Welcome to our website!

 

Please bear with us while we create the website. 

 

Our Vision Statement, " Increasing Eco-Industry, Prosperity ," Life exemplifies our passion for using industrial ecology as the basis for generating wealth and a better quality of life for all.

Our Mission Statement, " We are committed to enabling economic growth in Africa through the creation and expansion of a sustainable ECO-INDUSTRY ," shows our operational focus on what we believe to be the next largest area of economic growth in the World.  Learning from the disastrous effects industrialization has had on other countries and regions, we aim to enable Africa to preserve its natural resources as it increases economic prosperity.

  For those who are not familar with the term Eco-Industry, we offer the following definition:  

Companies providing goods and services for environmental protection. The term includes the provision of clean technologies, renewable energy, waste recycling, nature and landscape protection, and ecological renovation of urban areas. (Source: European Environment Agency http://glossary.eea.europa.eu/EEAGlossary/E/eco-industry )

We are starting with Kenya and over the coming years will include access to other countries. 

Visit our YouTube Channel (also under development) for a better understanding of our philosophy

  www.YouTube.com/GlobalEctropy

SITUATIONAL CONTEXT

At the current time, most African economies are heavily dependent upon the agricultural sector.  Approximately 80% of farming activities take place on small rural farms that use subsistence farming approaches and not value-added farming approaches.  These farms are also isolated from transportation, utility, and communication infrastructure. 

Adding to the challenge, Western and scientific terminology regarding crops, insects, farming techniques, etc are not widely used by farmers.  They are used to refering to things using the incredible wealth of indigenous knowledge that has been passed down through word-of-mouth and observation over the centuries.  This creates two needs: (a) the need to create a cross-linked database of scientific and indigenous terminology, and, (b) the need to document indigenous knowledge and protect it from exploitation by assisting indigenous communities to register their own patents. 

The process via which this is accomplished is a long and arduos one and it does not happen over night.  Research and Development stages which allow for effective co-creation with local communities take at least 7 to 10 years.  During this process our objectives are to accelerate Return on Investment (ROI) for all participants at each stage of the process: 

Recognizing that there are not many working in this arena, we are also committed to freely sharing part of our knowledge so that others can avoid the mistakes we have made.  It benefits no one if we keep our mistakes to ourselves and another entity ends up making the same mistakes elsewhere. Thus, you will find something quite surprising on our website and our reports, we will share both our successes AND our failures.  It is our hope that by doing this we can begin to increase the knowledge base that needs to develop on how to use this approach effectively and equitably. 

It is important to mention that a local partner is essential to this type of work.  We perform our work in collaboration with the Centre for Science and Technology Innovations in Nairobi, Kenya. 

CSTI Website (click on text to link to site)

Summary Report on project that is the current basis for our work (click on title to link to site) 

PROJECTS

 

Our first project was a one-day eco-industry workshop held in Nairobi on November 20, 2007.  The objective of the workshop was to create an inter-disciplinary/cross-industry dialogue focused on defining eco-industry in the context that is Kenya.  Following are downloadable documents pertaining to the workshop. 

 

November 20, 2007 Nairobi Eco-Industry Workshop

Click on the title to download the document in pdf format

 

Opening speech by PS Nalo (Ministry of Trade and Industry)     21.18K                   

Workshop Presentation     313.95K                      

Workshop Data Brief       420.05K                       

Workshop Summary         71.74K          

 

All workshop participants requested continued meetings of this nature via which more participants could be involved.  Unfortunately, the post-election turmoil ensued immediately after the workshop and we were unable to secure funding for additional meetings.  We hope to secure funding in 2009 that will enable us to continue to co-host this much needed dialogue.

 

Eco-Community and Bio-Enterprise Development Network

Also as a result of the workshop, we were approached by for-profit and community based organizations interested in creating partnerships to advance eco-industry related projects in Kenya.  A summary of the participating entities and work they are doing can be found here: www.freewebs.com/greenkenya

 

Out of all requesting participants, the group that remained most engaged has been focused on working with farmers.  Other activities shown are still underway but are being progressed in a sporadic fashion. 

 

Sambaza Wakulima

In attempting to assist farmers, the first hurdle was to establish a low-cost communication channel via which farmers could express their needs and interests.  As a result, w e have launched an SMS (short messaging system) network for farmers and are calling it Sambaza Wakulima which is a Swahili term that roughly translated means Empowering Farmers through SMS .  We are using SMS to send farmers information on organic farming techniques, wholesale market prices and available in-country resources.  They are sending us information on their farming activities and current needs.

 

December 2008 Report   (click on title to download report in PDF format)     

Student Consultant Report   (click on title to download report in PDF format)

 

 

Purpose of Our Projects

 

The objective of all our projects is to create a new sustainable paradigm for human society.  The best summary of how things should be was stated 16 years ago by a then 13 year old Canadian girl named Severn Suzuki.  She spoke in 1992 addressing the United Nations at the Earth Summit held at Rio de Janeiro.  Today (2009), the issues she raised are beginning to come to the forefront of the general public. 

 

 

 

We cannot continue to take this long to simply become aware of the issues as a global community.  Our systems need to change so that such issues are the forefront (not the after thought) of our actions.  The following diagram offers a depiction of our approach:

 

 

 

Please be sure to check back on our progress.

 

 

This site is hosted by HostPapa.com which runs on 100% Green Energy Servers

 

5 Bayard Rd # 701   Pittsburgh, PA 15213   Tel:  41...    Fax:  412-681-2195  info@globalectropy.com