Economics and Technologies

Community-based alternatives for production, consumption, and exchange

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This section features stories of initiatives that help to create an alternative to the dominant neo-liberal or state-dominated economy. These include: localisation of economic activity with democratic control, producer and consumer collectives, local currencies and trade, non-monetised exchage and the gift economy, ecologically sensitive products and processes, macro-economic concepts that respect ecological limits, and approaches to human well-being that go beyond growth, GDP and other narrow measures and indicators.

What we do not feature are superficial and false solutions, such as market and technological fixes for problems that are deeply social and political, or more generally, ‘green growth’ kind of approaches that only tinker around with the existing system.

Economics & Technologies: Visual & Audio

Resources Home Resources for Economics & Technologies: Visual & Audio (includes Presentations & Slideshows) The video recording…

A pumpkin for the doctor

In the small Ayurvedic clinic of Dr. Suvinay Damle in Kudal, Pumpkins, Coconuts and Gourds jostle for space with bottled medicinal concoctions. The farm produce is what Damle gets as his consultation fee.

LOCOST: bringing medicines within the common man’s reach

Medicines make up 50-60% of healthcare costs in India, and they are unaffordable for most. About 2 lakh people fall below the poverty line every year due to one health shock, and the biggest expense here usually turns out to be medicine. LOCOST is a collective effort initiative of like-minded people, many of whom were doctors practicing community medicine in remote rural areas.

Small Investments usher in Big Change

Young investors provide working capital to women entrepreneurs in rural India through an online social lending platform.

Use Un-Packaged Water

'Water without Waste' campaign to promote use of un-packaged water in India.

Troubled waters get hold of a saviour

A river is not a mere water source, but an entire ecosystem, with rich flora and fauna along its course and on the riverbed. So, a project undertaken by the Atholi panchayat, as part of its efforts to protect the Korapuzha, aims at protecting the river in its entirety

Climate Change and Limits to Growth-Oriented Model of Development: Case of China and India

From the perspective of climate change, both India and China need to think of alternative development models. (8-page essay). Excerpt from Conclusion: "India’s per capita ecological footprint is now about twice India’s own bio-capacity. India’s ecological system has clearly been overwhelmed by the current model of development (Global Footprint Network 2008).

Localise to save the world! Lessons from Mendha Lekha

The recent economic crises and the powercut affecting huge swathes of South India, both point to the need to localise the economy at least for basic needs. Here are some stories related to Mendha Lekha village in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra

Homestay with a difference!

A unique tourism-conservation-livelihood initiative in Sarmoli, Uttarakhand, offers a learning experience for both visitors and villagers, say Ashish Kothari and Neema Pathak.