Innovations inAsian Countries Bandung, Indonesia

6th - 7th November 2007

15


shown by the Government of the Republic of Korea in thisregard was cited and the need for all ministries to work togetherto avoid duplication and overlapping was emphasized. He alsoexplained how the current GRI project being implemented byAPCTT was linked to APCTT�s efforts in promoting technologytransfer through regional and sub-regional networking,technology capacity building, promotion and management ofinnovation, and providing technology information services.�

Technical Session I

Grassroots Innovation: Opportunities and ChallengesProf. Anil K. Gupta

Prof. Anil K. Gupta elaborated on the experience of GRI inIndia as they began to be noticed over last two decades.. Hesaid that the Honey Bee network is facilitating the sharing ofideas and best practices in harnessing the potential of GRIs.He also focused on methods of scouting, documentation,database development, and dissemination of GRIs. Prof. Guptaexplained the implementation of GRIs promotion by SRISTI.He explained the three elements in social capital ( trust,reciprocity and third party sanctions) which are important foran institution to acquire legitimacy in order to successfullysearch knowledge, innovations and practices at grassroots.Unless people trust us that their knowledge, ideas andinnovations would be given due respect and justice be done tothe same and would not be exploited, they are unlikely to sharetheir best ideas. He brought forth the point that if any NGO oragency or an individual uses people�s knowledge without

disclosing them the detailed information about the transactionor not acknowledging their knowledge rights, then such aresponse is neither ethical nor fair and just.

Prof. Gupta presented the various approaches to scoutingwhich involves extensive fieldwork to search for experimentersand knowledge experts in local communities. He said thatscouting and documentation of GRI�s becomes significantlyimportant as the world�s paradigm moves towards de-materialization - or knowledge has more value than materials.He told several ways of scouting such as:

- Survey of Odd Balls through students in rural and semi-urban settings.

- Organizing local, regional and National Competitions andCampaign for scouting GRI�s and TK (traditionalknowledge).

- �Journey for exploration� or Shodh Yatra which involvesa biennial exercise of walking through the villages andtown for a week or ten days.

- Shodh Sankal - a local chain or network of grassrootsinnovators, tradition knowledge holders and othersinterested in learning about the same.

- Traditional food festivals: to share and seek culinarycreativity and also create incentives for conservation ofagro-biodiversity by creating market demand for localknowledge and resource based recipes.

- Electronic submission of entries through email or othersuch virtual networks.

141 GRI Project

- Agricultural, Cultural Fairs and Exhibitions.

- Scouting through Media, volunteers or scanning of OldLiterature

- Scouting through women self help groups

- Including scouting in course curricula and thus involvingstudents in scouting as a part of course work

Value addition to GRI: a Case StudyDr. Vipin Kumar, SRISTI

Dr. Vipin Kumar explained the concept of value chaindevelopment around grassroots innovations. He also discussedthe process of evaluating novelty through determination oforiginality and identification of original practices, incubationprocess to evaluate its appropriateness for production, andmarketing. He gave some examples of successful incubationof GRI�s in India like biological control agents and health drinks.

Policies and Government Commitment for the Improvementof GRIDr. Mesdin Simamarta - Bappenas

Dr Simamarta informed that Science and technology has beenconsidered as a main driver to national economy. Indonesia isnot new to Grassroots Innovation. Institutions such as LIPI,BPPT and Universities have conducted various programs for

developing grassroots technology. However, a strategic andorchestrate effort to promote GRI as a national potency stilllacks. Steps should be taken by developing a good database ofGRI and GRI�s scouting and other related efforts.

Indonesia also has an established IPR system, although thepopularity of IPR application is not as good as in other ASEANcountries. The system actually is ready to serve the people,however, it still needs to accommodate specific condition ofgrassroot innovation; since people, especially at the grassrootlevel are unfamiliar with IPR. The Government of Indonesia isstill looking for suitable rules and regulations that willaccommodate and benefit GRI.

