SANERGY COLLABORATIVE AT THE FOREFRONT OF FOOD SECURITY AND CLIMATE POSITIVE SANITATION DISCUSSIONS AT THE NEW YORK CLIMATE WEEK

Regen Organics, a  leader in sustainable and regenerative agriculture and Fresh Life, an innovative pioneer in climate-positive sanitation, are among key companies in Kenya participating in discussions and sideline events focusing on food and agriculture in Kenya and climate-positive sanitation at the New York Climate Week.

Food security, climate change and its impact on global food systems are among the pressing issues of our time. With the world facing escalating climate challenges and the imperative to transform food and sanitation systems, Regen Organics and Fresh Life are in their own capacities collaborating with governments and other key sector players to pioneer and champion groundbreaking solutions that align agriculture and sanitation with climate-positive outcomes.

H.E President Dr. William Ruto, while speaking at the World Economic Forum’s Sustainable Development Impact Meetings 2023 in New York, recognised the power of small and medium enterprises ( SMEs)  as catalysts of a bottom up economy. “The government is ready to explore ways to attract private sector investment as the potential impact is immense.” Speaking  about  Africa’s agricultural growth,  President Ruto noted that public private partnerships will be key to unlocking this potential.

Circular economy

Regen Organics is inspiring a regenerative agriculture revolution in Kenya by harnessing the power of the circular economy. Operating East Africa’s largest organics recycling plant, as well as the largest organic waste management collection system in Kenya, Regen Organics handles 60,000 tonnes  of waste per year, collected in cities and their environs and converts it into organic fertilizer and insect-based protein for animal feed. Its  organic fertilizer currently serves over 10,000 farmers, improving soil fertility and increasing yields by  thirty per cent.

Fresh Life is engaged   in the delivery of transformative, climate-smart sanitation solutions for growing cities and has built one of the largest networks of safely managed non-sewered sanitation in the world.  Additionally, it  has adopted a circular economy model that builds eco-friendly non-sewered toilets. This approach has not only improved sanitation access for residents of informal settlements, but also focuses on safe removal and disposal  as well as  treatment of waste that would otherwise end up in the environment or waterways. This model exemplifies the potential for environmentally friendly, climate resilient and climate-positive impacts within the sanitation chain. 

Innovative solutions

Speaking during the U.S -Kenya  business roadshow hosted by Prosper Africa and the U.S. Embassy in Kenya in Chicago, David Auerbach, President and co-founder of Regen Organics, noted :  “Ultimately, our work is about improving farmers’ lives and sequentially enhancing food security in Kenya. Regenerative agriculture focuses on restoring soil health and cultivating fertile soil that can yield crops, maintain biodiversity  and withstand natural crises. It is about creating a sustainable and resilient food chain.”

Regen Organics announced a partnership with Equity Group at the Africa Climate Week 2023 to support growth of regenerative agriculture and push towards food security in Kenya. The partnership targets to impact 50,000 farmers by 2027, by selling ten thousand  tonnes  of Evergrow fertilizer annually to small scale farmers through a network of  five thousand  sellers. This is in addition to offering joint training and capacity building for farmers as they transition to climate-smart agricultural practices.

Lindsay Stradley, executive director and co-founder of Fresh Life, while speaking at a roundtable on water access and sanitation, at the Clinton Global Initiative annual meeting, noted  : “Sanitation is dignity. Through cross-sectoral collaborations, we can give people in underserved areas the dignity they deserve. However, it is imperative that we adopt and implement environmental and climate positive sanitation solutions. Life centred designs that promote a more holistic view of the people and the planet.”

Fresh Life provides safe sanitation to 250,000 residents daily in Nairobi, Kisumu, Eldoret in Kenya, and recently Lusaka in Zambia while diverting twenty thousand   tonnes  of waste and ten thousand tonnes  of  global greenhouse gas   emissions every year. The Sanergy Collaborative is committed to driving innovative solutions and approaches to create a more sustainable and resilient future for all.