IN THE backward regions of the world, there is as much a needfor technology as there is for organisational know-how forimproving productivity. Effective administration anddemand-supply management can be established by cost-beneficial electronics communications and Computer technologyadvances which make possible a state of 'zero-tag-time' takento reach information to the required places.
The world urgently needs to study if new 'products' andmanufacturing principles' can be designed with nature as amodel, and if new levels of productivity might be achieved bymeans of a synergistic clustering of manufacturing industries,where one firm's by-products and effluents can be fed asinputs into other firms to achieve net zero-emissions.Therefore, the developing and backward regions need toexploit the latest developments in modern agriculture andbio-industries, since this is an area that does not escape 'reengineering'.
Most well-informed scientists and policymakers willagree that humanity as a whole is already in possession of thetechnologies, resources and organisational abilities necessaryto eradicate poverty from this earth. Economic liberalisationin India, for example, actually opens our doors to a learningprocess which can link small producers to private enterprisesowning the technologies, the knowledge and necessary implements/devices.
A synergistic link between corporate managements, withtheir technology and marketing expertise, and the small producers, who are owner- cultivators of natural resources(land/labour/sunshine and rain), is much desired, For post-harvest handling of agro-products and for productivityenhancement, small producers need the services of well-organised corporate enterprises.
Sustainable development - the agreed goal of mostcountries today - requires a parallel and synchronised improvement in agro-industry, political systems and individual-family behaviour (which have a key role to play in changing our consumption patterns). For this, an electronically interconnected demand-supply system takes care of everyone's views and preferences in a zero-(information)-time-lag environment.
On the technical side, 'telecommuting' isbecoming increasingly attractive as a consequence of databases available both on-line and distributed on optical discs. Opticalfibres, small dish antennae, and pocket radiosystems have opened the floodgates to information exchange, information-demand-registration, polling and voting and even to1edutainment' born out of the wedlockbetween video and satellite support systems on the one hand,and advanced multi-media entertainment systems on theother.
Little wonder then that modern biotechnology and telematics can lead us confidently to intelligent 'rurbanisation',both by contributing to the development of agro-industrialenterprises in rural areas, and by upgrading city life with thehelp of urban agriculture.
For smooth technology transfer in developing countries,need definition' must be paid attention to. This is becausethe political say of the underprevileged often does not registerwith the government. Electronics-aided networking ought toimprove this.Then there is 'problem solution', where a common practice of establishing geographically 'representative'committees often becomes counterproductive. Creativeadaptation is another phase where the centre of gravity mustnecessarily lie in the socioeconomic and cultural environment of technology usage. Here, the greatest asset is indigenous creativity, a fragile resource which may succumb to 'technology push'. In all these cases, access to databases can help generate a stimulating 'technology pull'.
A special-purpose, satellite-based communication systemcalled Healthsat is now in full operation. It actually opened anew chapter in development-oriented information transfer.Professionals in health and health-related fields can now usethe facility to reduce inequities with respect to access to information, both from North to South and from South to South.The latter may be the satellite's most important contribution.
In poor countries, there is definitely the need for organisational know-how to help establish effective political andadministrative systems. No one else but scientists and technologists can paint such motivating visions to help nationsnavigate between 'technocratic illusions' on the one hand,and 'theocratic hopes' on the other.
An electronic networking like a 'bio-focus Internet'would be a good starting point. The possibilities of establishing e-mail connections even in remote townships in developing countries would be more useful. Actually, the Financialcosts involved in breaking such communication barriers are miniscule compared to the overseas development assistance, most ofwhich does not alleviate poverty.
The type and the magnitude of the initiative which is now needed is comparable to Mahatma Gandhi's Quit India Movement,or Roosevelt's New Deal during the GreatDepression in the cause of national reconstruction. This is technologically possible and financially feasible. But the question is,whether the political leadership and thecream of the concerned professions can orwill rise to the occasion sincerely.