GRI Improvement on Processing of Plastic WasteBaedowi - Majestic Buana Group

Mr. Baedowy from Indonesia is an living example thatconfirmed the existence of Grassroots Innovation. Hisdetermination to win at his own terms has been the biggestsource of motivation to develop his business on Plastic WasteRecycling. After eight years of struggle, he now deserves to becalled as an expert on plastic waste processing machineries,plastic waste processing. He did the business development ofraw material, management, marketing, enterprise networkdevelopment. To establish a plastic waste recycling business,he said, one has to master the appropriate technology, marketand business.


Technical Session II

GRI in China: Policies and PracticesProf. Liyan Zhang, Tianjin University, China

Prof. Liyan Zhang mentioned that Government of China incollaboration with Tianjin University of Finance and Economicshas recognized that Grassroots Innovation is beneficial forbuilding a harmonious society and villages for institutionalinnovation and local socioeconomic development. She alsodiscussed the required policies and practices related to GRI.She said that incentives be given to grassroot innovators(national and local levels). She talked about the strategies topromote GRI. It could be done through exhibition or directsupport, involving media through publishing the stories aboutGRI in newspaper, magazine, TV, internet, etc.

She stressed on involving students and teachers in scouting,dissemination, organizing, coordinating and modifying GRI.She said that student and teacher are knowledge receiver andgiver. This give and take principle can work best with GRI�s aswell.

GRI in Philippines: Policies and PracticesRaul C. Sabularse, Dept. of Science and Technology, Philippines

Mr. Raul C. Sabularse, Dept. of Science and Technology,Philippines said that GRI in Philippines is considered as one ofthe methods to solve problems related to technology needs atthe grassroots level. Until now, Philippines Nationaldevelopment still focuses on the use of high technology. To

accommodate GRI, the Government has established aninstitution to manage and take care of GRI products, includingregulation of genetic resources. This is done throughcollaboration with the people with the involvement of a localleader. Government also provides protection for GRI. Theinnovation is recorded and conserved through documentationand dissemination. This gives an insight into the communitycreativity , therefore, encouraging the commercialization of theGRI products.

He shared various government initiatives on GRI, throughpolicies on IPR protection, documentation & registration, accessto genetic resources and benefit sharing. He explained howGRIs, e.g. traditional medical products, seaweed products, andherbals etc., were supported by Department of Science andTechnology (DOST) programs in collaboration with R & Dinstitutes. He said that private business companies havesupported the commercialization of prototype development andpilot scale production for various technologies.

He emphasized the need of seminars/workshops with theobjectives:- to bring togther various stakeholders (formal and informal

sectors)

- to exchange knowledge to promote awareness andrecognition of GRIs

- to identify appropriate mechanism and strategies forformulating and implementing action plan for GRI supportprogram

143 GRI Project

- to establish national network for scouting, documentationand dissemination of GRIs.

He said that government should draw attention toward GRIs,and provide policy guidelines and procedures in related toGRIs. He said that DOST with other government institutions,industry and academician can take lead as the coordinator.


Indonesian Government appreciates GRI in different ways,such as competitions in several fields such as competition foryoung innovators for High School students conduct byDepartment of Education, for Junior and High School studentsconduct by LIPI in collaboration with Department ofEducation, competition of technology for rural energyconducted in local area by Department of Energy incollaboration with local Government (District level) and thereare others activities in local areas, conducted separately withno coordination and no well documentation and recognition.

However following suggestions were made to furtherstrengthen the existing system:-

To promote policym in related to GRI:

- need for tools supporting GRI, through review of policiesalready applied in Indonesia

- strategy to support GRI through collaboration with bigcompany or private business, such as ��foster fathermechanism� to commercialize GRI products. This

mechanism will motivate and act as an incentive for theinnovators. This way GRI�s would come forth to registertheir innovations

- convince the government in promoting the conservationof specific or unique commodities in local area by involvingthe community and also document the uniquecharacteristics of these commodities and the procedure inconserving it

Increasing human capacity building in relating with extension ofsocialization of the GRI:

- Policy tool: Presidential Decree Jan 2007 on EmpoweringCommunity�s Technologies specified by the Ministry ofEconomic and Finance helped in establishing Centre forNational Innovation to accommodate innovations fromformal and informal sectors. Its main task is to empowercommunity technologies. The Centre is working in synergywith other government organizations. This Centre can takethe lead or be the coordinator for GRI.

