Celebrating 10 Years of SEED Awards (2005-2015)
Published: 22 September 2015
Ten years ago, at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) in New York, 5 enterprises received the first SEED Awards. They were chosen, from a pool of over 260 entries from 66 countries, for their potential to advance sustainable development in their communities and contribute to the UN's Millennium Development Goals. Read more
Plates from Fallen Leaves, Bricks from Plastic Waste and Sight Saving Mobile Apps – Green Innovation Highlighted at 2015 SEED Awards
Published: 09 September 2015
27 eco-inclusive enterprises are recognized at the 2015 SEED Africa Symposium. Read more
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Case Study: Eco Post
Published: 07 September 2015
EcoPost produces posts and building materials from recycled plastic waste in Nairobi. This reduces pollution, preserves forests, and decreases greenhouse gas emissions. Read more
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Case Study: Mooi River Waste Reclaiming
Published: 07 September 2015
Mooi River Waste Reclaiming contributes towards climate change mitigation, conservation, and reduction of air, land and marine pollution by collecting, compacting and selling recyclable waste. Read more
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Case Study: Muliru Farmers
Published: 07 September 2015
Muliru Farmers establishes sustainably-farmed supplies of medicinal plants and raises awareness about forest management which reduces the pressure on Kenya’s last remaining rainforest. Read more
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Case Study: Solar Sister
Published: 07 September 2015
Solar Sister addresses energy poverty in rural Uganda, Nigeria And Tanzania by providing clean energy products to off-grid communities, while at the same time combatting climate change. Read more
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Case Study: Watamu Community Solid Waste Management and Recycling Enterprises
Published: 07 September 2015
Watamu Solid Waste Management and Recycling helps conserve coastal and marine biodiversity by recycling plastic and glass waste. Read more
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Case Study: BanaPads
Published: 07 September 2015
BanaPads produces affordable, effective and hygienic sanitary pads for women in Uganda, made from the natural fibres of banana plant trunks that are an abundant organic waste in agriculture. Read more
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Case Study: Muthi Futhi
Published: 07 September 2015
Muthi Futhi protects local biodiversity by cultivating and processing endangered indigenous medicinal plants. Read more
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Case Study: Provokame
Published: 07 September 2015
Provokame produces biodegradable plates out of natural fibre and seeds and recycles paper; this reduces pollution from polymer plates and decreases greenhouse gas emissions. Read more
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Case Study: Tambul Leaf Plates
Published: 07 September 2015
Tambul Leaf Plates has generated employment or additional income for 3,000 rural community members while reducing pollution from plastic and polystyrene foam plates by over 100 tonnes. Read more
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Enterprise Brief: Alternative Energy Source for Heating
Published: 06 September 2015
Alternative Energy Source for Heating provides briquettes made from rice husks as an energy source for both urban and rural households. Families are consequently less dependent on charcoal or fuelwood, and deforestation and air pollution are reduced. The initiative also promotes youth entrepreneurship. Read more
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Enterprise Brief: Masole Ammele
Published: 06 September 2015
Masole Ammele breeds and grows fish through permaculture techniques in ponds managed by local communities. Each village responsible for a pond receives training on organic fish breeding and generates income from selling the fish, while the enterprise earns a commission. Read more
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The next challenge for impact investing: Scaling up support to early stage social enterprises
Published: 13 August 2015 Bertil van Vugt, Mirko Zürker
The growth and success of green and inclusive business models with high impact potential is central to the challenges many emerging economies are facing. Read more
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Water for Life – innovative and entrepreneurial ways of storing water in semi-arid regions of Brazil
Published: 30 July 2015 Carolin Ehrensperger, Daniele Cesano, Thais Corral
Access to water is not only about meeting basic human needs; it is critical to sustainable development, too. Read more
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Enterprise Brief: Black Gold Farm Manure
Published: 06 July 2015
Black Gold Farm Manure sells natural fertiliser produced from chicken manure and farm residues acquired from local smallholder farmers to households and farms in Malawi, providing training and employment to women and farmers from local communities. Read more
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Enterprise Brief: Bwengu Tomato Production and Processing
Published: 06 July 2015
Bwengu Tomato Production and Processing is a cooperative that applies a resource efficient system for tomato plantations. Its members run a water-saving drip irrigation system for the plantations and sell both raw tomatoes as well as tomato sauce in nearby markets. Read more
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Enterprise Brief: COMSOL Cooperative for Environmental Solutions
Published: 06 July 2015
“COMSOL Cooperative for Environmental Solutions” is a women-led initiative that collects, buys, separates, cleans and resells recyclable solid waste to companies in Maputo. The initiative benefits individuals in vulnerable conditions in neighbouring areas by involving them in the collection process. Read more
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Enterprise Brief: Days for Girls Uganda
Published: 06 July 2015
Days for Girls Uganda empowers girls and women around menstrual hygiene. Partnering with local community groups, the enterprise provides training for women to produce and distribute washable menstrual hygiene kits and soaps, while supporting with business training, reproductive health education, and community awareness. Read more
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Enterprise Brief: East Africa Fruit Farm and Company
Published: 06 July 2015
East Africa Fruit Farm and Company trades and markets fresh fruit and vegetables, significantly reducing post-harvest losses by cold storage and powering all activities with renewable energy. Smallholder farmers in the supply chain are supported with fair prices and readily prepared land. Read more
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Enterprise Brief: EcoBrick Exchange
Published: 06 July 2015
By turning rubbish into building materials, the EcoBrick Exchange tackles plastic pollution on the streets, teaches environmental awareness, generates community participation, and assists in building education centres. Read more
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Enterprise Brief: Hortinet
Published: 06 July 2015
Hortinet specializes in sourcing and supplying urban markets in Malawi with various organic horticultural produce grown in the enterprise’s land and in outsourced smallholder farms. The enterprise maintains production contracts with local farmers and provides them with training and extension services. Read more
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Enterprise Brief: Khepri Biosciences
Published: 06 July 2015
Responding to food insecurity and the increasing cost of animal farming in rural South Africa, Khepri Biosciences is piloting the cultivation of insect larvae on abattoir refuse, processing them into low cost, high protein animal feed. Read more
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Enterprise Brief: Lighting Up Women's Lives
Published: 06 July 2015
Lighting Up Women’s Lives has developed a model to support women entrepreneurship and facilitate affordable access to solar lights and chargers to rural villages of the Kavango region by creating synergies with the existing network and supply chain of established handicrafts companies. Read more
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