The Marketplace Magazine May/June 2018

May June 2018

Where Christian faith gets down to business

Extracting value:

Vanilla in Tanzania Community-based green solutions Breeding coffee in Kenya MEDA and climate change Helping seniors stay home

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The Marketplace May June 2018

Roadside stand

Responding to a changing climate For people scratching out a living subsistence farming, climate change isn’t some abstract future theory. It’s already having significant, often detrimental impacts on their livelihoods.

Farmers in Kenya and Tanzania (like Martha Kisanga, profiled on pg.

13) find it increasingly difficult to grow crops without irrigation. Many can’t afford the means of doing so.

Some people’s favorite morning libation, coffee, could be harder to come by if current weather warming trends continue (see Caffe Del Duca, pg. 15).

This issue contains several stories that have a climate change/environment focus, including the excellent work done by Kitchener’s REEP Green Solutions (pg. 6). Congratulations to all the people and organizations around the world that are working to lessen carbon footprints and mitigate the impact of a changing climate on communities, including the most vulnerable. Some of MEDA’s responses to these challenges are laid out in intern Tariq Deen’s article on pg. 8. Here are some other praiseworthy enviro-efforts I have learned about recently.

ect could produce 56,000 kilowatts of power a year.

Solar powered church at Goshen College

In a similar vein, Goshen College and College Mennonite Church plan to install a 924-panel, 277-kilowatt solar array, the first on the Indiana campus.

The array will provide all the electricity for the church and chapel building, which is jointly owned and maintained by the college and the congregation.

Costs of the project will be fully recovered in about a decade, with the panels providing free power long after that.

Caring for waterways

Mennonite Creation Care Network is calling for churches across North

Student solar at EMU

Students at Eastern Mennonite University in Virginia have been fundraising to cover the costs of a student-initiated solar project. The project will install a 41-kilowatt solar array on a campus office building. An anonymous donor is matching the $12,000 fundraising goal, which has almost been reached. Once completed, the proj-

Cover photo of Martha Kisanga by Clair Sauder, Juan Guardado by Mike Strathdee, photo collage by Steve Sugrim

The Marketplace May June 2018

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America to apply tender loving care to their local rivers this summer.

That effort could involve a trash harvest by canoe, a creek walk, a cleanup along a riverbank trail or under bridges. The Creation Care Network is also running a photo contest, with prizes for pictures of the wackiest find during a cleanup.

For further information, visit https://www.mennocreationcare. org/river/ -MS

In this issue

Features

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For a cleaner world

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Addressing climate change

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REEP Green Solutions helps people decrease their carbon footprint. By Mike Strathdee

MEDA projects help clients adapt By Tariq Deen

Growing new coffee blends

Kenyan company assists farmers in meeting environmental challenges. By Mike Strathdee

The Rain program teaches homeowners how to deal with runoff.

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Staying Home

Missouri firm builds products for seniors, schools By Jeanette Littleton

Departments 22 24 21 22 23

Roadside stand Soul enterprise Review News Soundbites

Volume 48, Issue 3 May June 2018 The Marketplace (ISSN 321-330) is published bi-monthly by Mennonite Economic Development Associates at 532 North Oliver Road, Newton, KS 67114. Periodicals postage paid at Newton, KS 67114. Lithographed in U.S.A. Copyright 2018 by MEDA. Editor: Mike Strathdee Design: Ray Dirks

Change of address should be sent to Mennonite Economic Development Associates, 1891 Santa Barbara Dr., Ste. 201, Lancaster, PA 17601-4106.

To e-mail an address change, subscription request or anything else relating to delivery of the magazine, please contact subscription@meda.org For editorial matters contact the editor at mstrathdee@meda.org or call (800) 665-7026, ext. 705 Subscriptions: $30/year; $55/two years.

Postmaster: Send address changes to The Marketplace 1891 Santa Barbara Dr., Ste. 201 Lancaster, PA 17601-4106

Published by Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA), whose dual thrust is to encourage a Christian witness in business and to operate business-oriented programs of assistance to the poor. For more information about MEDA call 1-800-665-7026.