- To increase the role of the centre to promote and distributeGRIs, capacity building still needed to increase theircapacity in managing GRIs. It is planned that the centrewill be open for public and everyone can get access to thecentre

- Need intermediary institute to bridge the need of thecommunity at grassroots level or other R & D institutes tothe highest policy makers


Footnotes1

Organized byAsian and Pacific Centre for Transfer of Technology(APCTT) of the United Nations Economic and SocialCommission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), NewDelhi, India

Knowledge PartnerSociety for Research and Initiatives for SustainableTechnology and Institution (SRISTI), Ahmedabad, India,[email protected]

145 GRI Project

Inaugural Session

The Vice President of the City Council of the Tianjin, Presidentof Tianjin University of Finance and Economics (TUFE) andmany other distinguished members of the Community Partyof China and the city and University administration joined theinaugural session of the final conference of the project. One ofthe highlights of the occasion was the inauguration of the TWINcenter on Grassroots innovations with one part at TUFE andanother at SRISTI, Ahmedabad. It was hoped that this centerwill help in cementing the on going cooperation between twoinstitutions and through them, between the two civilizationssocieties on learning from each other. There is no reason whenpeople in different parts of the world struggle from similarproblem, they should also have to invent individual solutionsindependently without any input from each other.Opportunities for Lateral learning, so rampant in Internet age,have not become accessible to local communities. This is thefounding premise of Honey Bee network. Already, manyexamples have been found such as of cycle based ploughs andamphibious cars or boats in both the countries, which are

similar response to similar problems. The responsibility of TwinCenter, it was mentioned was not just to address the needs ofthe people of two countries but address the technological needsof the whole developing world in general and Asian and pacificregion in particular. The contribution of APCTT could be veryimportant in this regard.

� In the Keynote Speeches Prof. Anil K. Gupta spoke on�The significance of GRI in Today�s Global Setting�and Dr. Wei Zhang: Tianjin University of Financeand Economics, Department of Management Science,NSFC, discussed about �Grassroots Innovation:Features, Opportunities and Challenge� .

Dr. Zhang emphasized that nowadays, innovation is the mostimportant driving force of development; however, moreattention has been paid only to a special part of the innovation,i.e. the innovation mainly by the �mainstream� with strongintention of commercialization and relatively rich resources.The grassroots part is undervalued very much, and is even

Workshop1 on Grassroots innovation for partner institutions in selectedAsia-Pacific countries

On 21-22 March 2008, Tianjin, China

16


being neglected. In the countries like China and India, as wellas many other developing countries, the main body of thesociety is not composed of the so-called �middle class�, instead,counted by number, the relatively �economic-poor� grassrootsis the most significant part of the population. With a firmstatement, he said; they are �poor�, but necessarily smart! If acountry really expects to shape a rapid, balanced andsustainable development, it should mobilize all possible talentresources to reach the goal.

�Among these, the talent from grassroots should be takeninto account! We just need know more about G-innovationand G-innovators!�, he added.

Dr. Zhang Wei elaborately explained the Solutions soughtthrough GRI; which innovations constituted GRI: Who are theGrasstoots innovators? How and why they do what they do ?What do they achieve in the end? Is it the right timing? Anyobstacles? What should we do further? The framework toimprovise and implement the idea was expressed by Prof.Zhang through the following diagram:

Rural Entrepreneurs

and Their Business

GrassrootsInnovations

Knowledge Intensive

Innovations and Entrepreneurship

Inventions by Scientists of

pursuing their scholarly interest

Resource Restrains

Very limited

RelativelyRich

Objectives “Self Services”Market/profit

Oriented

Dr. Zhang summarized that the countries like China and Indialaunched several national programs to encourage themovement of GI such as NIF in India. China offered SpecialZone of 50 free-of-charge seats for GI at the Hi-tech Exhibitionin Shenzhen, China in 2006. The official agriculture techpromotion system in China interacts with G-innovators. Hevisualized a brilliant future for GRI. Further elaborating theroad ahead, He explained that for academics, GRI is a brandnew area to do scholarly research, and for government, it is anapproach to realize a more inclusive, more balanced, more

147 GRI Project

innovation-driven development. For businessperson, it is a �BlueOcean� of business, for the grassroots, it is an opportunity toshow their great value to the society!

