Measuring development through wellbeing, sustainability and more [Commentary]

- While GDP remains indispensable for measuring economic activity, it doesn’t capture the quality, equity or sustainability of development. - In contrast, measuring Biohappiness tells us whether that growth is creating healthier people, healthier ecosystems and more resilient communities. - By embedding Biohappiness into national accounting, India has the opportunity to offer a practical model for countries seeking development that is equitable, resilient and truly sustainable. - The views in this commentary are that of the authors. India’s development story, like much of the world, continues to be told through a single number: Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Every quarter, GDP growth dominates headlines, shaping perceptions of economic success and influencing policy priorities. Yet GDP measures only the value of goods and services produced within an economy. It does not reveal whether soils are becoming more fertile, biodiversity is recovering, water resources are being replenished, diets are becoming healthier, or communities are becoming more resilient. While GDP remains indispensable for measuring economic activity, it was never designed to capture the quality, equity or sustainability of development. Recognising these limitations, the recently released report of the United Nations High-Level Expert Group on Beyond GDP, Counting What Counts: A Compass of Progress for People and Planet, urges countries to complement GDP with a broader framework that measures well-being, equity, sustainability and resilience. Rather than replacing GDP, the report recommends integrating these measures into planning, budgeting and accountability systems so that governments assess what truly matters for long-term human progress. For India, this call is particularly timely. Over the past three decades, the country has achieved remarkable economic growth, lifting millions out of poverty and becoming one of the world’s largest economies. Yet this progress has coincided with ecological degradation, groundwater depletion, biodiversity loss, climate vulnerability, nutritional insecurity and growing pressure on rural livelihoods. Economic output can continue to rise even as the natural and social systems that sustain it are steadily weakened. Relying solely on GDP therefore risks encouraging policies that maximise short-term production while undermining long-term resilience. India has an opportunity not only to embrace the global Beyond GDP agenda but also to enrich it through a uniquely Indian framework inspired by Professor M. S. Swaminathan’s vision of Biohappiness. From GDP to Biohappiness For M. S. Swaminathan, development was never synonymous with economic growth alone. His vision of the Evergreen Revolution emphasised productivity in perpetuity, growth that enhances rather than depletes natural resources. Agriculture, in this philosophy, should simultaneously generate food, nutrition, sustainable livelihoods and ecological security. Economic progress is meaningful only when it improves human well-being while conserving the natural resource base for future generations. Biohappiness extends this philosophy beyond agriculture to the wider economy. It recognises that prosperity depends not only on rising incomes but also on healthy ecosystems, nutritious food systems, resilient communities and inclusive institutions. Unlike many subjective measures of happiness, Biohappiness is grounded in measurable assets that generate well-being over time, providing India with a practical framework for implementing the UN Beyond GDP agenda within its own ecological, cultural and developmental context. Measuring Biohappiness through the five capitals A Biohappiness framework can be organised around the Five Capitals that together determine a nation’s long-term wealth. Natural capital includes forests, biodiversity, soils, rivers, wetlands and climate systems that sustain food production, water security and ecosystem services. Human capital comprises health, nutrition, education, skills and knowledge. Social capital encompasses trust, community institutions, traditional knowledge and collective action. Physical capital includes infrastructure, technology and productive assets, while financial capital represents incomes, savings and other economic resources. Conventional GDP largely reflects physical and financial capital while overlooking the condition of natural, human and social capital, the very assets on which future prosperity depends. Similarly, the UN Beyond GDP framework identifies natural, human, social, institutional and produced capital as the foundations of sustainable development. A Biohappiness Index built around the Five Capitals would therefore provide a more complete picture of national progress by measuring whether economic growth is simultaneously restoring ecosystems, strengthening human capabilities and enhancing social resilience. India’s development paradox India’s development trajectory illustrates why such an approach has become essential. Agricultural production has increased substantially, yet dietary diversity remains inadequate, contributing to persistent micronutrient deficiencies, widespread anaemia and rising obesity. Groundwater depletion threatens future food production, land degradation reduces productivity and biodiversity continues to decline despite its critical role in climate resilience and ecosystem services. These challenges are deeply interconnected. Degraded ecosystems reduce agricultural diversity, which in turn limits dietary diversity and nutritional outcomes. Declining natural resources weaken rural livelihoods, accelerate migration and increase vulnerability to climate shocks. GDP captures only the market transactions arising from these processes, not the depletion of the ecological and social assets that sustain development. A Biohappiness framework would make these hidden foundations visible. Indicators such as soil organic carbon, biodiversity status, ecosystem restoration, groundwater recharge, dietary diversity, healthy life expectancy, maternal and child nutrition, education, meaningful employment and community participation would provide policymakers with a far richer understanding of development than economic output alone. Social capital is equally important. Community seed banks, women’s self-help groups, Farmer Producer Organisations, sacred groves and Panchayati Raj Institutions demonstrate how trust, local governance and collective action strengthen biodiversity conservation, improve livelihoods and build resilience. Yet these contributions remain largely invisible in conventional economic statistics. Physical infrastructure should likewise be evaluated not only for its contribution to production but also for its ability to strengthen resilience, reduce environmental impacts and support sustainable livelihoods. Financial capital should be assessed not merely through aggregate income growth but also through its stability, inclusiveness and contribution to long-term sustainability. Recognising the need to move beyond conceptual discussions towards practical measurement, the M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) has initiated efforts to develop and test a Biohappiness Index (BHI). Designed to complement rather than replace GDP, the Biohappiness Index seeks to capture the ecological, nutritional and social dimensions of development that conventional economic indicators overlook. Pilot testing across diverse agroecological landscapes will generate evidence on how investments in ecosystem restoration, dietary diversity, resilient