Publisher’s Comments and Table of Contents – December 2025

Welcome to the Appropriate Technology December 2025 issue.

As 2025 draws to a close, this issue of Appropriate Technology highlights an extraordinary breadth of innovation emerging from communities, laboratories, and development programmes across the globe. What unites these stories is a shared commitment to technology that is human-centred, equitable, and environmentally restorative.

Our News Briefing illustrates how unconventional thinking continues to reshape problem solving. A breakthrough toothpaste derived from human hair waste demonstrates circular-economy ingenuity. A newly developed artificial intestine offers major advances in analysing aquaculture feeds, while a novel field kit supports rapid diagnosis of diseases threatening banana crops. We also spotlight an AI-enabled stethoscope that could transform frontline medical care, and the NAVAC initiative bringing nutrient-dense aquatic foods to vulnerable households.

Agriculture and Food systems again feature prominently, with field reports on sustainable cocoa production and land restoration in São Tomé and Príncipe, and the rapid spread of Miyawaki pocket forests. We review Nescafé’s surpassing of its 2025 regenerative agriculture targets and recognise the critical economic and cultural role of indigenous women in Timor-Leste’s artisanal shellfisheries. Complementing these, a broader analysis explores how African nutrition outcomes can improve through integrated food system reform.

Energy transition narratives continue to evolve, from the pursuit of a just transition that centres local development to  the ambitious “MISSION 300” programme electrifying Africa.

Our Health and Wellbeing section underscores both progress and persistent challenges: stalled advancements against malaria, an innovative mosquito-control method, a field-tested module improving outreach quality, renewed threats from New World screwworms, and a breakthrough venom-treatment technology.

Climate Change adaptation remains urgent, as new technologies emerge to help communities stay cool amid intensifying heat. We also look ahead through Appropedia’s vision for the future of appropriate technology and celebrate Mozambique’s Micaia Foundation achieving Sand Dam Worldwide certification.

Finally, we acknowledge the global movement of Wind Empowerment and reflect on the key lessons from previous years' major development conferences.

Ras Patel - Publishing Director
raspatel@appropriate-technology.com