All in all, these efforts will help make the contribution of GI tothe mainstream of social and economic development moresignificant. Hence to make the development more sustainableand inclusive, this is only the first step of the �New LongMarch�!

The first technical session of 21st March� 2008 was moderatedby Prof. Zhang Liyan, TUFE and had presentations on �GRI:Key Concepts and Issues�, Dr. K. Ramanathan and Mr. N.Srinivasan, APCTT, Prof. Anil K. Gupta on �Blending IPR andthe Open Source Movement and Prior Informed Consent (PIC)�and Adding Value around Green Grassroots Innovations, byDr. Vipin Kumar, SRISTI

Technical Session-I

Promotion of Grassroots Innovation in Asia-Pacific RegionN. Srinivasan, Asian and Pacific Centre for Transfer ofTechnology (APCTT)

Mr N Srinivasan and Dr. Ramanathan discussed the genesisof the Project on Promotion of Grassroots Innovation in Asia-Pacific countries: Supported by Department of Scientific andIndustrial Research (DSIR), Ministry of Science andTechnology, Government of India with SRISTI as knowledgepartner. Dr. Ramanathan mentioned that the Promotion of

Grassroots Innovation with a goal of systematic scouting,documentation and dissemination of grassroots innovations hasenhanced the capacity of Governments and other stakeholdersin exploiting grassroots innovations in Asia and the Pacific. Asan outcome, governments and other stakeholders in selectedcountries are expected to develop necessary road-map forscouting, documentation and dissemination (SDD) ofgrassroots innovation:

· Participating Countries - Bangladesh, China, India,Indonesia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Malaysia, Nepal,Pakistan, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Sri Lanka,Thailand and Vietnam

· Target Group - Government policy-makers, grassrootsinnovators, technology transfer intermediaries and R&Dinstitutions

· Knowledge Partner - Society for Research and Initiativesfor Sustainable Technology and Institution (SRISTI)

The commencement of Project Activities began in February2007 with expected completion in March 2008

· Conduct study on the prevailing institutionalmechanisms for SDD through desk study andexploratory visit to selected Asia-Pacific countries, fieldvisit to China, Malaysia, Indonesia and Philippines

· Asia-Pacific Regional Workshop on GRI for SeniorPolicy-makers, 4-5 June 2007, Nanjing, China


· Asia-Pacific Regional Workshop on GRI for PartnerInstitutions, 23-25 July 2007, Ahmedabad, India

· National workshops in four countries

· The expected Outcomes of the China NationalWorkshop were; deliberate upon China-specificapproaches for SDD, exchange information andknowledge on GRI practices and issues amongparticipants, evolve national initiatives on next steps topromote GRI in the participating countries, recommendsupport that APCTT could extend to member countriesin further promoting GRI in Asia-Pacific Countries, e.g.,value addition, PIC and IPR, GRI financing, innovationsystem, policy and institutional framework, etc.

Adding Value around Green Grassroot InnovationsPresentation by Vipin Kumar Chief Coordinator, SRISTISadhbhav Sanshodhan � a Natural Product Laboratory

Dr. Vipin Kumar presented the conceptual framework withinwhich the SRISTI lab worked. He explained that there is along tradition of herbal medicine in India, China and otherAsian countries. Chinese traditional medicine has become farmore popular worldwide than Indian traditional herbalmedicine. He discussed the process of the value chaindevelopment: (a) framework for screening of and value additionin grassroots innovations/practices and traditional knowledge,(b) protection of intellectual property rights of knowledge richand economically disadvantaged innovators, (c) building of

bridges between science, education, and learning communitiesfor extending market linkages, (d) creation of incubationinstitutions and promotion of small level enterprises, (e) benefitsharing in just and fair manner with knowledge holders,whether individuals or communities. He mentioned that theprocess of value addition requires establishment of novelty,benchmarking at market and technological level, efficiency/quality and cost effectiveness analysis. The process of screeningfor originality of the herbal practice goes through severalprocesses, which are as follows:

