Our environment our ‘Business’

19 Jun, 2020 - 00:06 0 Views
Our environment our ‘Business’ A Johannesburg-born Soweto entrepreneur has found an innovative way of making the business of trash collection safer and more mainstream for garbage collectors

eBusiness Weekly

Joseline Sithole
I am an avid bird watcher. I know it is not a “black” inspired hobby. I love listening to their sounds, love their beautiful feathers. I am avidly building my repertoire of bird sounds. I have learnt to tolerate the annoying sounds of that “Go Away Bird” and my favourite birds still remain the flamingo and the blue crane. I hope to write a book one day; “A Black Woman’s Guide to Bird Watching.” However, sometimes I reflect on how we will be robbed of the beauty of these gorgeous creatures, if we do not take care of our environment. I am thus increasingly joining the mainstream environmental “fanatics” advocacy team.

Though I pride myself in advocating for the environment, there are some extremists who will even die for the cause. According to the campaign group, Global Witness, 1738 people described as “environmental defenders” were killed between 2002 and 2018 across 50 countries. The killings were connected to conflicts over fossils fuels, timber and water. The last century has also seen its fair share of environmentalist fanatics. Julia “Butterfly” Hill lived in a 1500 year old red wood tree for 738 days, to prevent Pacific Lumber company loggers from cutting it down. Dian Fossey, who died tragically among “her gorillas”, was a primatologist who spent 13 years living among gorillas. (Watch movie Gorillas in the Mist and an Inconvenient Truth)

Though the examples above might be a bit extreme, they give us a “sneak peek” into the grave dangers that our environment and how some people have dedicated their lives to saving it. According to the United Nations Environmental Programme, 200 species of bird, insects, and mammals face extinction every day. The Guardian reports that; in 2017 the world lost more than one football pitch of forest every day.

However, conserving our environment can also provide us with untapped business opportunities. Here are some unique business opportunities that can be brought about by protecting the environment.

Maggot farming
Maggot farming is gaining a lot of prominence in fish farming in Africa. And yes you will need to “disrupt your thinking” in terms of what you think about those dreaded flies. The agricultural sector is hard pressed to feed an ever demanding population, thus there is a need to harness sufficient protein from livestock, poultry and fish. Maggots the larvae of domestic flies, have the ability to grow on a large range of substrates and this will make them useful to turn wastes into a valuable biomass rich in protein and fat. Substantive studies have shown that maggots have rich potential as a possible protein source for poultry and fish nutrition. Maggots are now being called the “next big thing” in environmental sustainability circles. Some “maggot enthusiasts have even “gushed” that they have the potential “to feed us all” while some proponents have even called them “Superflies.” South African Based feed producer AgriProtein which farms maggots has raised ZAR 100 million to fund expansion. To this end, Zimbabwean emerging companies can take advantage of this emerging agro-processing market.

Environmental consulting
Environmental Consulting(EC) is an important business niche that should ideally be taken up by environmental experts who have been employed in environmental non profits organisations.ECs will be particularly useful in the Construction industry where there is need to build climate friendly buildings.

The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) is a leading non profit organization, that develops guidelines to ensure that buildings are environmentally friendly and more energy efficient. Research has shown that buildings consume a large portion of water, wood energy and other resources and are responsible for more carbon emissions than any other structures. Similarly green technology should now been taken as a lifestyle rather than a necessity.

Other opportunities for consulting might be in the agricultural sector. The agricultural value chain has focused more on the production side and ignored other potential earnings such as EC consulting. For example, it is important to understand and appreciate the need for creating habitats that encourage the thriving of pollinators and beneficial insects. To this end farmers need training in these areas. Moreover, farmers need to provide energy efficiency solutions in their farming operations. Melrose Nyamutata,  an agro-consultant based in Manicaland also advises that farmers can do well to grow ecofriendly crops such as Castor bean plants which absorb carbon dioxide thereby reducing greenhouse gas accumulations in the atmosphere. Carbon Finance consultants are also needed in the country to advise companies on how they can earn carbon points in their operations.

Recycling Logistics
Every Wednesday Charles scours the trash bins in our road to look for empty cans and bottles. These he delivers to a recycling plant in the same suburb which in turn melts the cans to make signs. Two opportunities exist here. The first opportunity is for garment making companies to make apparel that protects the health of these very important entrepreneurs in our society.  Secondly there is no doubt that the huge bags they carry on their bags will eventually impact on their bone health. A Johannesburg born Soweto entrepreneur Sifiso Ngobese; has found an innovative way of making the business of trash collection safer and more mainstream for garbage collectors. Ngobese created a safer more functional trolley that they could use for collection. ABSA has come in to offer business development services to the trash collectors. In addition the beauty of the trolley is that it also doubles as a moving billboard and the recyclers get to get 50% of the money that is used for advertising. With the growth of recycling of the Recycling industries local entrepreneurs can take up this niche market and make it viable.

Environmentally friendly cleaning products
There is no doubt that the cleaning industry in Zimbabwe has been on a growth trajectory. However, there is still a gap in the market for environmentally friendly cleaning products. Clean Living, Eco Egg, Homethings and Clothes Doctor are all global brands that have managed to penetrate the eco friendly cleaning product market. Their products are made from natural products and are biodegradable. Zimbabwe’s market has the potential to create a market that will embrace this new market as we have a diverse agricultural sector which is capable of producing inputs.

Sustainable Tourism
The World Tourism Organization defines sustainable tourism as “Tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment, and host communities” Among other things sustainable tourism should aim at maintaining essential ecological processes and helping to conserve natural heritage and biodiversity. Some interesting examples might suffice here.

Biohotel in Colombia is built on the most stringent sustainable construction process and it has a rigorous method of acquiring ecofriendly and efficient suppliers. In Austria in a community called Werfenweng, the visitor is treated to an ecofriendly tour of the city and uses only electric cars and horse drawn carriages to minimize carbon emissions.

Overall the business fraternity has a huge role in ensuring the sustainability of our environment. To this end Zimbabwean companies should ensure that environmental friendly practices are enshrined in to their day to day practices.

Denis Weaver has this to say about business and the environment, “We don’t have to sacrifice a strong economy for a healthy environment.”

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