The Honey Bee Network: Linking

Development ISSN 1011-6170 Copyright, 1997 The Society for International Development. SAGE Publications (London, Thousand Oaks, CA and New Delhi). Vol.40 NO.4 (1997). 36-40 Local / Global Encounters

The Honey Bee Network: Linking Knowledge-rich grassroots innovations1

ABSTRACT Anil K. Gupta and his colleagues in the Honey Bee Network give a very successful case of how traditional market ANIL K. GUPTA on behalf barriers have been overcome in India in order to enable the of the HONEY BEE NETWORK economically poor to build on their rich resource of knowledge. His tale shows how the poor, with creative professional support and imagination, can create and transform the world around them.

The Knowledge of the poor

The developmental paradigm has been dominated for at least half a century by the idea that the role of the state or civil society is only to provide what poor people lack. i.e. material resources, opportunities for gains in skills or resources or employment. Strategies fail to build upon a resource in which poor people often are rich: their own knowledge. So much so that the developmental lexicon in the last decade has adopted a term with great alacrity: ‘resource poor people’ – As if knowledge is not a resource, or as if poor people have no knowledge. The knowledge systems that enable economically poor people to survive, particularly in high risk environments, have involved blending secular with sacred, reductionism with holism, short-term options with long-term ones, specialized with diversified strategies in individual or collective material, or in non-material pursuits. The environmental ethic of these communities has also reflected these. The higher the physical, technological, market, or socio-economic stress, the greater the probability that disadvantaged communities and individuals generate innovative and creative alternatives for resource use (Gupta, 1988, 1991). These innovations, whether originating in tradition or using modern awareness, are evolved by communities as well as by individuals. In fact an overemphasis on communities as opposed to individuals may well have contributed to the widespread in differenced towards entrepreneurial potential of the knowledge rich but economically poor people. Innovations in technological, cultural or institutional subsets often remain isolated and unconnected despite an otherwise reasonably robust informal knowledge network in existence. Gupta: Linking Knowledge-rich Grassroots Innovations