Prior Art Search; Screening the practices throughonline and off line databases (Science direct, Pubmed,Ingenta, and other sources on web etc. and otheravailable literature like NAPralert, SRISTI herbalmedicine database, Honeybee published andunpublished innovations and TK database); NAPralert, SRISTI. Thus, the entire process of evaluating thepractices is done using established scientific systems andprinciples.

Patent Search: Another step is screening the claims ofsimilar and relevant technologies using different patentdatabases like www.uspto.gov, http://www.m-cam.com, www.indianpatents.org.in, etc.

· Identification of original herbal practices: Either samematerial or processes is not mentioned in classicaltraditional knowledge systems and other literature,material and processes is mentioned in the classical

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traditional knowledge systems and literature, butclaimed for new use, combination of materials toincrease the efficacy. Dr. Kumar presented severalsuccessful examples of developing products, licensingthem to companies and sharing the benefits.

Mainstreaming of Farmers� Innovation & Conservation ofLocal Bio-Diversity: the Honey Bee ExperiencePresentation by Mr. Ramesh Patel, SRISTI

Ramesh Patel, Secretary, SRISTI, discussed about the HoneyBee philosophy which involves a discourse that is fair, authenticand accountable. Honey Bee Network believes in: (a) Assuringthe providers of knowledge that they would not remainanonymous and get impoverished by sharing their knowledge,just as flowers do not complain when nectar is taken away bythe honeybee; (b) Building people to people knowledge networkby facilitating cross cultural learning through local languagesjust like honeybees connect flower to flower through pollinationand (c) Sharing a fair and just part of the gains that may accrueto the outsiders from value addition and commercialization ofgrassroots knowledge and technology with the knowledgeproviders.

VARIOUS ACTIVITIES OF HONEY BEE NETWORK:

§ Biodiversity Competitions during Shodhyatra§ Recipe Competitions during Shodhyatra§ Gyan Van by : Samatbhai Solanki : (Conserve

Traditional Knowledge and biodiversity)

§ From Local to Global: The Honey Bee Network MarchesAhead

§ Institutions of Grassroots Learning: Shodhyatra,Ø Recipe contest for womenØ Biodiversity contest for childrenØ Sharing database in the night meetingØ Honoring centurion women

In a Special Session on GRI Issues and Case StudiesPresentations, Prof. Zhang Liyan and Team presentedCollege Students� Participation in Grassroots InnovationPractical Experiences from TUFE.

Prof. Zhang Liyan�s students made a presentation on; Sino-India Cooperation where they discussed the approach to ensurethe participation of college students Participation in GRI,building Global GIAN, Global Value Chain around GreenGrassroots Innovations and Traditional Knowledge in TUFEfrom May 31 to July 2, 2007, Prof. Zhang Liyan introducedexperiences on Asia-Pacific Grassroots Innovation Seminarfrom July 4 to 5, 2007 in Nanjing China Sponsored by UNAPCTT as well as seminars in India, Sri Lanka, the Philippines,and Indonesia. TUFE appointed leading organization of GRIin China and a full-page report on Tianjin Educational News onMarch 29 2007 was presented. The success of GRI broughtattention of Wall Street Journal and a detailed report in WallStreet Journal appeared on November 9th 2007 in the context ofthe work of Honey Bee Network and Prof. Gupta�s effort toinvolve students in mobilizing support for grassrootsinnovators. Innovative projects were reported from Yanshan


Middle School in Honey Bee magazine distributed in over 75countries worldwide.