Web site www.meda.org

Visit our online home at www.marketplacemagazine.org, where you can download past issues, read articles and discuss topics with others, all from your desktop or mobile device.

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The Marketplace May June 2018

Soul Enterprise

Marketing as Reconciliation Professor describes a redemptive approach to the art of persuasion.

By Dan Galenkamp

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sk the average consumer about their ideas on business, and they’ll likely describe it as profit-oriented and self-serving, tainted by greed and excess. Marketing — the industry of persuasion — is often perceived as having no moral criteria, as taking advantage of people and encouraging destructive consumerism.

Marketing carries heavy baggage.

There is a need to develop both a theology of marketing and a framework for teaching, researching and practicing it ethically. In other words: how can God’s shalom redeem the art of persuasion? Prof. Laurie Busuttil, assistant professor and chair of Redeemer’s Business department, examined how the purpose of marketing has gradually become misaligned with the practice in her tenure paper and presentation, Marketing: Exchanging What Is for What Should Be. How can God’s shalom redeem the art of persuasion?

Marketing as an activity is uniquely human. The American Marketing Association defines marketing as “the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large.” This industry-standard definition gets at necessary activities that have occurred throughout history: persuasion, bartering The Marketplace May June 2018

“Marketing is a good and necessary part of God’s creation that has been skewed by sin and misdirected by culture.”

and exchange. Today’s issues lie in the assumption that the exchange process is adversarial in nature — that the marketer is against the consumer and vice versa.

But Busuttil argues that “[Marketing] is balanced by the self-interest 4

of each party.” Mutually beneficial exchanges, then, are possible. For instance, advertising is information packaged to empower consumers to make decisions about products and services. While advertising is just one piece of marketing, this idea raises big questions. “Does marketing create questionable social values, or does it reinforce already existing values?” asks Busuttil. “How can Christians ‘do’ marketing in ways that serve the common good of our communities, with goods and services that contribute to society in positive and affirming ways? Can Christians in marketing seek ways to shape culture?”

Busuttil suggests that marketing is a good and necessary part of God’s creation that has been skewed by sin and misdirected by culture.

All work can be an act of reconciliation because Christians can actively move towards redemption through the circles in which they live and work. Using Al Wolter’s description of the biblical narrative — comprised of the three movements of creation, fall and redemption — as a foundation, Busuttil examined marketing through the lens of Christ’s redemption of the world — and how, without this lens, there cannot be a lasting impact for Christ in the industry. “A practical theology of marketing,” she says, “shapes our actions in such a way that we can provide solutions to practical issues of our society through the provision of appropriate

products and services, and do so in ways that safeguard our physical, emotional, mental and spiritual environments while reflecting God’s good and creative nature.”

Christian marketers are vocationally called to differentiate what they do and how they do it. Redemptive marketing reflects God’s reconciliation of the world to Himself: he exchanged something undesirable (sin and separation) for something of great value (the righteousness of Christ and an eternal relationship).

Therefore, following this model, products should be advertised honestly and sold for fair prices to build trust and nurture long-term relationships. Design should be sustainable and considerate of future generations. Resources can be used wisely and efficiently, enhancing stewardship. “We should strive to articulate the value of items being exchanged beyond just the price affixed to a product,” states Busuttil. Reconciliation in marketing mirrors God’s shalom, meeting the needs of both the buyer and the seller by fostering right relationship between them.

Students must have the ability to enter the industry with the tools to shape culture, grounded in a biblical framework. “As educators, we are called to challenge students to love God and their neighbours as they strive to meet the needs — not unlimited wants — of consumers now and in future generations,” says Busuttil. The reality embodied in Scripture — the redemption of humanity and God’s shalom — gives Christians a basis for education, research and their industry. Christians can reflect upon what should be rather than what is, bringing about flourishing, right relationship and a profound impact on the next generation of consumers and marketers. ◆

The Kliewers grow Mega Kiwis and thank God for making it possible.