livelihoods and community institutions translate into measurable improvements in well-being. These pilots will refine scientifically robust indicators, establish practical monitoring methodologies and demonstrate how Biohappiness can be integrated into planning, monitoring and evaluation systems. Over time, the framework has the potential to evolve from village- and district-level applications into state and national accounting, positioning Biohappiness as India’s distinctive contribution to the global Beyond GDP movement. Embedding Biohappiness into national accounting The greatest contribution of the UN Beyond GDP report is its recognition that broader measures of progress must move beyond academic debate and become part of routine government decision-making. Countries are encouraged to establish national dashboards and integrate them into planning, budgeting and accountability systems so that public policy reflects long-term societal well-being rather than economic output alone. India can build on this recommendation by embedding Biohappiness within its existing statistical architecture. Rather than replacing GDP, the country could introduce Biohappiness Satellite Accounts alongside conventional national accounts. These would systematically track changes in natural, human, social, physical and financial capital while retaining GDP as the principal measure of economic activity. Annual Biohappiness Dashboards could accompany the Union Budget, the Economic Survey and State Budgets, providing policymakers with an integrated assessment of economic growth alongside ecological sustainability, nutrition, social resilience and human development. State-level Biohappiness scorecards could support NITI Aayog, guide Finance Commission transfers and strengthen localisation of the Sustainable Development Goals. At the local level, district dashboards and panchayat Biohappiness profiles would enable governments to monitor progress using indicators relevant to their ecological, economic and social contexts. Advances in remote sensing, geographic information systems, artificial intelligence and digital data platforms make such monitoring increasingly feasible. At the same time, community-based monitoring can capture dimensions such as traditional knowledge, social cohesion and institutional effectiveness that cannot be measured remotely. Together, these approaches would create a robust evidence base for more informed development planning. Embedding Biohappiness into national accounting would fundamentally change the questions governments ask. Alongside measuring economic growth, policymakers would evaluate whether development is restoring ecosystems, improving nutrition, strengthening community institutions, reducing inequalities and safeguarding natural resources for future generations. National progress would no longer be judged solely by how much India produces, but also by how well it sustains the ecological and social foundations of future prosperity. Delivering tangible results The real value of Biohappiness lies not in creating another index but in reshaping policy incentives and improving development outcomes. Measuring natural capital would encourage ecosystem restoration, improved soil fertility, groundwater recharge, biodiversity conservation and climate resilience. Agricultural policies could increasingly support crop diversification, agroecology, sustainable water management and nutrient-rich food systems rather than focusing primarily on production volumes. Monitoring human capital would encourage greater investment in nutrition, preventive healthcare, quality education, skills development and meaningful employment. Recognising social capital would strengthen support for women’s collectives, Farmer Producer Organisations, community seed banks and local governance institutions that improve natural resource management and build resilience. Economic planning could increasingly favour green enterprises, circular economy initiatives and climate-resilient livelihoods that generate both environmental and economic benefits. Perhaps most importantly, Biohappiness would transform public investment decisions. Budget allocations could be assessed not only by their economic returns but also by their contribution to ecological restoration, improved nutrition, reduced inequalities and stronger community resilience. This would encourage greater collaboration across ministries, recognising that investments in healthy ecosystems also improve agriculture, public health, livelihoods and climate adaptation. India already offers numerous examples demonstrating that these principles are practical rather than theoretical. The revival of millets has strengthened climate resilience, improved nutrition and enhanced farm incomes. Sacred groves continue to conserve biodiversity through community stewardship, while agroforestry systems combine ecological restoration with productive agriculture. Across rural India, women’s self-help groups have strengthened both social and financial capital by expanding livelihoods, improving access to credit and enhancing local governance. These experiences show that the foundations of Biohappiness already exist; what is needed is a national framework that recognises, measures and rewards them. Redefining progress The 21st century demands a broader understanding of prosperity. Climate change, biodiversity loss, nutritional insecurity and widening inequalities demonstrate that economic growth alone cannot guarantee sustainable development. GDP remains an essential measure of economic performance, but it is no longer sufficient as the principal indicator of national progress. India now has a unique opportunity to become one of the first countries to systematically integrate Biohappiness into national accounting while aligning itself with the emerging global Beyond GDP agenda. Rather than replacing GDP, Biohappiness complements it by measuring the nation’s natural, human, social, physical and financial capital alongside conventional economic indicators. Such an approach would enable governments to assess whether economic growth is restoring ecosystems, nourishing people, strengthening communities and securing prosperity for future generations. This approach also resonates strongly with India’s own civilizational traditions, which have long viewed human well-being as inseparable from harmony with nature and society. By combining this heritage with modern science, digital technologies and evidence-based policymaking, India can pioneer a development model that is both globally relevant and locally rooted. Ultimately, GDP tells us how fast the economy is growing. Biohappiness tells us whether that growth is creating healthier people, healthier ecosystems and more resilient communities. In an era defined by planetary boundaries and climate uncertainty, that distinction is no longer optional. It is the foundation of a new development paradigm, one that measures not only the wealth a nation creates, but also the natural, human and social capital that sustains it. By embedding Biohappiness into national accounting, India has the opportunity to redefine progress for the 21st century and offer a practical model for countries seeking development that is equitable, resilient and truly sustainable. Soumya Swaminathan is the Chair and Oliver King EDI is the Director, Biodiversity, both at M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation. Banner image: A farmer sowing seeds in a fiekd in Nagpur. Economic progress is meaningful only when it improves human well-being while conserving the natural resource base for future generations. Image via Pexels.