Mr. Paul Basil, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Rural InnovationNetwork (RIN) Foundation, Chennai, India, made apresentation on �GRI Issues and Case Study Presentations,�

The mission of RIN is: �To enable innovations to reach ruralmarkets.�

The presentation included the efforts made by RIN to scale uptechnologies from the formal sector such as agriculturaluniversities and the informal sectors. They have taken manytechnologies, Honey Bee database for further commecialisation.They have an award programme, idea programme, businessplan competition and other support services for the innovators.It was claimed that very large number of people had beencovered by their activities and lacs of rupees worth additionalincome was generated for the rural families.

Grassroots Innovations in Sri Lanka Policies and PracticesM. W. Leelaratne; Managing Director/CEO NationalEngineering Research & Development Centre of Sri Lanka

Mr. M.W. Leelaratne made presentation on the success storiesof the GRI in Srilanka. He mentioned that the currentgovernment had given high importance to the science andtechnology. It has been decided that , �at least 1% of GDP willbe set aside for innovations in the field of science and technology�.This was promised when the government allocation for S&T

was only 0.13% of GDP. He briefed the outcome of theworkshop of the GRI regional workshop held in China, 5-6June 2007, which were as follows in brief:

1. After the GRI regional workshop held in China, 5-6 June2007, briefed the outcome of the workshop to Hon.Minister of Science & Technology,

2. NERDC was appointed as the focal point for GRIactivities in Sri Lanka

3. NERDC organised the first GRI country workshop, incollaboration with APCTT, Colombo, 17-18 September2007

4. Promote research in national priority areas � energy,biotechnology, nanotechnology, material science, ICT,electronics, etc.

5. Support sustainable utilization of local resources.6. Enhance steps to protect intellectual property rights

(IPR).7. Enhance the system of recognizing and rewarding

scientific achievements.8. Upgrade quality of products and services to

international level.9. Attain and maintain sustainability in development

through the application of science & technology.10. Strengthen the co-operation in S&T between Sri Lanka

and other countries.11. Enhance the use of S&T to combat natural disasters.12. Ensure national security through the application of S&T.13. Promote development of indigenous knowledge and

technologies

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Framework proposed for Scouting and Documenting GRI:Ministry of Science & Technology has initiated a programmeto establish S&T Centres Island wide with the objective of takingthe S&T to the village. So far 205 Centres (out of possible 325)have been established and are operational. These Centres(known as Vidatha Resource Centres -VRC), are managed bya graduate S&T officer. This structure is to be used for searchingGRI at the village level and for undertaking initialdocumentation process. S&T officers at VRCs need to be trainedto carry out this exercise. The documented GRI will then bescrutinized by a panel of experts and those warrant furtherassistance would be identified; IPR, product/processdevelopment, TT, commercialization, etc. to be followed.

Concluding Remarks: Scope for GRI in Sri Lanka is very high,especially with regard to Traditional Knowledge. Governmentis committed for promoting GRI Good infrastructure alreadyexist for GRI activities, GRI initiatives will enhance the NationalInnovation System.

Technical session-II

�Chinese Grassroot Innovation and National InnovationSystem Operation�

Dr. Fengchao Liu, Department of Economics, DalianUniversity of Technology

Dr. Fengchao Liu made presentation on Implication andFeature of Grassroots Innovation, Forming and Operation of

National Innovation System, Coordination of GrassrootsInnovation and National Innovation System, Recommendationof improving Chinese Grassroots Innovation. She elaboratelymade presentation on;

1.1 Definition of Grassroots Innovation: The concept ofgrassroots innovation in a broad sense includes the innovationactivity undertaken by grassroots S&T researchers, private S&Tinstitutions and private S&T enterprises. Wherein, thegrassroots S&T researchers are the main body of individualS&T innovation activity, whereas, the private S&T institutionsand private S&T enterprises are the main body of group S&Tinnovation activity

2 Forming and Operation of National Innovation System

National innovation system

scientific social institution

grassroots innovation activity

grassroots innovation activity

scientific social institution

market economy system

The genetic mode of national innovation system

market economy systemgrassroots

innovation activity

private S&T enterprises

private S&T institutions

grassroots S&T researchers

grassroots group S&T innovation activity

grassroots individual S&T innovation activity

The classification of grassroots innovation activity

Lin Hanchuan. The study on policy supporting system of promoting Chinese grassroots

Innovation activity .The conclusive report of National Natural Science Foundation of China.

