NEIGHBOURFOOD
We are committed to creating extra income and food security for people living in poverty. Each family in a low-income housing development is empowered by joining a co-op agribusiness and to manage their own micro scale tree based farm which exists out of 2-4 trees of localized cultivar such as fruits or nuts. Their home is fitted with grey water and composting fertilizer systems, to feed trees from household waste. The farm is collectively supported by an experienced agribusiness team. During harvesting season each family gathers their share of the produce, the co-op collects and sells to market. Families are compensated and can also use part of their own produce for food. By reducing costs on water, fertilizer and labor we are able to produce food at a lower cost through community cooperation, all while turning their waste into resources.
ONE IN EVERY NINE PEOPLE GLOBALLY GOES TO BED HUNGRY EACH NIGHT WHILE MILLIONS OF LOW INCOME FAMILIES STRUGGLE TO PROVIDE FOOD SECURITY FOR THEIR FAMILIES WITH GROWING FOOD PRICE INFLATION.
MORE THAN 6 MILLION CHILDREN IN SOUTH AFRICA REGULARLY GO HUNGRY.
Eighteen million South Africans rely on social grants, with 20% of households depending on grants as their main source of income and almost 20% of South African households had inadequate or severe inadequate access to food in 2017.
Rising food costs are a result of farmers having to deal with record droughts and inflated costs in electricity for extracting water, importing fertilizers, transport and labor.
With approximately 40% of South Africans currently being unemployed, inspired communities become a valuable human resource. When people are empowered to produce food for personal use and economic growth they spark a shift towards solving multiple challenges, and when smart technologies are used to turn their waste products into resources we turn the obstacles into opportunities.
WE WANT TO CREATE COLLECTIVE PRIDE OF OWNERSHIP AND SUPPORTIVE SYSTEMS OF SOCIAL CAPITAL, WHILE MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES ACCESS AND CREATE GOOD JOB OPPORTUNITIES.
Imagine a low-income housing development with no greenery and a macadamia farm being overlaid to fulfill each others needs.
The housing development needs jobs, food security and social upliftment.
The farm needs labour, water and fertilizer.
Now imagine the community that lives in this NEIGHBOURFOOD is able to own the farm, with each family being custodians for trees in their yards. The trees are watered through using the house's filtered grey waste water and fertilizer is made from the communities organic waste products through composting toilet technologies. All managed by a cooperative agri-tech business that brings together the entire community and farming professionals to sell a collected harvest to markets and distribute the income fairly.
Members of the community create their own self sustaining farm that in turn creates food security, energy efficient lower cost food production, economic growth, health and well-being through greener neighborhoods and aids carbon sequestration through reforestation.
A win win win solution. 1+1=3
AN ESTIMATE OF 14 MILLION PEOPLE IN SOUTH AFRICA LIVE IN GOVERNMENT SUBSIDY HOUSES, BUT THESE COMMUNITIES STILL FACE IMMENSE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CHALLENGES WITH A LARGE DEPENDENCY ON UNSUSTAINABLE SOCIAL GRANT SYSTEMS.
Grant increases have barely kept pace with food inflation, leading to an increase in hunger in households. During an economic shock such as the COVID-19 pandemic, poor households that spend over a third of their income on food are the most susceptible to malnutrition. With 136,000 new government homes being built per year in South Africa, new communities are being formed that need to become self sustainable by being able to produce food for personal use or trade to create economic stability.
Individuals and communities can be empowered by agri-tech business solutions and systems designs when they become a part of the design process and management team through a fair share co-op.
We want to transform neighborhoods into energy efficient sustainable farms that create jobs and food security with urban greening that reduce erosion, promote soil health, provide shade, transpiration and cooling, habitat for biodiversity and gives cleaner air and healthier environments for communities to live in.
- Improve supply chain practices to reduce food loss, scale new business models for producer-market connections, and create low-carbon cold chains
With millions of South African households needing jobs and food security, Neighbourfood agribusiness is a low carbon sustainable food system that can create socioeconomic growth and a multitude of ecological benefits such as carbon sequestration through reforestation. Creating energy efficient lower cost produce by turning household organic waste into resources and struggling communities into valuable human resources.
- Prototype: A venture or organization building and testing its product, service, or business model
Innovation Strategy / Impact Storytelling