Details

Global Organics’ Partner Named a
New Sustainability Champion

Global Organics’ organic sugar partner, Grupo Balbo, pioneer of the Green Cane Project, has been named as one of 16 “New Sustainability Champions” by The World Economic Forum. The report, Redefining the Future of Growth: The New Sustainability Champions, highlights case studies of emerging market-based companies that the WEF considers inspiring examples of businesses on the cutting edge of sustainability in their respective industries.

The WEF selected Grupo Balbo (also known as “Native”) from more
than 1,000 companies worldwide, highlighting its distinctive set of best
practices, which include: proactively turning constraints into opportuni-
ties through innovation, embedding sustainability in its company cul-
ture and actively shaping its
business environment
through dialogue with politi-
cians and scientists to pro-
mote organic agriculture
and biodiversity.

The sugar industry has
long been known for biodi-
versity loss and heavy pollu-
tion. To offer a solution, the
Green Cane Project worked
with researchers to develop
wildlife corridors and habi-
tats, which have brought
back numerous animals, as
well as key insects and mi-
croorganisms that support
organic pest management
and soil fertility. As a result,
Balbo’s organic fields have
six times more biodiversity
than conventional cane
fields, and 50 percent more biodiversity than even the São Paolo State
National Park. According to Balbo, its facility also releases 35 percent
fewer carbon emissions than conventional sugar plants and produces
ethanol and electricity for the community and markets worldwide. By
designing custom machinery that can harvest sugar cane without burn-
ing the fields, they have also significantly reduced greenhouse gas emis-
sions and now save tens of thousands of gallons of water per day. With
the Green Cane Project, Grupo Balbo has created a large scale, sustain-
able agriculture program that has not only positively impacted Brazil’s
environmental landscape, but also serves as a role model throughout
the world. “We are a small company, but we are deeply engaged—a small
boat making a big wave,” said Leontino Balbo, agricultural director and
founder of the Green Cane Project.

Wildlife corridors like this (above) and a “biodiversity island” (below) in between cane fields create natural habitats for hundreds of animals.

Slow Money National Gathering Inspires
Sustainable, Soul-Satisfying Investing

“As long as the way we invest uproots companies, putting them in the hands of a broad, shallow pool of absentee shareholders whose primary goal is the endless growth of their financial capital, our befuddlement at the depletion of our social and natural capital will only deepen.” — Woody Tash, Inquiries into the Nature of Slow Money

The Third Annual Slow Money National Gathering held October 12-14 at Fort Mason in San Francisco beautifully illustrated how when we all invest small, yet meaningful amounts to nurture socially responsible food enterprises, the result is stronger communities that empower entrepreneurs to grow and support others.

A hallmark of the gathering is the Entrepreneur Showcase, when promising food enterprises from around the U.S. share their stories. More than $4.25 million has been invested in a dozen small food enterprises that presented last year.

One Slow Money success is Mamma Chia, which was awarded $200,000 in funding at last year’s gathering. After a very successful year, founder Janie Hoffman returned to announce the Mamma Chia Donor Advised Fund, which will contribute 1 percent of sales to the Slow Money “Soil Trust” to help other entrepreneurs build conscious food systems. Two entrepreneurs in this years showcase were Veritable Vegetable, a local organic produce distributor, and Farmland LP, which invests in farmland and converts it to organic.

Host a Local Screening. One of the focuses of Slow Money is to invest where you live. One way you can do this is by sharing the message with your community. Slow Money is offering recordings of this year’s gathering, so if you missed the event, or want to relive it or share it with others, go to: www.conferencerecording.com/ aaalistTapes.asp?CID=SLO11