1 Implication and Feature of Grassroots Innovation

1.2. Coordination of Grassroots Innovation and NationalInnovation System: It is necessary to take the bidirectional-driving mode to coordinate the grassroots innovation and thenational innovation system. For one thing, each subsystem of


the national innovation system should be strengthened toprovide service and support for grassroots innovation activity.Further, the function of grassroots innovation, such as learning,digestion, transfer and diffusion of the national innovationsystem output should be strengthened too.

She concluded by saying that grassroots innovations neededto be supported for entrepreneurship development.

Establishing a support system for local women�s businesscreationMs. Li Guihuan from government to society, TIANJINWOMEN�S BUSINESS INCUBATOR (TWBI).

In the presentation a case study of Tianjin Women�s BusinessIncubator was presented which was established on October18, 2000. As a woman and empowerment business incubator,it is the first public and non-profit organization co-sponsoredby UNDP, Aus-aid and China government. The mission of theorgainsation is: Shared space + shared service + Micro-loanand Consultancy. The incubator supports the creation of localwomen�s business, conversion of ideas into enterprise, anddeveloping models of innovation management. The purposeis to enhance the participation of women in the field of economyand realization of gender equality. TWBI�s Supporting System:1. Extensive contacts with various government departmentsto obtain government funds and policy support, 2. Organizinga team which includes consultants and voluntary Technologyservice for TWBI.

Incubators provide training besides mentoring and relationshipwith the media. Women�s business is a important main bodyof social innovation. Government and society should pay moreattention to women�s business. Women�s innovation is one ofimportant components of social enterprise.

GRASSROOTS INNOVATION IN MALAYSIATeam of Ji County, Malaysia

NATIONAL INNOVATION COUNCIL (NIC) plays a majorrole in providing the strategic direction for increasing theinnovative capacity and accelerating the pace of innovation ofthe nation. It also helps in coordinating policy initiatives thatimpact on innovation. The development of a creative andentrepreneurial society is one of the major purposes of NIC.

Conclusion and Recommendations

While concluding the workshop, different groups presentedtheir reports about the follow up plan for promotion of GRI. Itwas agreed that the model develped by SRISTI is quitecomprehensive and can be adapted with great ease in differentcountries. The success of the efforts in China have proved therelevance of the model. Dr. K. Ramanathan, Head of APCTTand Prof. Anil Gupta and Dr. Wang Yuying gave the concludingremarks and thanked all the participants. Prof. Gupta wasvery hopeful that the collegial spirit demonstrated by all theparticipants will be continued in future to spread the HoneyBee Network philosophy. He thanked the TUFE managementand joined Dr.Ramanathan in conveying deepest appreciation

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for warm hospitality and excellent arrangements. Thepresentation by students on creativity evening was anoutstanding example of how the spirit of innovation is beinginternalised at all levels in the university.

(Footnotes)1 Organized by: Asian and Pacific Centre for Transfer ofTechnology (APCTT) of the United Nations Economic andSocial Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), NewDelhi, India

Knowledge Partner: Society for Research and Initiatives forSustainable Technology and Institution (SRISTI), Ahmedabad,India, [email protected], www.sristi.org,

APCTT is a United Nations regional institution under theEconomic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific(ESCAP). The Centre was established in 1977 in Bangalore,India. In 1993, the Centre moved to New Delhi, India. APCTTpromotes transfer of technology to and from small- andmedium-scale enterprises (SMEs) in Asia and the Pacific.

APCTT implements development projects funded byinternational donors aimed at strengthening the environmentfor technology transfer among SMEs in Asia and the Pacific;in this respect the Centre makes special efforts to encouragemore participation of women in the field of technology. APCTTundertakes consultancy assignments in various technologytransfer related areas (institution building, human resourcesdevelopment, studies, business partnership development).

The objective of APCTT is to strengthen the technology transfercapabilities in the region and to facilitate import/export ofenvironmentally sound technologies to/from the membercountries. All member states and associate members ofUNESCAP are de facto members of APCTT.