0045-A3

The DIFRON (Distance From Nature) Index

Shahbaz Ahmad ¹

Abstract

The DIFRON Index is being proposed to measure the status of the fulfillment of basic physical needs (through eco-compatible means) of a family or society. The proposal of such an Index may seem strange at a time when the whole world is rushing towards consumerism in an unsustainable way. Yet, the easily calculable DIFRON Index may give some food for thought for some people who are really concerned about Nature, Environment and People.

1. INTRODUCTION

Over the last many decades there has been a great deal of economic development all over the world. Yet poverty, impoverishment and social problems continue to thrive in a more intensive form. Every country of the world has been pursuing the development model of industrialized countries, and in so doing has been neglecting and eliminating the useful, eco-compatible, traditional, indigenous sustainable systems of life. The traditional societies, untouched by the sprawling development have been existing for centuries in tune with nature. They have been meeting their basic physical and psychological needs without having any adverse effect on the environment. Helena Norberg - Hodge who spent 18 years in Ladakh has observed that the people were self-reliant and content before the advent of tourism and other developmental activities. They were an ecologically adapted society without any poverty and impoverishment. With an unfounded assumption that these people are backward, poor and undeveloped western style development was imposed on them. The people of Ladakh are paying a high psychological and social price of a type of development that isolates people from one another (NORBERG-HODGE, 2000).

Ecologically adapted societies have existed all throughout the world and remnants of such societies can still be found. But all have been shattered by forces in the modern world that encourage people to act on their consumptive desires. The influence of social pressure in mass societies, advertising, the shopping culture, various government policies and the expansion of the mass market into the traditional realm of household and self-reliance are some of the modern factors which play a role in cultivating particularly voracious appetites (DURNING, 1991).

While the unsustainable way of life goes on it would be worthwhile to have a stock of how deviated and distracted we are from a path of eco-compatible development.

2. NECESSITY OF A NATURE RELATED INDEX:

Since conventional economics has been the guiding force of Western style development, industrial growth, GNP, GDP per capita income etc. were the inevitable indicators of development. Later the United Nations took the trouble of introducing the Human Development Index (HDI) and the Gender Development Index (GDI) (UN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT REPORT, 1997). Besides the criteria of income the only other parameters of calculating HDI & GDI were literacy rate and longevity at birth. Evidently such indicators would keep the rich industrial countries at the top. These indicators do not even remotely indicate the environmental degradation, the increasing social problems and the adverse psychological effects of development on the people. Although their have been some attempts to propose other indicators on the basis of psycho-social needs (MAX-NEEF, 1989) there has been no concrete effort to quantify how far we have deviated from being an ecological society. The DIFRON (Distance From Nature) Index is one such proposal to have an idea how far a family, a locality or a society has departed from being an ecological society.

A Nature related Index like the proposed DIFRON Index is essential to have a glimpse of the status of a family or a society and to ponder over the overall policy modification which will be essential to move toward a sustainable way of life.

3. PARAMETERS & CALCULATION OF DIFRON INDEX:

An ideal ecological society would be meeting all its basic physical and psychological needs from their locality through their labour without adversely affecting the environment. The activities for meeting the physical needs are so oriented that their natural outcome is the fulfillment of psychological needs. The DIFRON Index has parameters which deal with the meeting of physical needs only. A separate index would have to be developed to measure the status of the fulfillment of psychological needs and then a correlation may be found between such Index and the DIFRON Index.

The parameters of the DIFRON index and their valuation procedure proposed is given below. Ten parameters and 17 indicators have been suggested. The indicators under each parameter has been given a maximum valuation of 10 points. Thus the DIFRON Index would range from 0 to 100. Even if not mentioned, the parameter has to be valued for a family. The index of the village or locality can be calculated by averaging the valuation for the families (Table-1).

(1) Family time & Labour

In an ecologically adapted society all labour is on fields, gardens, pasture lands or in house. Work is enjoyed and there is no specific differentiation between work and leisure. Hence the two indicators are:

(i) % of working hour spent on housework, agriculture field, garden, nearby forest or pasture land

The valuation would be obtained by dividing by 20 such percentage (rounding the figure so obtained to the nearest whole number; decimal values from 0 to 0.49 are assumed to be zero and from 0.5 above would be treated as 1) and subtracting it from 5.