An extensive knowledge network that international bodies, so that INSTAR connects innovation, enterprise and becomes part of a knowledge network for investments in an institutional context is what augmenting coping strategies of the poor in a appears to be the most viable approach for creative manner. sustainable development in future. The points of departure for Honey Bee Network, begun SRISTI’s proposals for the INSTAR to eight years ago, were the following: first, we, support knowledge networking and reward the outsiders, should not make the poor creativity complain when we take away their knowledge, just we, the outsiders, should not INSTAR (Gupta, 1996a,v,c) will aim to make the poor complain when we take away acknowledge individual and collective their knowledge, just as flowers while creativity to providing unique identity to pollinating. The society for Research and every innovation through a registration Initiatives for Sustainable Technologies and system. It will facilitate the linkage between Institutions (SRISTI) supports Honey Bee innovation, enterprise and investments by `Network by linking six ‘Es’ – ethics, equity, providing different stake holders the access to excellence, environment, education and its database/registry. The innovators will be efficiency in enterprise (Gupta, 1991, 1995a, entitled to receive a share of returns that may 1996a). arise from commercial application of their We have to ensure that knowledge rich, knowledge, innovation or practice with or economically poor people are not robbed of without value addition. Small scale investors the only resource in which they are rich – in the North and South cannot afford to go to their knowledge – by transforming our ethical various countries, scan diversity of knowledge and institutional norms, including the ones and resources, negotiate contracts and invest dealing with the intellectual property rights up front huge investments for value addition. (IPRs) of the individual as well as If they do not participate, then the field will communities in the informal sector vis a vis remain dominated by large corporations. A the formal sector. Biodiversity and Desert register run by a local autonomous authority conventions provide useful leads in this will enable small scale investors to seek direction. opportunities, communicating with We can help strengthen people to people communities and individual innovators and learning only when we ensure communication exploring investment opportunities. in vernacular languages and media. The An entry in the register would be coded Honey Bee Network has created new according to a universal system like ISBN. standards of accountability and ethics in The postal pin code of the habitat of the dealing with grassroots innovations. The community or individuals registering an formal sector cannot use the knowledge of innovation would be incorporated in the poor without acknowledgements, citation and, indexation system to enable geo-referencing of course, prior informed consent – a notion of innovations. In due course, the contextual we argued long before the Biodiversity information of innovations would be Convention came into existence. Similarly, incorporated into the system so that GIS the documentation and dissemination of these systems of innovations could help cross- innovations must take place in local languages connect communities having similar and without exhausting the innovation of ecological situations or facing similar these communities and individuals (Gupta, constraints or challenges. 1996b, 1996c). For the latter, we propose that An entry in the register would be considered the International Network for Sustainable appropriate for the award of an inventor’s Technological Applications and Registration certificate or a kind of petty patent which (INSTAR) system is institutionalised by the would be a limited purpose and limited World trade Organisation (WTO) and other duration protection. The essential purpose of Development ISSN 1011-6170 Copyright, 1997 The Society for International Development. SAGE Publications (London, Thousand Oaks, CA and New Delhi). Vol.40 NO.4 (1997). 36-40 Local / Global Encounters this innovation would be to enable the The Gujarat government recently joined potential investors (a cooperative of hands with the Society for Research and consumers, producers, an entrepreneur, or a Initiatives for Sustainable Technologies and large firm in private or public sector) to Institutions (SRISTI) and colleagues from pursue proper patents. IIMA (Indian Institute of Management, The award of a certificate would also Ahmedabad) and other civil society NGOs – increase the entitlement of the innovator/s for including SEWA and Gopal Dham – and access to concessional credit and risk cover so public sector corporations to set up Gujarat that a transition from collector or producer of Grassroots Innovation Augmentation Network herbs to developer and marketer of value (GIAN).2 GIAN in Sanskrit means added products can take place in cases where knowledge. The idea is to convert innovators deem that fit. innovations into products and services The registration system would be part of the diffused through commercial or non- knowledge network lining problem solving commercial channels within or among the people across the world at grassroots level regions and countries. (see discussion on knowledge network in the The Honey Bee data base with thousands of later section). This will promote people to innovations is being upgraded to multimedia people learning and serve as a multi-language, capabilities so that barriers of languages, multi-level, multi-media (oral, textual, literacy and localism can be overcome to electronic) clearing house for local and connect innovators across regions. The idea indigenous communities. Wherever necessary is that through using electronic, textual and and possible, formal scientific institutions will oral media, a multilevel network can be put in be linked up in the network. place to support the documentation, experimentation and reward, both in material The golden triangle of creativity: and non-material form, of individual and A tale from India collective grassroots innovations.

