Financing for the ‘Missing Middle’ in South Africa
Published: 12 January 2016 Jana Rudnik, Mirko Zürker
Financing! 20k-200k USD is needed for the ‘missing middle’ is one of ten critical aspects that SEED emphasises as crucial for the growth of SMMEs. Read more
SDGs:
Tools, Tools, Tools – the SEED Training of Trainers (TOT) in South Africa created a sound support base for green, inclusive SMEs
Published: 18 December 2015 Jana Rudnik, Magdalena Kloibhofer
As part of its extensive programme that has been built around an annual awards scheme promoting social and environmental entrepreneurship in developing countries, SEED developed a unique toolkit that addresses these key issues and lays out guidelines how to strategically integrate the imperatives of sustainability into businesses. Read more
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SEED discussed Green Climate Fund and SMEs at COP21 in Paris
Published: 14 December 2015
SEED hosted a working dinner about "The Green Climate Fund and SMEs: How to ensure public climate funding reaches the Bottom of the Pyramid" Read more
SDGs:
The climate negotiations in Paris - What does it mean for the green SME community?
Published: 25 November 2015 Allison Robertshaw
In just five days, politicians, policy makers, NGOs, businesses, entrepreneurs and activists will head to Paris, for the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP), to see whether the world can hammer together an agreement to move the world away from catastrophic climate change before time runs out. Will they be successful? Read more
SDGs:
Has our obsession with scale blinded us as to the real way to have impact?
Published: 18 November 2015 Allison Robertshaw
When I was in Nairobi a few weeks ago, our team at SEED brought together more than 500 people at our 2015 SEED Africa Symposium to discuss the latest developments in social and environmental entrepreneurship. Read more
SDGs:
Cutting down trees for survival: How women can provide an alternative source of energy
Published: 06 November 2015 Anais Mangin
"Then the refugees came and started to cut down trees and soon there was no forest left, (..) The locals also chopped trees and made charcoal to sell to the refugees." (UNHCR, 1996) Read more
SDGs:
Boosting support for social and environmental entrepreneurship in Namibia
Published: 15 October 2015 Julia Rohe-Frydrych
Small, micro and medium enterprises (SMMEs) contribute an estimated 12 per cent towards Namibia’s gross domestic product and employ about 20 per cent of the country’s workforce. Read more
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SEED Winners attend PDCI Event in Jakarta, Indonesia
Published: 14 October 2015
Three SEED Winners from Uganda joined the discussions at the “1st Practitioners’ Dialogue on Climate Investments in cooperation with the 3rd Sustainable Business Dialogue” on 7-9 October 2015 in Jakarta, Indonesia. Read more
SDGs:
Setting the Stage for Green & Inclusive Growth through Entrepreneurship
Published: 02 October 2015 Carolin Ehrensperger, Jana Rudnik
"Where many conventional start-up enterprises fail after only two years, more than three out of four SEED Winners have not, that is the major outcome of this flagship report“, Ibrahim Thiaw, UNEP Deputy Executive Director and UN Assistant-Secretary-General. Read more
SDGs:
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
SDGs:
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
SDGs:
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
SDGs:
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
SDGs:
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
SDGs:
Case Study: Dichung
Published: 07 September 2015
Dichung reduces urban traffic congestion, fuel consumption and in turn GHG emissions by providing ride-sharing opportunities for city residents. 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
SDGs:
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
SDGs:
Enterprise Brief: P.E.A.C.E. - Thinana Recycling Cooperative
Published: 06 September 2015
P.E.A.C.E. - Thinana Recycling Cooperative engages with local communities in the implementation of a waste recycling network in Senwabarwana, Limpopo Province. The enterprise trains waste collectors and has established a purchasing scheme and collection point network for waste collected in the semi-urban community and its rural environment. Read more
SDGs:
Growing Green and Inclusive Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Development in South Africa
Published: 01 September 2015 Amélie Heuër, Dr. Mira Slavova, Rainer Agster
SEED has worked closely with the Gordon Institute for Business Science in 2015 on a study that integrates for policy-makers the findings of five case studies in South Africa. As concerns with accomplishing SDG goals have become inextricably lodged within social and policy debates, scholars studying SMMEs have developed understandings of enterprises embedded within complex institutional environments. The current study has looked how SEED Winners in South Africa progress in achieving their triple bottom line objectives, taking into account challenges they encounter along the way, and success factors that have enabled them to move forward. Read more
SDGs:
Building Inclusive Value Chains
Published: 27 August 2015 Carolin Ehrensperger, Mareike Grytz
How can people living at the base-of-the-pyramid (BoP) be integrated into global value chains and improve their livelihood on a long-term perspective? One answer clearly is: by fostering Inclusive Business Models (IBM). Read more
SDGs:
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: Botanic Treasures
Published: 06 July 2015
Botanic Treasures Ltd is a social enterprise empowering over 500 smallholder farmers to grow Moringa oleifera, a highly nutritious edible plant. Improving the livelihoods of farmers with additional income, the enterprise produces nutritional supplements and fortified foods that combat malnutrition and degenerative diseases, and support food security. 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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