South Africa: Symposium Set to Discuss the Role of Grassroots Entrepreneurs in the Green Economy in Africa

By Staff writer

PRETORIA---The UN Conference on Sustainable Development, outstanding social and environmental businesses, mainly from Africa, will meet in Pretoria, South Africa on 29 March 2012 at the CSIR International Convention Centre to discuss their contribution to the Green Economy. The projects are all winners of the 2011 SEED Award. This comes less than 100 days to the RIO+20 –.

The keynote Speakers will include: Helen Marquard, Executive Director SEED Initiative,Nick Nuttall, Acting Director of Communications, UNEP,South African Government representative and the 2011 SEED Award Winners.

From a company that transforms groundnut shells into fuel briquettes in The Gambia, an enterprise that has developed solar ovens in Burkina Faso and a business in South Africa where women are producing pickles using surplus fresh vegetables, the local start-up enterprises are playing their part in delivering sustainable goods and services in emerging economies, often amid difficult circumstances. The businesses are inspiring examples of Green Economy in action.

Green Economy in the context of Sustainable Development is one of the overarching themes of the RIO+20 – UN Conference on Sustainable Development.

They will discuss the role of grassroots entrepreneurs in achieving sustainable development in Africa including other topics like Green Economy in Africa, renewable energy powering growth in Africa and its role in adapting to climate change, addressing food security in Africa.

There will be an Awards Ceremony for the 2011 SEED Award Winners to be held at the symposium.