(ii) % of leisure time spent on modern forms of entertainment

In traditional societies leisure time is spent in the family or community entertainment. Modern forms of entertainment as TV, Movies, etc. keep the people aloof from one another. The more usage of such form of entertainment indicates a further departure from Nature.

The valuation of this indicator would be obtained by dividing the percentage by 20.

Office of the Field Director, Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, Umaria(M.P.)

(2) Food and fodder availability through natural means

Traditional societies have been self-reliant in producing their food. Self-sufficiency in basic needs has also been the Gandhian vision of development. Mahatma Gandhi visualised every village as a self-sufficient and self-contained unit exchanging only such necessary commodities with other villages where they are not locally producible (GANDHI, 1927) .

It has been due to the neglect of local food products and emphasis on cash cropping by International Donor Agencies that many African countries are now struggling with famines (TWOSE, 1985).

Hence the 2 indicators are:

(i) % of food grain and other food products produced on own field or from own animals or procured out of production from the village or nearby households

As the maximum value of this indicator is 5, the valuation would be obtained by dividing such %age by 20 and subtracting the result from 5. Hence if 100% of food gain and other food products is obtained from own field or procured from the village, the valuation would be:
5 - 100 / 20 = 0

i.e. in this respect, the family is not the least distant from the Natural way.

(ii) % of fodder available to domestic animals from family farm products or procured from the village or from available pasture lands

The valuation would be done the some way as in (i). If not mentioned otherwise, it will be assumed that the valuation procedure is the same.

(3) Natural Farming

Food and fodder produced without the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides is more healthy and nourishing. There are highly successful farmers in many countries who obtain excellent yields without resort to such chemicals and without raising any doubt about long-term soil fertility and health (SCHUMACHER, 1973). It has almost been proved that Natural Farming is ecologically and even economically better than the modern farming systems being imposed (FUKUOKA, 1978).

The 2 indicators are:

(i) % of food grain and other food products consumed which has been produced without the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides or other synthetic products.
(ii) % of fertilizers/pesticides used, which has been naturally produced by the family, e.g. through vermiculture, composting, etc.

If the family has procured the fertilizers/pesticides from somewhere else and is not sure about its nature, it will be assumed that it is synthetic.

(4) Clothing

Clothing is an essential basic need. Traditional societies have been meeting this need in a local way. Hence the indicator would be:

% of all type of clothing required which is produced by the family or procured from production in the village or nearby households.

Since there is only one indicator for this parameter, the valuation would be done by dividing the %age so obtained by 10 and subtracting the result from 10.

(5) Housing

In an ecological society, the house-building material is locally produced and the family puts its own labour to build the house. Hence the 2 indicators are-

(i) % of house construction/repair labour provided by the family (only actual manual work is to be counted).
(ii) % of house building material (bamboo, small timber, bricks, etc.) produced by the family or procured from the village or nearby households.

(6) Health Care

Traditional health care systems have been existing for centuries. This traditional knowledge has been gradually eroded and forgotten due to the imposition of modern medical systems which is very harmful and only a commercial venture. People have to take medicines without knowing its nature and effects. Mahatma Gandhi has also pointed out that merely providing medical treatment was the laziest form of service and often even mischievous because it tends to undermine self-reliance and make people more helpless (GANDHI, 1935).

Adopting natural health care systems means a shift towards nature and vice-versa. Hence the indicator would be worded as:

% of health ailments taken care of by traditional health care practices, locally grown medicinal plants and other products etc.

The valuation would be done the same way as in parameter 4.

(7) Education

Unwritten education has always been there in the ecologically adapted societies passing on traditional wisdom from generation to generation. Although societies which have no literacy would fail in this parameter (as it includes literacy), there have been many traditional societies which had education with literacy (e.g. the monasteries of Ladakh). Moreover, agriculture and health care practices had been essential components of traditional education. Mahatma Gandhi has also emphasized that as in the life of the people so also in school, agriculture should have the first place (GANDHI, 1927).

Hence the two indicators are:

(i) availability of literacy facility upto primary level in the village or within a walking distance

If the answer is yes, the value is 0, if no 5.

