IDRC Reports Archives

PREVIOUS ISSUES: April 1995 (Volume 23, Number 1)
GREEN TECHNOLOGY FOR COMMUNITY PROFIT

This issue of IDRC Reports explores the diverse world of "green technologies": those technologies which are environmentally sustainable, provide income and employment to poor communities, and reduce the dependence of developing countries on imported materials and processes. IDRC has provided support to a wide range of research initiatives in this area including production and commercialization of food products, utilization or recycling of waste, and a third category - natural products - which includes essential oils, non-timber forest products, and medicinal plants.

While the initiatives described herein are successful examples of green technologies at work, the specific technology in each case is only a small piece of the puzzle. Income-generating initiatives based on green technologies invariably work best when there is also strong community support and interest, and when the methods and outputs are closely matched to the needs and culture of the local population.

Can the application of green technologies be extended to many more poor regions of the world to provide income and needed products? Can greater access to international markets be achieved for some of the value-added products, to earn scarce hard currency? By helping generate income while still protecting the local environment, do green technologies constitute a good model of sustainable exploitation of natural resources worldwide? More research is needed to chart the effective application of green technolgies in future.

National policy makers have a key role to play by putting into place "enabling policies". Indeed, it is clear that cooperation between researchers, entrepreneurs, government policymakers and the local community will be essential to the future success of green technologies in the South.

Eileen Conway
Editor-in-Chief
IDRC Reports

Contents:

FEATURES

• Overview - Green Technology: Local Resources for Community Profit When combined with the right low-cost technology, certain natural resources hold the key to environmentally sustainable economic development. Serge Dubé, Pierre Zaya, Bill Edwardson
• What is Green Technology?
• A Leg Up for Tanzania's Wood Products Local natural resources permit Tanzanian plywood to survive termite attacks and not come unglued. John Eberlee
• Pottery Irrigation on Peru's Arid Coast Valuable prickly pear cactus and tara trees grow well thanks to a unique system of pottery water dispensers and fogcatchers. Neale MacMillan
• Return of Traditional Dyes in Guinea New techniques for preparing traditional dyes make them an attractive alternative to synthetic commercial dyes. Abdoulaye Diario Diallo
• Chinese Agroforestry: Not Just Trees in Fields Mixing farming and forestry allows Chinese farmers to generate higher revenues while safeguarding their environment. Zhang Dan
• Cashew Apple Juice, Anyone? A joint Vietnam-Quebec research team may make cashew apple the new tropical juice flavour of choice. Bruno Dubuc
• Maintaining Food Resources in Ecuador's Highlands Ancient Andean crops are desired for their growing qualities, nutritional value and commercial potential. Barbara Macdonald, Carlos Vimos, Carlos Nieto

IN OTHER FIELDS

Information

• Computer Networks: A Democratic Tool for NGOs John Eberlee

Health

• Health and Inequality Inside the Favela Denis Marchand
• Combatting Leishmaniasis in India John Ramlochand

Biodiversity

• Patents on Life Forms: Bio-piracy? Henry F. Heald

Environment

• Grassroots Indicators for Sustainable Development Helen Hambly
• South Africa: An Environment for Reconstruction. Andrea Weiss

ISSN 0315-9981 This magazine is listed in the Canadian Magazine Index.

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