Zambia Company is 2021 Climate Adaption SEED Award Winner!
SEED announced the winners of their Awards for Entrepreneurship in Sustainable Development, at the United Nation’s High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) this week.
The winners and runners-up came from nine countries across Africa and Asia. They had showcased their innovative and sustainable enterprises, contributing to climate adaptation and lower carbon use. Overall there were nine winners and 39 runners-up who are eligible for participation in the renowned SEED Accelerator and Catalyser programmes. This will help scale their enterprises and their impact locally.
Meet the SEED Awards 2021 Winners
The SEED Climate Adaptation Awards 2021 Winners were Wuchi Wami, Zambia, Kalahari Honey, Botswana and EcoGen, Malawi. The SEED Low Carbon Awards in Africa, included waste management companies with the winners being Regenize, South Africa, Peec Energy, Uganda and the Ghanaian start-up, JVL-YKMA recycling plant. In the same category, the winners in Asia focused largely on enterprises utilising the circular economy model – Indian start-up PadCare Labs alongside Sampangan from Indonesia and Thai start-up Moreloop which upcycles dead-stock fabrics to tackle waste in the fashion industry.
“Micro and small enterprises play a vital role in the transformation to a decarbonised, more sustainable development. Many of these enterprises contribute greatly to this transformation. The SEED Awards are instrumental for scaling such enterprises, equipping the founders with the tools, knowledge and networks they need to maximise their impact within their local communities and beyond.” Rita Schwarzelühr-Sutter, Parliamentarian State Secretary in the German Federal Environment Ministry (BMU), which is the primary sponsor of the SEED Low Carbon Awards.
SEED Climate Adaptation Award Winners
Winners included Kalahari Honey, Botswana, who train farmers to use bees to stop elephants destroying their farms. EcoGen, a Malawian enterprise that turns leftover food into cooking gas. The Zambian Wuchi Wami Company which promotes sustainable bee farming.
“When it comes to the impacts of climate change, countries like Malawi, Zambia and Botswana are on the front line. They are the ones who will feel the effects of a rise in global temperature most acutely. That is why we are so proud to support the SEED Awards, which recognise and scale the impact of eco-inclusive enterprises across these local communities. As we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, MSMEs are at the forefront of enabling green recovery and delivering on SDGs, for the good of the wider community and the planet.” Yves Wantens, General Representative of the Government of Flanders in the United States. The Government of Flanders is the primary sponsor of the SEED Climate Adaptation Awards.
About Wuchi Wami, Zambia
Wuchi Wami, the 2021 SEED Climate Adaptation Award Winner, has been operating since 2018 and are based in Mwinilunga, North-western Province. The company provides raw, organic and unpasteurised honey whilst creating a sustainable livelihood for smallholder farmers.
The honey is sourced from wild miombo forests, located around Mwinilunga. It is then processed through its registered cooperative which has 2,500 farmers participating in bee keeping in their out-growers scheme. Wuchi Wami then packages, brands, markets and distribute local raw and organic Honey for their health-conscious clients.
Wuchi Wami equips smallholder farmers with modern beehives that are environmentally friendly, so do not impact on deforestation. These modern beehives made from easy to plant pine, preserving the miombo trees that are destroyed in the traditional beehive production. Deforestation is further reduced by providing an alternative income source for women and men engaged in charcoal burning. Their brand is distributed in their out-growers scheme, registered under Kwasha indimi cooperative in Mwinilunga. This honey is then distributed to their clients who are countrywide stores and shops.
Their scheme is supported through its partnerships with various stakeholders, ranging from national and international organisations, investors, research institutes, suppliers, governmental bodies, NGOs, and other social and environmental enterprises. Prospero Zambia supports Wuchi Wami through grant, technical assistance and capacity building as well as investor readiness. The Zambian Development Agency promotes and facilitates trade, investment and enterprise development. Their clients include large chain stores, such as Choppies. Find them at www.wuchiwami.com
The SEED Awards
Winners will be awarded matching grants of between €10,000 – 15,000 and will receive tailored one-to-one advisory services for up to a year to scale their operations, as part of the renowned SEED Accelerator programme. In line with the principle of ‘awarding the best and moving the rest’, 39 runners-up are also being supported through the SEED Catalyser programme, to refine their business models and optimise their impacts while advancing their investment readiness.
Of the 2021 SEED Awards entrants, 69% were aged 18-35, with 52% being female-led enterprises. Since their inception in 2005, the SEED Awards have awarded 311 enterprises in 40 countries. They have facilitated the disbursement of over €1 million in grants. Each individual SEED enterprise has saved an average of 7,300 tonnes of CO2, generated more than 9,399 kWh of renewable energy, and created 28.4 jobs.
You can read more about all the winners on the SEED Website which also has lots of information in their Topics and Library pages, including videos, toolkits, case studies and more.
Photographs ©SEED Awards