Kadagaya is developing a research centre for appropriate technology with the long-term goal of facilitating social change for the benefit of all of the biosphere. Our long-term direction is inspired by the concepts of a resource-based economy. Our campus is located in Junin, Peru, where we are in the process of building a research centre and an experimental village that will act as a test bed for the developed technologies. We have a broad definition of ”technology”, beyond machines and software, which includes any tool that can be used to increase the efficiency of a process. We are focusing on open-source technologies that facilitate self-sufficiency of small communities, reduce human labour, and increase quality of life. We aim to simplify thetechnologies to a point where they are affordable and accessible to all. As accessibility of knowledge is fundamental to social development, all generated knowledge is freely available to anyone who is interested.
The Kadagaya team formed in order to develop appropriate technologies for enabling alternative social systems. The concept most closely aligned with our ideals is that of a resource-based economy (RBE), and we use these general ideals to direct our research. We are registered as a non-profit association under Peruvian law.
Appropriate technology is a movement based on the idea that most advanced technology is inappropriate for developing countries and that intermediate technologies based on locally available materials are often better. We are specifically interested in developing open-source appropriate technology, where the designs and generated knowledge are freely available.
The Kadagaya campus is located in Chanchamayo, Junin, Peru. We are located around 400 km from the capital city of Lima in the Central Jungle (Selva Central) between the Andes mountain range and the Amazon basin. It is a tropical region with an economy based mainly on agriculture.
The difference between hypothesis and theory, and why it matters We live in an increasingly technological society, where our lives literally depend on the technological systems upon which our society is built. Every aspect of Read more…
Fast-growing nutritious crops for uncertain times The global COVID-19 crisis is highlighting many of the flaws of our current economic and social system. In a matter of weeks, many countries faced shortages of basic needs. Read more…
Pineapple vinegar The Kadagaya campus is located in an agricultural region and is surrounded by pineapple plantations. There is often a lot of wasted produce as the fruit needs to be harvested quite ripe. If Read more…
Magnetic gearbox for the hydroelectric plant As energy security for the campus is a major priority at Kadagaya, we have constructed a gravitational vortex hydroelectric plant on our river. In addition to providing electricity, extensive Read more…
Earthworm farm Earthworms are an important part of a healthy soil ecosystem. They have a positive effect on the fertility and structure of the soil. The earthworms digest organic matter in soil and produce excrement Read more…
Kadagaya from the air We have performed several surveys of the campus site to assist in applying the infrastructure design to the terrain. In late 2019 drone footage was taken and used to construct a Read more…