Grassroots Innovation
Anil K. Gupta faced an unsettling realisation whilst consulting on agricultural reform in Bangladesh during the mid-1980s. Rural communities possessed extraordinary ingenuity, yet received pittance for their contributions. This glaring disparity sparked something profound in him, ultimately birthing the Honey Bee Network, a movement that would champion thousands of overlooked problem-solvers across the developing world. Over twenty years, Gupta and his dedicated team ventured into villages, documenting remarkable creations born from necessity and observation. The Mitti Cool cooler and Meghalaya's living root bridges stand as testament to what determined people can achieve without corporate funding or institutional backing. His central argument challenges everything we assume about progress: the world's toughest challenges won't yield to expensive laboratories alone. Instead, genuine solutions often hide in plain sight among those closest to the problem. This book dismantles the mythology surrounding innovation, revealing it as something far more democratic and human than boardrooms suggest. Part manifesto, part memoir, it's a stirring account from someone who chose to listen rather than lecture. Gupta demonstrates how bridging the gap between formal research and street-level wisdom could transform the way society tackles its most stubborn problems. Essential reading for anyone disillusioned with top-down solutions.
- Author: GUPTA ANIL K.
- Publisher: Penguin Portfolio
- Genre: Agriculture & Farming
- ISBN: 978-0143448327
- Pages: 288 pages