Today, adelphi and Flanders announced the winners of the Green Entrepreneurship Awards 2023 under the Climate Adaptation category by SEED. The awards scheme, a flagship event of adelphi’s Green Entrepreneurship programme, aims to recognise and celebrate the most innovative and promising eco-inclusive and circular enterprises in developing and emerging economies.

The winners and runners-up, who hail from three countries, Botswana, Malawi and Zambia showcased innovative and responsible enterprises, contributing to climate adaptation and implementing models on areas such as biodiversity protection, responsible water management, building community resilience, sustainable land management, and climate-smart agricultural practices in their specific regions and countries.

In Botswana:

• Local entrepreneur Bonolo Monthe founded Maungo Craft which creates environmentally friendly products working with women in its value chain. Maungo Craft has established unique partnerships with indigenous oil manufacturers and smallholder farmers. Through these collaborations, the company contributes to job creation for vulnerable communities at the base of the pyramid, particularly women in rural areas. The company employs about 1,000 harvesters in local communities creating job opportunities for local communities. It is also contributing to food security in Botswana by reducing food waste. It promotes the preservation of Greenhouse gases-absorbing-trees and connects the farming system to indigenous crops.

In Malawi:

• Entrepreneur Joy Hayley Munthali, driven by a vision of empowering women farmers, founded Tawonga Cooking Oil Processing Enterprise in Malawi. With a steadfast commitment to providing a reliable market for women farmers' crops, the company plays a pivotal role in supporting their economic empowerment. Tawonga also practices and advocates for agroforestry, sustainable agriculture, afforestation, and reforestation, contributing to the preservation of natural resources. The enterprise actively engages with female farmers, providing them with valuable insights and agricultural climate adaptation measures.

In Zambia:

• Forest Africa Zambia Limited, founded in 2017, specialises in processing indigenous wild fruits, producing organic and natural juices and baobab seed oil. By applying a zero-waste philosophy, all the parts of the baobab fruit are used. Additionally, some seeds are reserved for reforestation. Forest Africa has started processing other fruits including the Monkey bread and the African Medlar. The income created for local communities is high because wild fruits are free to communities within proximate forests areas.

Yves Wantens, General Representative of Flanders, the primary sponsor of the SEED Climate Adaptation Awards commented: “As climate change continues to take center stage, countries like Botswana, Malawi and Zambia are on the front line feeling the effects rising global temperatures. For this reason, we are so proud to support the Climate Adaptation Awards and provide the exceptional enterprises in these countries with the tools they need to enable green recovery and create lasting change for the wider community and the planet.”

Arab Hoballah, SEED Executive Director, “We commend the excellent quality of entries received this year and extend our heartfelt congratulations to all the deserving winners and runners-up. We are thrilled to celebrate and support MSMEs that are at the forefront of addressing climate change and promoting climate adaptation. As part of our commitment to recognising outstanding initiatives. SEED’s commitment extends beyond the present, as the Climate Adaptation Awards presents an opportunity for enterprises to showcase their innovative models and potentially replicate them in the future. By identifying and supporting climate adaptation initiatives, we are contributing to promoting sustainable practices and building resilient communities.”

Winners of the Green Entrepreneurship Awards will be awarded matching grants of EUR 15,000 and will receive tailored one-to-one advisory services for up to a year to scale their operations, as part of the prestigious SEED Accelerator programme. In line with the principle of ‘awarding the few bests and moving the rest’, 15 runners-up will also receive a matching grant and up to six months capacity building support through the SEED Catalyser programme, to refine their business models and optimise their impacts while advancing their investment readiness.

Get to know all the 2023 Climate Adaptation Awards winners here.

About adelphi

adelphi research gGmbH is a public policy consultancy and think-and-do tank focused on climate, environment and development. At adelphi, we work together with green enterprises, financial institutions and policy makers to unlock finance at scale to secure a climate-neutral and resilient tomorrow.

For more information, please visit: www.adelphi.de/en.