Ecopia Plc carbon foot print compensation project

Transcription

1 Ecopia Plc carbon foot print compensation project Establishing in Gambella and South Sudan to convert from using fire wood to solar and environmental energy for processing shea nutes for producing sheabutter products.

2 Ecopia Plc has been working over the last 10 years with the local communities in Ethiopian including biosphere reserves (Keffa, Shekia and Yayu) and other hot spots areas that are covered by the convention of biodiversity like in Bale, Gambella, Tigray in income generations activities. In the areas of agro processing and agro-biodiversity. Ecopia is a social private company (for profit) that has been an investor partner in this regions in view of establishing social enterprises for growing and processing organic food, cosmetics and herbal medicinal plants. The objective of Ecopia PLC is to develop organic and ethical products and services as well as collect, administrate and invest money in localized businesses to ensure a supply chain for their produce. In doing so Ecopia support local economies and protect traditional and ecological methods of growing.

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4 Ecopia Plc has acquired with the communities a land for conservation and income generation activities in three areas of Gambella and South Sudan: Elia, Gogo and Pijedo (Refuge areas of South Sudan)

5 Shea butter production for income generation and job creation for the youth Back ground information Shea is produced in 16 African countries, in a strip of land that extends from West to East for approximately 5,000 kilometers between the latitudes of 11o and 14o degrees North. In Gambella, Ethiopia, production takes place in different prefectures of the region. Gambela Shea tree, Vitellaria Paradoxa belongs to: order Ebenales, family: Sapotaceae and genus: Vitellaria. The genus contains two subspecies: Ssp. Paradoxa and Ssp. Nilotica. Deciduous in the dry seasons medium-sized, meters (rarely up to 25 meters high). It has poor stem forms with various forms of crowns and is deep rooted.

6 The aim of the project is to establish a shea butter production facilities: from firewood to semimechanised environmental energy.

7 The impact of shea butter for conservation and income generation activities in Ethiopia and South Sudan Shea is produced in 16 African countries, in a strip of land that extends from West to East for approximately 5,000 kilometers. Shea is also in the forest of Gambella and South Sudan. Forests and woodlands are common ground between south sudan and Gambella. Forests make up roughly 29% of South Sudan s land area (roughly 192,000 square kilometers). Ecopia Plc is the first Ethiopian company which produce Shea butter in Ethiopia and the boarder of south sudan, Ecopia Production facilities are made with the communities living from the forest and the refuges from South Sudan. Ethiopia, production takes place in different prefectures of the region. The shea tree produces a lot of fruits which when ripen fall under their own weight and are gathered by women, children and some men from April to August of every year. The fruit pulp is nutritious and a very important source of calories, vitamins and minerals and an important source of food for many organisms including birds and bats. The fruits contribute to food security, particularly for the poor, especially since their ripening coincides with the lean season of food production. The fruit of the shea tree has a seed (nut) and in this seed is a kernel which is dried and stored for processing into shea butter. Processing of shea butter is a way of life for many women in Gambella and South Sudan in particular. While many of these women still use the traditional shea butter processing method they leant from their elders years ago, others think the method involves lengthy, arduous processes requiring large.

8 The output I of the project transforming the method of processing to enhance the conservation of the forest. Change from fuel wood and water which are often carried from long distances to establishing of processing facility with solar and integrate rain water system. The large demand for labor, water and fuel wood by the traditional method of shea butter processing and a possible environmental effects from large and continues use of fuel wood. The aim of the project is to establish a processors facilities that integrates youth and provide skills in alternative processing method (solar and hydropower energy). The aim of the project is to introduce semi mechanized with a nut crusher, an improved roaster, a kneader or a hydraulic screw press introduced to reduce the drudgery associated with the traditional manual process of shea butter production.

9 The output II to integrate the youth income generation activities. The semi mechanized method of shea butter processing makes a good use of a crusher taking the place of the mortar and pestle in breaking the kernel into tiny units for roasting. The semi mechanized method of shea butter processing has also introduced an improved technology for roasting the kernel after it has been broken into tiny pieces. The improved roaster retains the heat in the compartment to roast the kernel at a reduced time, energy use (both fuel wood and human effort) and the processor exposure to the heat generated by the fire. To further reduce time, energy and human effort, the semi mechanized method of processing has introduced another technology called a kneader to convert the milled kernel into an emulsion ready for cooking or heating. This technology has replaced the use of the hand in kneading. The semi mechanized technology according to Addaquay (2004) has led to an improvement in shea butter extraction rate from 20 percent to percent and production efficiency and product quality. There are also fully mechanized industrial processing plants. These plants use machine pressers, chemical solvents, or a combination of the two, to extract the oil. Although there are a few of this technology in Africa, the vast majority of fully mechanized processing of shea butter occurs in Europe, Asia, and North America (Chalfin,2004)

10 Out put III, Conservation of the forest by sustainable agro investment The treat to the forest and the live hood of the population in Gambella and South Sudan are 1. Non sustainable agro investment called land grapping and destroying the forest and the live hood of the communities ; 2. Using the natural fire to expand and acquire land; 3. Immigration because of war or displacement. Our proposal is trans-boundary biosphere reserve this project is the income generation activities for the proposal of biosphere reserve.

11 Out put III, Spin over impact to other activities like community based ecotourism In order to cover more youth income generation activities: Ecopia Plc has established Ecopia Tour with carbon foot print compensation system. This project is covered with the compensation system and will be also part of the visit of the community based tourism.

12 Saving the forest and the community life hood by establishing sheabutter processing and producing company with the community ECOPIA PLC PRODUCTS Shea Butter comes in different grades: Grade A; Grade B; Grade C; Grade D; or Grade F. Grade A is the highest and best quality for cosmetics and personal industry. Grade D is the lowest grade missing most of the valuable nutrients. The highest grades are awarded to those butters with the largest Bio-active fraction (5% and above), a good safety screen, and rancidity value below 10. To that end, only the best preparation of unrefined shea butter can earn the Grade A status. ECOPIA PLC TRANING Ecopia Plc will train more than 250 from the community on the grade and processing. Sprung nach Japan und Indien. Ihre letzte Station ist Australien und das Great Barrier A major focus of the Ecopia Shea Project is the

13 The requirement of the investement Cots of items Total investment Equipments Transportation 100,000 euro 45,000 euro Tanning of the farmers 20,000 euro Branding and marketing 6,000 euro Sales and distribution 4,000 euro Implementation of finance Management Cost of project Support required Ecopia invetment 10,000 euro 10,000 euro 195,000 euro 145,000euro 50,000 euro

14 The team in Gambella REQUIRMENT OF INVESTMENT Ecopia Plc has already invested around 200,000 euro in aquiring 4o hectar and prepare the community in collecting the seeds. However Ecopia Plc needs to invest 145,000 euro in order to process the seeds to butter and to processed products. The investement is needed for imporving the drying process, the rosting, the granding and finaly the oiling machine. With this investement we consider we could collect this year harvesting around 300,000 and provided for more than 150 youth a job of collecting. Establish two processing facilities in Gambella and in the border of south sudan. How many carbon foot print compensation do we need. We consider each European visitor in Ethiopia leaves 300 euro value of carbon foot print that includes (100 euro) air plain foot print. We consider with 500 visitors using Ecopia tour that 50% reduced carbon would make 75,000 euro and the 75,000 euro we plan to ask it from BMZ.