The Observer features stories about five SEED Winners in a special on climate change
Published: 26 May 2015
How can local communities help to save the environment and better their lives? To answer this question the Observer Tech Monthly of the Guardian spoke with Helen Marquard, Executive Director of SEED. Read more
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Botanica Natural Products, a SEED Story from South Africa
Published: 26 May 2015
Botanica Natural Products has developed a method of extracting beneficial substances from Bulbine frutescens, a traditional medicinal plant, for the cosmetic industry. The plant is cultivated and processed organically in its indigenous location in rural Limpopo, and its commercial use provides employment opportunities in the marginalised area. The local community further benefits through an Access and Benefit Sharing agreement. Read more
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greenABLE, a SEED Story from South Africa
Published: 26 May 2015
greenABLE has found an innovative solution for recycling empty printer cartridges. The recycled plastic and metals are sold, generating a steady flow of income and employment opportunities for previously unemployed persons with disabilities. Jobs are being created in the enterprise’s recycling facility or as greenAGENTS who run their own home-based cartridge collection business and sell the collected cartridges back to the enterprise. Read more
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Reel Gardening, a SEED Story from South Africa
Published: 26 May 2015
Claire Reid Reel Gardening provides consumers with a pre-fertilised seed strip that encases seeds at the correct depth and distance apart and offers planting instructions in seven languages. Implemented by a youth organisation with assistance from government and social development programmes, the initiative aims to create sustainable subsistence gardens throughout South Africa. Read more
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Green Bio Energy, a SEED Story from Uganda
Published: 26 May 2015
Green Bio Energy is a social enterprise, which offers low-income Ugandan families access to cost-saving, eco-friendly and safe energy solutions. They produce and sell Briketi Charcoal Briquettes, as well as an own brand of energy-efficient stoves, Briketi Eco Stoves. The enterprise also provides individuals and organizations with trainings on micro-enterprise management or briquettes production, and sells equipments for small-scale briquettes production. Read more
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The SEED Virtual Exhibition - to be launched on 27 May 2015!
Published: 11 May 2015
Embark with us on a journey towards SEED's vision of a world of flourishing communities where social and environmental entrepreneurship drives sustainable development. Experience how SEED Winners achieve measurable impacts and see how SEED is joining forces with others to build an enabling environment for eco-entrepreneurship. Read more
Greening South Africa’s economy: improved business development support for social and environmental enterprises
Published: 06 May 2015 Julia Rohe-Frydrych, Rest Kanju
According to World Bank, South Africa ranks as an upper-middle income economy, representing the second-largest economy in Africa. While disposing of an abundant supply of natural resources and a modern infrastructure, unemployment, poverty, and inequality remain a challenge. Read more
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SEED Winners stand out in International Climate Initiative (IKI) photo contest
Published: 24 April 2015
The International Climate Initiative (IKI) invited all IKI projects and their partners to participate in a photo competition themed „IMPACTS“. Twelve winning photos were selected, among them the SEED Low Carbon Award Winners Un Litro de Luz (Colombia) and Nuru Energy (Uganda). Read more
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Ten years of SEED Awards (2005-2015): A rich experience in promoting entrepreneurship for sustainable development
Published: 20 April 2015 Anais Mangin, Helen Marquard
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How the business of bees contributes to sustainable development
Published: 10 April 2015 Amélie Heuër, Carolin Ehrensperger
Bees play a vital part in our natural ecosystems as they are responsible for the pollination of many fruit, nuts, vegetables and other species. Read more
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Green and social entrepreneurship; a pathway to sustainable water management?
Published: 22 March 2015 Amélie Heuër, Carolin Ehrensperger
This year, World Water Day* emphasises the crucial relationship between water and sustainable development. Indeed we all know that water is fundamental to our well-being and when we think of water, the first thoughts that often spring to mind are access to drinking water or water for food production. Read more
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Protecting wildlife by turning elephant dung into paper: A business case?
Published: 03 March 2015 Carolin Ehrensperger, Jona Liebl
It has long been acknowledged that the equilibrium between humans and wildlife is one that can hang in the delicate balance at the best of times, a devastating one-sided scaling at worst. Read more
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SEED Awards 2015 - Apply by 31 March 2015!
