Posts Tagged ‘sustainability’

Oct19

Inaugural Global Green Inclusive Innovation Summit Aims to Empower Businesses for Good

By Carol Dreibelbis

For the first time ever, governments, businesses, multilateral organizations, NGOs, academics, and investors will come together to discuss green, inclusive businesses at the Global Green Inclusive Innovation (G2i2) Summit. The G2i2 Summit will take place from October 25 to 26, 2012 at Infosys Technologies’ campus in Bangalore, India. In the spirit of global participation, the Summit’s location will rotate around the globe in future years.

G2i2 Summit organizers hope to address climate change, reduce poverty, and improve the social impact of business. (Photo credit: www.g2i2summit.com)

The G2i2 Summit will focus on accelerating the spread of innovative green and inclusive businesses around the world. A “green” business can be defined as one that demonstrates an explicit concern for the environment and does not negatively impact the local or global environment, community, or economy. A business is defined as “inclusive” when it aims to benefit low-income or other disadvantaged communities; businesses do this by actively including these communities in the business process, whether through job creation, offering affordable goods and services, or other means. While green and inclusive businesses may be either for-profit or non-profit in nature, they ultimately aim to do good through business.

By bringing together representatives from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, the G2i2 Summit aims to both foster innovative green, inclusive business partnerships and match these partnerships with funders. According to the G2i2 Summit website, “New green and inclusive businesses not only need desirable green products or guaranteed markets from companies; but also funding from public and private sector sources, social and infrastructure support from governments, on-going business and technical training from multi-laterals; and local market knowledge from NGOs and academia.”

The G2i2 Summit will feature keynote speeches by Mr. Jairam Ramesh, Honorable Minister for Rural Development of India; Professor Rajeev Gowda, chairperson of the Center for Public Policy at the Indian Institute of Management; and NS Raghavan, co-founder of Infosys Technologies, a global consulting and IT services company based in India. The agenda will also include special pitch sessions for green and inclusive businesses aiming to scale or replicate in India and around the world.

One concrete outcome of the G2i2 Summit will be the launch of several innovative, green and inclusive businesses related to sustainable food, clean energy, water, waste management, and health in the following target countries: Brazil, China, Egypt, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Mexico, Peru, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Vietnam. Various companies, governments, and organizations are in support of this goal, including the UN Global Compact; multinational corporations Unilever, Novozymes, Nokia, and Greif; and the governments of the United States, Germany, South Africa, Sweden, and New Zealand.

By connecting companies and governments with complementary green, inclusive initiatives, G2i2 Summit organizers hope to address climate change, reduce poverty, and improve the social impact of business. Visit the G2i2 Summit website for more information.

How have you seen businesses have a positive impact on your community? Please share with us in the comments section.

Carol Dreibelbis is a research intern with the Nourishing the Planet project.

To purchase State of the World 2011: Innovations that Nourish the Planet please click HERE.

Posted by Nourishing the Planet in Agriculture, Environment, Innovation, Sustainable

0 Comments

Keep Reading →

Sep06

Sustainable Development through Information: the Community Innovation Resource Center

Pin It

By Victoria Russo

Today Nourishing the Planet highlights the Community Innovation Resource Center, a program started by Kaganga John, a Ugandan community activist, farmer, and environmentalist. Through a partnership with the Global Giving Project, the program aims to collect funds for technological hardware including computers with internet capabilities, radios, and televisions in order to improve the flow of information to Kaganga John’s home community of Kikandwa. Throughout Kaganga John’s life, he has seen his community struggle with chronic issues of hunger and environmental degradation. As a young adult he committed himself to improving the quality of life in his community; through projects such as the Resource Center, he will sustain these changes for future generations to come.

The Community Innovation Resource Center aims to improve the flow of information to Kaganga John’s home community of Kikandwa (Photo credit: Community Innovation Resource Center)

Kaganga John knows firsthand the difficulty and importance of obtaining quality education. Largely self-educated, he started his own second-hand bookstore in order to have greater access to knowledge. When Kaganga John saw that his community largely lacked quality education, he dedicated his life to improving the situation. After helping to reforest, educate, and ensure the sustainability of his community, Kaganga John now faces the challenge of connecting Kikandwa with the rest of the world. Kikandwa is located 50 kilometers from the nearest technology resource center, and has, until recently, lacked access to the internet. Kikandwa is not unique in this respect, as only 10 percent of Ugandans have access to the internet, though that number is growing. Kaganga John hopes that the Global Giving Project will allow his fellow community members to increase their knowledge and to share their experiences with others facing similar challenges.

