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Apr 05 From Cows to Kilowatts and Berries into Businesses: winners of the First Seed Awards announced full report An environmentally-friendly way of growing rice and a project to cultivate a highly versatile berry found at the roof of the world are among the winners of a new sustainable development award. They are joined by a community-based marine protected area in the Indian Ocean, an innovative water supply scheme in Latin America and a power-plant in West Africa that turns cattle waste into energy. The five winners of the Supporting Entrepreneurs for Environment and Development (Seed) Initiative awards will be honored in a special ceremony in New York on 20th April 2005 during the 13th Session of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development. The winners, selected from a pool of over 260 entries from 66 countries, representing 1,200 organizations, have been chosen for their potential to advance sustainable development in their communities and contribute to the UN’s Millennium Development Goals. Extracts Berries into Businesses Seabuckthorn is a deciduous shrub that is common in the Himalayas. It has a highly developed root system that binds soils on fragile slopes. The presence of a natural seabuckthorn ‘forest’ can decrease monsoon-related loss of topsoil by 30 percent. The plant also has a wide range of commercial applications which are beginning to be exploited by commercial companies in countries like India. The berries are highly nutritious and yield juice, as well as oils for cosmetics and traditional medicines. The leaves are also used in traditional medicines, as well as for livestock fodder, and the branches can be used for firewood. The international HimalAsia Foundation together with local Tibetan cooperatives and a family of traditional medical practitioners are developing a sustainable programme for cultivating and marketing seabuckthorn and other medicinal plants for the local and international market. In doing so, they are not only developing sustainable livelihoods for local people, but playing an important role in conserving biodiversity in this Himalayan mountain area. Plans for the future include expanding on three existing seabuckthorn nurseries, training locals in the extraction and preparation of juice and helping to broker fair business relationships between international companies and local communities. Indian Ocean Wonderland An estimated 11.5 per cent of the Earth’s land surface is now held in protected areas but only about one half per cent of the world’s seas and oceans enjoy the same rights. The 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development’s Plan of Implementation called for the establishment of representative network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). An experimental, community-led, scheme in Madagascar aims to be one of these light-houses by illuminating how partnerships between local people, research institutes and NGOs can deliver marine conservation and sustainable livelihoods. The project, focused around the 1200-strong community of Andavadoaka, is balancing the needs of local fishermen and protection of the area’s important coral reefs. Eco-tourism is also being promoted as a way of generating income for conservation work, diversifying the local economy and to reduce the pressure on fish stocks. It is hoped that the experiences from this project will act as a blueprint for similar projects in other regions. Cows to Kilowatts Effluents and waste products from abattoirs are a problem for human health and the environment across the developing world. A project being piloted in Ibadan, Nigeria, is turning these wastes into energy to generate income for poor urban communities and reduce the gases linked with climate change. The project treats the abattoir wastes and turns them into a ‘bio-gas’ suitable for cooking and other uses. A further by-product is agricultural-grade fertilizer. The partnership behind the project claims their bio-gas is significantly cheaper than current, commercially available, liquefied gases. The scheme will cover its costs and become profitable in three years and has a fifteen year life expectancy. links Seed Initiative website more details about the programme Related articles on Global issues: biodiversity biodiversity loss, extinction threats, commercial applications of biodiversity |
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