Traditional knowledge
Also called: Traditional practices · Topic: Environment and Sustainable Development · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 7 "Environment and Sustainable Development"
Meaning
Traditional knowledge is the store of old, local know-how that people used in farming, healthcare, housing and transport. These ways of living were environment-friendly because Indians saw themselves as "a component of the environment and not its controller". Reviving this knowledge is one of NCERT's strategies for sustainable development, which means growth that does not harm future generations. It matters because it offers low-cost, low-pollution options that are already tested by time.
Example
India has about 15,000 medicinal plant species, and about 8,000 are in regular use in Ayurveda, Unani, Tibetan and folk systems. Herbal cosmetics are a modern revival. They have few side effects and need no heavy chemical processing. The Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL, 2001) protects this knowledge from biopiracy, which is when others patent it without permission. Foreign patents on turmeric (1997) and neem were cancelled.
Related concepts
- Vermicomposting
- Biopest control
- Integrated pest management
- Organic farming
- Organic food
- Natural farming
- Zero budget natural farming
- Conservation agriculture
- Zero tillage
- Direct seeded rice