(more…)

Posted by Nourishing the Planet in Africa, Development, Economy, Education, Income, Local, Policy, Poverty, School, Sustainable, Trees

0 Comments

Keep Reading →

Aug23

Register for the Women’s Congress for Future Generations!

Pin It

By Ioulia Fenton

The Women’s Congress for Future Generations (WCFFG) will convene in Moab, Utah on September 27 to 30, 2012. The objective: to make a united stand for future generations. “We seek solidarity with those working for environmental justice, for Climate Justice, for indigenous sovereignty, for the health of women and children, and with those living on the frontlines of the struggle against industrial pollution and climate change,” according to the WCFFG.

The Women’s Congress for Future Generations will convene in Moab, Utah September 27-30, 2012 (Photo Credit: WCFFG)

The Congress is actively seeking women participants of all ages, cultures, colors, and backgrounds. While recognizing the centrality of women as life givers and caretakers to the environmental movement, the congress is also pursuing the input and guidance of men. “Men too have great responsibilities in this journey of protecting the Earth and we invite them to partner with us at this Congress in an unusual way, as Sacred Witnesses. With men acting as sacred partners and observers, they will have a rare opportunity to serve the common good by bearing witness to women fulfilling their responsibilities to Future Generations,” say the organizers.

(more…)

Posted by Nourishing the Planet in Climate Change, Culture, Education, Environment, Hunger, Uncategorized, Women

0 Comments

Keep Reading →

Aug17

Aquaculture Feeding World’s Insatiable Appetite for Seafood

Pin It

By Danielle Nierenberg and Katie Spoden

Total global fish production, including both wild capture fish and aquaculture, reached an all-time high of 154 million tons in 2011, and aquaculture is set to top 60 percent of production by 2020, according to new research conducted for Worldwatch’s Vital Signs Online service. Wild capture was 90.4 million tons in 2011, up 2 percent from 2010. Aquaculture, in contrast, has been expanding steadily for the last 25 years and saw a rise of 6.2 percent in 2011.

The global demand for farmed fish is increasing (Photo Credit: Vera Kratochvil)

Growth in fish farming can be a double-edged sword, however. Despite its potential to affordably feed an ever-growing global population, it can also contribute to problems of habitat destruction, waste disposal, invasions of exotic species and pathogens, and depletion of wild fish stock.

Humans ate 130.8 million tons of fish in 2011. The remaining 23.2 million tons of fish went to non-food uses such as fishmeal, fish oil, culture, bait, and pharmaceuticals. The human consumption figure has increased 14.4 percent over the last five years. And consumption of farmed fish has risen tenfold since 1970, at an annual average of 6.6 percent per year. Asia consumes two thirds of the fish caught or grown for consumption.

(more…)

Posted by Nourishing the Planet in Fish, Food, Hunger, Wildlife

0 Comments

Keep Reading →

Aug01

Going for the Gold in Sustainability at the London Olympic Games

Pin It

By Katie Spoden

The Olympic games are known for fierce competition, great spectacle, tremendous celebration, and complete transformation for the host city. However, the London 2012 Olympic Games are trying to leave a greener legacy for future Olympic games. According to the official site of the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics, the 2012 Olympics will be the world’s first truly sustainable Games. Towards a One Planet 2012 was created through a partnership between the London 2012 Olympic Committee, BioRegional, and the World Wildlife Foundation. The document sets the stage for an Olympic games “guided by the principle that the world should live within its means.”

The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games will be the first ever truly sustainable Olympic and Paralympic games. (Photo credit: London 2012 Olympics)

One major element of the sustainability initiatives is the food served at the Games. More than 14 million meals will be served at over 40 different locations. Olympic organizers acknowledged feeding Olympic and Paralympic athletes and their fans is an enormous task that can have an enormous environmental impact. In preparation for this giant undertaking, London 2012 planners created the London 2012 Food Vision back in 2009.

The Food Vision is made up of five core themes: food safety and hygiene; choice and balance; food sourcing and supply chains; environmental management, resource efficiency and waste; and skills and education. These themes will be incorporated into food venues affecting the source of the food served, how it is served, and what it is served in.

In a commitment to use environmentally responsible sources, Olympic organizers have taken measures to lower London’s carbon foot print. Food vendors and caterers will maximize the use of local and seasonal produce, encourage the use of palm oil from sustainable sources, and seek out alternatives to unsustainable fish and livestock feed. Food services will measure and report their emissions from feeding the athletes and fans to be compiled with an overall London 2012 carbon footprint.