The knowledge network for sustainable R & D, sustainable livelihoods technological options operationalised through and knowledge Honey Bee network approach implies that innovations in one part of the world may seek The linkage between survival strategies, or attract investments from another part, if knowledge systems, knowledge network and necessary to generate enterprises (whether sustainable livelihoods has to be strengthened. commercial or non-commercial, individual or Contemporary as well as traditional cooperative) in a third place. Several innovations should be scouted, screened for innovative experiments have started to experimentation for value addition or explore this golden triangle of creativity dissemination and should be then rewarded within an institutional context so that policy through various material and non-material framework also becomes favourable for such incentives. The policy support at macro as links across the world – a serious handicap in well as micro level becomes important for most developing countries despite WTO. conversion of innovation into products and Rewarding creativity requires eventually into sustainable resource use acknowledging that not all innovators may patterns. The networking of various have the potential for becoming entrepreneurs strategies, actors, and institutions through a or have access to capital for investment. One knowledge network leads to sustainable could have an innovation say from India, an livelihoods apart from investor from Europe and enterprise in South mechanisms for the conservation of resources Africa. Forces of globalisation could, after and knowledge around it. all, also be mobilised in defence of poor One of the major bottlenecks has been the creative people. insularity of formal research systems towards Gupta: Linking Knowledge-rich Grassroots Innovations informal innovations. Research stations or The way forward for grassroots laboratories dedicated and designed to work Innovations under the leadership of knowledge rich, This article suggests what is possible and has economically poor people are yet to be set up. been done on a pilot scale in India in creating R & D for the poor cannot be just an attempt a knowledge network linking grassroots to identify ‘appropriate technologies’ or some innovations, enterprises and investments in an other variants of sub-optimal solutions. The institutional context so that the process is self- best of the formal and informal sector have to renewing and self-supporting. Green join hands to compete in the market-place. technologies such as herbal pesticides. Herbal Some initial steps have been taken in this drugs for animals and humans, vegetative regard in India, but much more remains to be dyes, organic agricultural products, small done. machines, etc., are only some of the ideas in Much has been said about participatory which the Honey Bee data is very rich and research and millions are spent in augmenting which have formed the basis for GIAN to take the capacity of formal institutions to learn off..5 A paradigm shift is in the offing. Much from people (unfortunately, using short-cut maligned markets will not work for the poor methods which are neither accountable nor unless consumers and other civil society ethically very sound or even scientifically institutions have to overcome these barriers so very efficient). However, not even pennies that the resource in which poor are rich, their are spent (exceptions apart)3 in augmenting knowledge, becomes the fundamental the capacity of innovators to do research, take building block for the future transformation of risks, and generate new enterprises either societies not only in the South but also in the themselves or through partnership with other North. entrepreneurs. We do not have a single GIAN can green the world through South to venture capital fund for small innovations in North transfer of technologies. Aid policies any developing country. SRISTI and GIAN must change towards fairer trade in have taken the first step, but a great deal more knowledge and other resources of the poor. remains to be done. The poor are obviously not so poor that they The outstanding aspect of most of grassroots do not think, create and transform the world innovations is that these are also often green. around them. The challenge is to Thus we are talking about establishing green acknowledge the poverty of our imagination GIANs all over the world and helping to and conceptual tools that fail to recognise, transfer technologies from the South to the respect and reward grassroots innovations. North to trigger a sustainable future for biodiversity-poor western societies as well as for capital-starved developing countries.4 Notes Institutions (SRISTI) and government. S.K. SHELAT, Gujarat Grassroots Innovation GIAN was set up on 1 March Research for the paper has been Augmentation Network (GIAN) 1997 with a proposed initial supported by several institutions corpus of ten million Indian and networks such as Swiss 2 It was extremely satisfying for rupees (to be raised at least Development Cooperation the author to receive such a twenty times in the next five (1981-1990). International positive and quick response to an years). Board of Directors Development Research Centre idea of a venture capital fund for include secretaries to the state (IDRC), Canada (1993-1997) small innovations, developed by government for agriculture, Pew Conservation Scholar SRISTI, proposed in the industry and rural development, Award (1993-1996). MacArthur International Conference on three NGOs, four corporation Foundation (1995-1996), apart Creativity and Innovation at chiefs, three scholars, etc. from a large number of Grassroots (ICCIG, 11-14 Visualised as a trust, it will draw grassroots innovators – members January 1997) organised at IIM upon the Honey Bee data base of of the Honey Bee network in 75 Ahmedabad and coordinated by innovations maintained at countries and the Society for him. Thanks to the interest and SRISTI and try to convert these Research and Initiatives for initiative taken by the then Chief into new ventures so that a new Sustainable Technologies and Secretary of the Gujarat model of poverty alleviation and Development ISSN 1011-6170 Copyright, 1997 The Society for International Development. SAGE Publications (London, Thousand Oaks, CA and New Delhi). Vol.40 NO.4 (1997). 36-40 Local / Global Encounters employment generation through members of the SRISTI. Honey Gupta A.K. (1996a) ‘The Honey augmentation of grassroots Bee network and my colleagues Bee Network: Voices from innovations can emerge. in the Indian Institute of Grassroots Innovators’, Cultural Management have contributed to Survival Quarterly, Spring. 3 The IDRC supported the operationalisation of GIAN. Indigenous Knowledge Special thanks are due to Profs. Gupta A.K. (1996b) ‘Rewarding Innovations Network (KIN- V. Raghunathan, Vijaya Sherry careativity for Conserving Global) at SRISTI and IIMA Chand, Jahar Saha, P.M. Shingi Diversity in Third World: Can through a partnership over the at IIMA, Dr. David, Mr. Buch the IPR Regime Serve the Needs last three years has helped in and Mr. Koshy, then Secretaries of Contemporary and Traditional scaling up Honey Bee of Rural Development, Knowledge Experts and philosophy to generate value Agricultural and Industry, Mr. Communities in Third World?’, added technologies and Vishnu Varshney, CEO of presented in AIPPI Forum on enterprises on an experimental Gujarat Venture Fund Limited, ‘Ethical and Ecological Aspects basis. A global facility for Mr. Chelbhai Shukla, of IPRs’ (1996, September 10- grassroots innovators remains to Chairperson, GIAN Board and 14), Interlaken, 13 September be developed so that their Trustee, Gopaldham, A 1996. IIMA Working Paper, outputs can compete with the Gandhian NGO, etc. No.1339, November. products of multinational corporations through similar References and further Gupta A.K. (1996c)’ Getting multinational knowledge reading creative Individuals and network with technologists, Gupta A.K. (1998) ‘Survival Communities Their Due: small scale entrepreneurs in Under Stress: Social Ecological Framework for Operationalising North and South, and venture Perspective on Farmers’ Article 8J and 10C’, draft paper funds for small innovations. Innovation and Risk invited by DBD Secretariat. What is most interesting is that Adjustments’. W.P. No.738, many of these technologies are International Congress on Plant Gupta A.K. (with Kirit K. Patel also green. Physiology, New Delhi, A. R. Pastakia and P.G. Vijaya 4 The term developing is used (Revised version published in Shetty Chand) (1995) ‘Building only in a symbolic and Capitalism, Nature and Upon Local Creativity and conventional sense. Otherwise, Socialism, 5, 190. pp. 76-96). Entrepreneurship in Vulnerable many developing countries have Environments’, in V. Titi and N. much more advanced, Gupta A.K. (1991 ‘Sustainability Singh (eds) Empowerment for developed, and mature social Through Biodiversity: Designing Sustainable Development: institutions for taking care of the Crucible of Culture. Creativity Towards Operational Strategies, elderly, disabled or natural and Conscience’, presented at Nova Scotia, Canada: Fernwood resources. Economically the International Conference on Publishing: New Jersey: Zed developed countries are learning ‘Biodiversity and Conversation’. Books. from these. Grameen bank and Danish Parliament. SEWA bank are good examples Copenhagen. 8 November 1991. Gupta A.K. (with K.K. Patel et which have been diffused in the IIMA Working Paper No.1005. USA and many other countries al.) (1996) ‘Participatory Research: Will the Koel Hatch from a developing country Gupta A.K. (1995a) ‘Knowledge context. Similarly, sacred the Crow’s Eggs’, paper Centre/Network: Building Upon presented in the International groves and informal institutions What People Know’, presented contributing to conservation of Seminar on ‘Participatory at the IFAD’s International Research and Gender Analysis biodiversity in the Third World Conference on ‘Hunger and can be role models for western for Technology Development’, Poverty’. Brussels, 16-23 organised by CIAT, Colombia. societies that have failed to November. conserve their diversity. Gupta A.K. (with K.K. Patel) Gupta A.K. (1995b) ‘Sustainable 5 It is difficult to acknowledge (1996) ‘Turning Things Upside Institutions for Natural Resource everybody who has contributed Down: Creativity and Management: How do we to the evolution of the idea of Innovations at Grassroots’, participate in peple’s plans?’, in GIAN and its operationalisation. International Conference Syed Abdus Samad, Tatsuya I must, however, make a special (January 1997), Forests. Trees Watanabe and K. Seung-Jin mention of my colleagues, Kirit and People, Newsletter No.31, (eds) People’s Initiatives for K Patel, who has been steering September. Sustainable Development: it. Darshit shah who is assisting Lessons of Experience, Luala him, and Pawan Mehra who did Lumpur: APDC. the early work. Many other