Appropriate technology is small-scale technology. It is simple enough that people can manage it directly and on a local level. Appropriate technology makes use of skills and technology that are available in a local community to supply basic human needs, such as gas and electricity, water, food, and waste disposal.
Appropriate technology is decentralized .
These systems are managed centrally by large private corporations or the government. For example, our electricity typically comes from utility companies that operate across many states. Similarly, many of the fruits and vegetables we consume come from large-scale agricultural corporations in California. In contrast, with appropriate technology the person who produces a service or a product also becomes the consumer - the person who uses it. As a result, service and goods are more reliable and of higher quality.