To increase nutrition, there will be wider use of grilling and steaming, use of whole grains, and appropriate meat portion sizes to encourage responsible eating habits. Olympic food organizers have won a Good Food on the Public Plate Award and a Good Egg Award from Compassion in World Farming in support of their commitment to sustainable, nutritious food. Olympic food organizers have also been recognized by the British pig industry for sustainable action supporting livestock.

Nearly 80 percent of waste from the Olympic Games comes from food waste and packaging. To reduce waste created from packaging, food vendors and caterers are instructed to bring in the least amount of packaging possible, the packaging that can’t be avoided must be reused, and what can’t get reused must be recycled or composted.

(more…)

Posted by Nourishing the Planet in Compost, Conservation, Culture, Events, Food, Sustainable, Waste

0 Comments

Keep Reading →

Jul30

Carissa: An African Fruit Could Become as Popular as a Cranberry

Pin It

By Julia Eder

Carissa is a shrub, climber, or small tree that can grow up to 20 feet tall and it is cultivated for its plum-like fruits. The berries are used mainly for processed products such as jellies, preserves, or syrup, but they are also eaten fresh. They contain a little more vitamin C than oranges, and are also a source for other vitamins, including Vitamin A and B.

Carissa plants are easy to grow and packed with vitamins. (Photo credit: Josie’s Focus on Flickr)

The species that is mainly produced is Carissa Macrocarpa, or Natal plum, named after a region in Northern South Africa where it grows. There, it is locally called num-num. The Natal plum is a significant commercial resource in South Africa where farmers sell them along the roadsides every January and February.

Carissa can be difficult to grow because the plant exudes a milky sap when cut or broken, which aggravates harvest and transportation of the fruits because they can easily be damaged. And the berries have a short shelf life because the sap congeals.

Carissa is also a popular and cultivated hedge plant because of its thick, dark glossy green leaves, its thorns, and the fragrant white to pink star-like blossoms. It has even become a valued ornamental plant in California and Florida. There, some plants have been selected and reared to have fruits as big as oranges and are grown on a height above the thorny foliage to facilitate the harvest. With further horticultural advancement, carissa can be useful in at least a dozen nations within Africa and in other parts of the world for economic profit.

(more…)

Posted by Nourishing the Planet in Agriculture, Diet, Farmers, Income, Indigenous Vegetables, Nutrition

0 Comments

Keep Reading →

Jul28

Saturday Series: An Interview with Shirley the Baglady

Pin It

By Carly Chaapel

In our new Saturday Series, we interview inspiring people that our readers have nominated. These people are working on the frontlines to improve the global food and agricultural systems. Want to nominate someone? E-mail your suggestions to Danielle Nierenberg!

Shirley Lewis as Baglady. (Photo credit: Baglady Productions)

Name: Shirley “Baglady” Lewis

Location/Affiliation: Baglady Productions

Bio: Shirley Lewis is the founder of Baglady Productions, an organization that works with schools, individuals, and the government to put sustainable behavior into action. She is most well-known for her original campaign to say “no” to plastic bags.

You have become an icon for sustainability in Northern Ireland, Britain, Canada, and Australia. What inspired your campaign for sustainability, and why did you choose to literally become a “bag lady?”

We’re not living sustainably; it’s stirringly obvious. Our future is in danger, and we need to wake up to this quickly. I became the Baglady in 2001 in my first national campaign in Australia, called the National Plastic Bag Awareness Week. I had to go to a lot of meetings, and I invented the Baglady character out of boredom. It’s a very good image because our plastic bag usage is a world problem that we must solve without waiting for governments to pass laws. It’s an easily changed habit that is also really disgusting. And it fits in very well with my work now, which is living “ASAP,” or As Sustainably As Possible.

(more…)

Posted by Nourishing the Planet in Agriculture, Children, Climate Change, Compost, Conservation, Culture, Diet, Education, Food Waste, Local, Markets, Policy, School, Sustainable, Waste, Youth

1 Comment

Keep Reading →

Jun30

Saturday Series: An Interview with Sarah Alexander

Pin It

By Olivia Arnow

Nourishing the Planet’s new Saturday Series, in which we interview inspiring people that our readers have nominated. These people are working on the frontlines to improve the global food and agricultural systems. Want to nominate someone? E-mail your suggestions to Danielle Nierenberg!