(ii) inclusion of traditional agriculture and health care practices in the primary level curriculum

The valuation would be similar as in (i).

(8) Energy requirement

The ecologically adapted societies have been meeting their energy requirements in a sustainable way. Even a present semi-urban society can be energy efficient and self-sufficient by using the alternate energy sources. If efforts are made, the energy requirements can easily be met by proper policy and planning.

The 2 indicators of energy requirements are:

(iii) % of fuelwood (or other fuel) produced by the family or procured from the village or nearby households or available in the nearby forest.
(iv) % of energy requirement met through fuelwood, indigenous methods or alternate low-cost locally appropriate energy devices.

(9) Influence of Monetary Economics

The economy of traditional societies has largely been non-monetary. A monetary economy brings more dependence on the market and reduces self-sufficiency and self-reliance. Hence the 2 indicators for this would be -

(i) % of family income going for intoxicating drinks, drugs, smoking or other wasteful expenditure.
(ii) % of requirement of basic needs of food, clothing, shelter, health care, education, on which money is spent.

The valuation of both the above indicators would be obtained by dividing the %age by 20.

(10) Overall fulfillment of basic needs

The above 9 parameters are related in one way or the other to meeting of basic physical human needs in an eco-compatible manner. But the main point would be to see whether the overall basic needs of the family is being met or not. Hence the last parameter is a strong one with a maximum valuation of 10. Its indicator may be worded as:

% of the total requirement of food, clothing, shelter, health care and education, which is being met in the village or within an easy distance.

The valuation procedure here would be different. Divide the %age obtained by 10 and subtract from 10. If the valuation is from 0-2 it will be written as such. If the valuation is above 2 it will be written as 10. It is so because if a family is not able to meet even 80% of its basic needs, it is facing great hardship. In such a case there is a significant deviation from the ecological adaptation, either of the family or the village as a whole.

The total of all the valuation of the above 17 indicators would indicate how deviated a society is from an ideal ecologically adapted society, for which the Index should be near zero. A society with DIFRON Index from 0-20 is not much deviated and interventions with appropriate technologies would help the society to meet its basic requirements alongwith conserving its psycho-social security and integrity. If a society has DIFRON Index above 80 it means it is an urban society depending highly on monetary economy. It can only strive to slow-down its pace of harmful development. But it would be very difficult for it to become an ecologically adaptable sustainable society.

4. SUMMARY

In the quest for development, great devastation and destruction has taken place. Blinded by the so called economic progress we have not bothered to review how far we have deviated from the ecologically compatible, sustainable ways of life. The DIFRON Index proposed gives an indication of the deviation status of a family or society. Calculation of the DIFRON Index is simple and easy and does not require any difficult mathematics or statistics. The DIFRON Index is based or the fulfillment of basic physical human needs. Another index to give an indication of the status of fulfillment of basic psychological needs also requires to be developed.

5. REFERENCES

1. DURNING, ALAN (1991) : "Asking How Much is Enough" in State of the World, 1991; World Watch Institute, NEW DELHI

2. FUKUOKA, MASANOBU (1978) : "The One-Straw Revolution : An Introduction to Natural Farming"; Rodale, PENNSYLVANIA

3. GANDHI, M.K. (1935): Harijan (29-03-1935)

4. GANDHI, M.K. (1927): National Education, Navjivan (05-06-1927)

5. GANDHI, M.K. (1927) : Swadeshi in Service, Navjivan (29-05-2927)

6. MAX-NEEF, et.al (1989) : "Human Scale Development" Development Dialogue (1989-1); Dag Hammerksjold Foundation, UPPALA.

7. NORBERG-HODGE, HELENA (2000) : Ancient Futures-Learning from Ladakh; Rider, LONDON

8. SCUMACHER, E.F. (1973): Small is Beautiful; Rupa & Co., ALLAHABAD (U.P.)

9. TWOSE, NIGEL (1985) :Fighting the famine; Pluto Press Ltd., LONDON

10. UN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT REPORT (1997) : Oxford University Press, OXFORD

¹ Conservator of Forest
General Manager(Development)
State Minor Forest Produce Federation
BHOPAL (M.P.) - INDIA