SEED News & Press Releases

SEED newsletter - Issue 3

Monday, 08 March 2010 10:12

Find out more about SEED’s past months and read more about the in-country events for each Gold Winner, an interview with Jonathan Tillson, SEED Board Chairman and Head of the Sustainable Development Unit at the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and discover SEED’s new online database where you can view a detailed profile of all the SEED winners.

Click here to read the full newsletter

SEED 2009 Gold Winners move on

Tuesday, 02 March 2010 15:12

Over the last few months SEED has visited the five 2009 SEED Gold Winners travelling to meet up with the initiatives:

• Bangladesh – Shidhulai: Solar conversion of traditional kerosene hurricane lamps
• Colombia - Oro Verde: Facilitating Market Access for Artisan Miners
• Niger – ALMODO: Recycling waste into goods ranging from building materials to energy substitutes
• South Africa – Natural Justice: Biocultural Protocols: Community Approaches to Access and Benefit Sharing
• Zimbabwe – KAITE: Bridge to the world, organic essential oils

The visits carry the purpose of profiling the SEED winners in their country through high-level award ceremonies, while also connecting them to influential organisations, institutions and foundations who can serve as partners and provide missing resources. The SEED country visits conclude with a specifically tailored training on management, finance, partnerships and other issues relating to scaling up social and environmental enterprises.

SEED wishes to particularly thank:

• Minister Gerda Verburg (Dutch Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality)
• H.E. Mr. Stephen Evans (British High Commissioner to Bangladesh)
• Deputy Minister Derek Hanekom (Deputy Minister of Science and Technology in South Africa)
• Juan Mayr, ex-Minister of the Environment, and Barbara Pesce Monteiro, Country Director, UNDP, Colombia
• Nadine Gbossa, Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP, Niger 

Interview with Jonathan Tillson

Tuesday, 02 March 2010 12:18

Jonathan Tillson, Head of the Sustainable Development Unit at the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and Chair of the SEED Board, explains UK’s plans in regards to supporting social and environmental entrepreneurs and talks about the focus on social and environmental entrepreneurs during the Copenhagen summit and the implications for COP16 in Mexico and about achieving a sustainable Olympics 2012 in London.

Read more...

Andaman Discoveries chosen as the 2009 Best Green Tour Operator in Thailand

Tuesday, 02 March 2010 11:55

The Tourism Authority of Thailand Green Awards (TAT) which highlights and promotes Thailand’s dedication to the conservation of its natural and cultural resources and sustainable tourism development has awarded Andaman Discoveries (2008 SEED Winner) the ‘2009 Best Green Tour Operator’ title. TAT states ‘The awards recognize and celebrate TAT’s partners in the travel and tourism industry who have made an outstanding contribution to growing Thailand as a sustainable destination”. Andaman discoveries director Thamrong "Tui" Chomphusri commented ‘It is a great honour to receive the award from TAT. Our work is acknowledged in Thailand, and it strengthens our partnerships and also makes the villagers proud for their hard work.” SEED congratulates Andaman Discoveries on this great success. For more details click here

2008 SEED Winners work together

Tuesday, 02 March 2010 11:29

Seeing the obvious parallels between her work and that of the Ban Talae Nok women's soap group, Mamta Chandarat, one of the partners in the Himalayan Oregano Oil and Sustainable Livelihoods against MRSA initiative ( SEED Winner 2008), visited Andaman Discoveries (SEED Winner 2008), in November 2009. Mamta Chandarat brought her expertise about natural soap making to the village soap cooperative that Andaman Discoveries has been working with since the tsunami of 2005. Previously, they had been making the soap using soap fat that was purchased from Bangkok, which was considerably costly. Now the villagers make higher quality and lower cost soap with the method taught by Mamta. Read more in Andaman Discovery Blog here or look at the picture gallery