Sarah Alexander and the Keystone Center work to facilitate problem-solving models in the areas of sustainability, agriculture, and environmental cleanup. (Photo credit: keystone.org)

Name: Sarah Alexander

Affiliation: The Keystone Center

Bio: Sarah serves as the Director of Environmental Practice for The Keystone Center. Her work with conflict resolution and consensus building on sustainability issues over the past 18 years has resulted in important agreements, innovations, and policy impacts for agriculture and land use.

How did you come to the Keystone Center? What sort of work you do?

After studying environmental studies in college, I had a particular interest in agriculture and food systems and knew I wanted to help find solutions to environmental issues. That’s what the Keystone Center does: they bring people together to fight problems collaboratively and proactively.

Keystone does a broad variety of work with health and energy and initially I worked with cold war infrastructure, finding ways to return federal facilities and military bases back to the community. It was through Keystone’s sustainability work that I got back into agriculture.

(more…)

Posted by Nourishing the Planet in Agriculture, Environment, Farmers, Food, Health, Interview, Sustainable, Uncategorized

0 Comments

Keep Reading →

Jun25

Eating Planet: Carlo Petrini Discusses Buying Food and Paying for Your Values

Pin It

By Marlena White

On Thursday, June 28, the Worldwatch Institute’s Nourishing the Planet project and the Barilla Center for Food and Nutrition will release Eating Planet–Nutrition Today: A Challenge for Mankind and for the Planet in New York City. Today, Nourishing the Planet highlights a contributing author of Eating Planet, and shares his views on how to fix the broken food system. The event is full but please tune in on the 28th via livestream: we will be taking questions in real time from the audience, from the livestream, and from Twitter and Facebook.

In Eating Planet, Carlo Petrini discusses paying for food in terms of values. (Photo credit: Bruno Cordioli)

In a chapter introduction for Eating Planet – Nutrition Today: A Challenge for Mankind and for the Planet—the newly released book from the Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition—International Slow Food Movement founder Carlo Petrini discusses what paying a fair price means, and why it’s important for the sustainability of the world’s food supplies.

Petrini begins by explaining that sustainability means the plans we make, both in terms of individual and higher-level actions, must be able to last over the long term and on many different levels, taking into account social, economic, and environmental factors. With its many impacts on these factors, he says, food is crucial to sustainability as a whole.

According to Petrini, what we eat, including the time and money we put into it, is an investment in both our health and the state of the environment. He says it also reflects a certain set of values that can have strong implications for sustainability. These values may be the bottom line of overall profits, or longer term considerations like protecting the health of ecosystems and the livelihoods of our food producers. Petrini argues that the values inherent in our food should be included in their price, especially after accounting for what these values contribute to the sustainability of the planet.

(more…)

Posted by Nourishing the Planet in Agriculture, Culture, Economy, Environment, Farmers, Food, Health, Investment, Labor, Markets, Nutrition, Sustainable

0 Comments

Keep Reading →

Jun12

Eating Planet: An Interview with Hans Herren

Pin It

By Marlena White

On Thursday, June 28, the Worldwatch Institute’s Nourishing the Planet project and the Barilla Center for Food and Nutrition will release Eating Planet–Nutrition Today: A Challenge for Mankind and for the Planet in New York City. Today, Nourishing the Planet highlights a contributing author of Eating Planet, and shares his views on how to fix the broken food system. If you live in NYC, you can register to attend for FREE by clicking HERE, or tune in on the 28th via livestream. We will be taking questions in real time from the audience, from the livestream, and from Twitter and Facebook.

Hans Herren (Photo credit: The Millennium Institute)

Hans Herren is an entomologist, farmer, development specialist, World Food Prize laureate, and co-chair of the International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD). He is also the president of the Millennium Institute, which works to inform decision-making centered on a shared responsibility for the planet’s common future. In an interview for Eating Planet–Nutrition Today: A Challenge for Mankind and for the Planet, a new book from the Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition, Herren discusses the key challenges for transitioning to sustainable agriculture systems that can feed the planet.

According to Herren, the greatest challenges facing agriculture and the food system include the need to address hunger and poverty, encourage better nutrition and health, adapt to climate change, reduce inequities, and support rural livelihoods. He says that agriculture must provide a sufficient amount of quality fiber and food that is affordable for consumers while being economically viable for producers and sustainable for the environment. He believes that the three biggest problems faced by agriculture are climate change, competition with the biofuel sector, and the increase of fossil energy prices and fossil fuels’ impending scarcity.

(more…)

Posted by Nourishing the Planet in Agriculture, Climate Change, Culture, Development, Diet, Extension, Farmers, Food, Fuel, Hunger, Investment, Nutrition, Policy, Poverty, Sustainable