Published: 06 February 2015
In 2015 SEED will make available up to 31 SEED Awards, for which SEED has received support from the European Union, the Government of Flanders, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) and the international law firm Hogan Lovells. Additional support is provided by the Government of the Netherlands and other SEED Partners. Read more
How to improve support to social and environmental enterprises in Mozambique?
Published: 16 January 2015 Rainer Agster
Since the end of the civil war in 1992 Mozambique has experienced impressive growth rates of 6-8 per cent; embodying the new optimism regarding Africa’s economic outlook. Read more
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Small meets big: How partnering with large corporations can scale impact of sustainable entrepreneurs
Published: 23 December 2014 Anais Mangin, Helen Marquard
Are locally-driven social and environmental enterprises too small to have an impact? We at SEED don’t think so, and Organic Africa demonstrates that. In 2007, when everyone was leaving Zimbabwe due to political and economic turmoil, Dominikus Collenberg started to train smallholders in the organic production of herbs, spices and oils. Read more
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SEED Annual Report 2014
Published: 17 December 2014 Amélie Heuër, Anais Mangin, Helen Marquard, Jona Liebl, Mirko Zürker, Rainer Agster
2014 was truly exceptional; a year where SEED recognised over forty new SEED Winners - remarkable enterprises that generate grassroots eco-solutions at the grassroots. This and more great SEED achievements in our annual report. Read more
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Launch of the Inclusive Business Action Network: SEED shares insights on green and inclusive business and successful partnerships
Published: 10 December 2014
SEED and its hosting partner Adelpi Research participated in the launch of the Inclusive Business Action Network (IB Action Network) that took place on 18-20 November 2014 in Berlin, Germany. Read more
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World AIDS Day 2014: SEED Winners provide opportunities for affected women
Published: 01 December 2014
SMMEs like the SEED Winner from Rwanda have and continue to make their own valuable contributions to Closing the Gap by creating economic opportunities for HIV-infected as well as affected women and their families. Read more
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SEED Africa Symposium 2014
Published: 25 November 2014
On September 10th and 11th, the SEED Africa Symposium 2014 convened at the Safari Park Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya. Read more
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GroFin’s investment for the future: Kenyan women entrepreneurs are good ‘jockeys’
Published: 08 November 2014 Rishi Khubchandani
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Social and Green Enterprises – How to Create Enabling Frameworks to Increase their Contribution to Sustainable Development?
Published: 04 November 2014 Amélie Heuër
Over the last four years, SEED has hosted a series of unique multi-stakeholder for a focussed on the Green Economy and Africa - the SEED Symposia - where each year innovative and promising start-up enterprises, that won a SEED Award for their remarkable efforts to address social and environmental challenges at the grassroots, are presented. Read more
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Promoting entrepreneurship for sustainable development: why, and how?
Published: 23 October 2014 Helen Marquard
When UNEP, UNDP and IUCN decided to register the SEED Initiative as a Type II partnership at the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development, they clearly thought they were on to something – but possibly not quite what SEED is now. Read more
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Creating an enabling environment for social and environmental entrepreneurship in Malawi
Published: 29 September 2014 Mirko Zürker, Rainer Agster
As one of the poorest countries in the world, Malawi is characterised by a largely rural population; 84 per cent of Malawi’s population lives outside cities and depends on agriculture as their primary source of income. Read more
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From Mobile Solar Computer Classrooms to Novel Baobab Products: Green Entrepreneurship is Thriving Across Africa and Beyond
Published: 10 September 2014
Nairobi plays host to one of the largest gatherings of start-up social and environmental enterprises ever, as 41 green entrepreneurs are celebrated at the 2014 SEED Awards Africa Symposium. Read more
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Enterprise Brief: Piratas do Pau Upcycling Centre
Published: 05 September 2014
Piratas do Pau (PdP) Upcycling Training Centre trains and employs young Mozambicans in the design and production of modern furniture made from 90% reclaimed materials. The products are sold locally through a distribution network. Read more
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