Faith and kiwi farming

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hree generations of the Kliewer family grow fruit on their central California farm. The Kliewers, members of the Reedley Mennonite Brethren Church, were in 1973 one of the first area farmers to grow kiwi. They established a Guinness World Record with a Mega Kiwi weighing over 10 ounces. This variety, 50 per cent larger than a typical kiwi, is native to Greece.

In an interview with Kathy Heinrichs West for

Dan Galenkamp is digital communications coordinator at Redeemer University College in Ancaster, Ontario. This story was originally published in Redeemer University College’s Resound: www.redeemer.ca/resound

Overheard:

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Christian Leader magazine, Jerry, a second generation Kliewer farmer, talked about how his faith intersects with farming.

“As farmers, we realize that everything we’ve been given is owned by God — not just the land and plants, but also the earnings that might be generated from them,” he said. “We want to make the most of what God has given us to manage.” ◆ Reprinted with permission from the March, 2018 issue of Christian Leader magazine.

“The role of the church is not to be ‘anti-market’ or ‘pro-market’ but to be lifeaffirming.” — Rebecca Blank The Marketplace May June 2018

For a greener future Kitchener group helps build more sustainable communities

By Mike Strathdee Kitchener, ON — Mary Jane Patterson takes a long-term view when she describes the work of the environmental charity that she heads.

“It grows out of caring,” says Patterson, executive director of REEP Green Solutions. “Caring is in our vision. We believe by acting today we can leave our children a community that is more sustainable, vibrant, caring and resilient.”

A Catholic who is active in her local parish, she sees her work as being grounded in an expression of her faith. “There’s a sense of social justice in environmentalism, and recognizing that we have an impact on others in the way we live our lives.

That is also faith-based for me.”

Patterson left a career in television production to enrol in a master’s degree in Environment Studies at the University of Waterloo in 1999. The environment faculty was using home energy evaluation software to do residential audits. Patterson was one of two people hired for the Residential Energy Efficiency Project (REEP).

Audits cost only $25 back then, but drumming up business wasn’t easy in the early days, even with on-campus acquaintances. “People started ducking when they saw us coming down the hall,” she recalls.

Two years later, she became REEP’s manager, part-time at first.

As the organization grew, it moved off campus, incorporated as a nonprofit, and a few years later, became a registered charity.

REEP Green Solutions now provides services in many communities adjacent to the region where it was founded. It is one of a score of environmental organizations that are part of Green Communities Canada, The Marketplace May June 2018

photos courtesy REEP Green Solutions

ciency audits and providing advice about worthwhile improvements, REEP Green Solutions advises homeowners on water conservation, RAIN Smart landscaping to manage runoff, waste reduction and related education around environment issues.

Storm water management is increasingly a concern for cities across North America. U.S. organizations working to educate people about best practices in this area include Blue Thumb in Minnesota, Riversmart Homes in Washington D.C.- Maryland, RainReady in Chicago, and the Watershed Management Group in Phoenix.

REEP Green Solutions operates and maintains the REEP House for Sustainable Living, a century-old property in Mary Jane Patterson speaks at an event at the a Kitchener residential REEP House for Sustainable Living. neighborhood that has a national association of communitybeen upgraded to top level (LEED) based groups working with homeenergy efficiency. The site is a demowners, businesses, governments, and onstration property where people communities for a sustainable future. can view several types of insulation, A nimble, highly entrepreneurial ground source heat pumps and other organization, REEP Green Solutions energy efficiency measures. Patterson is often exploring new areas to prois pleased with “all the things we vide service and generate funding for show in the house that you can do that work. About half of its budget in your own house (to reduce energy comes from fee-for-service work consumption).” and contracts with municipalities to Solar panels, two large rain provide services such as domestic water cisterns that are used to flush water-use audits. toilets and irrigate plants around In addition to home energy effithe house, and permeable paving 6

“The more we make requests of our vendors, the closer we will get to zero waste.” are features of the property.

REEP House is also home to tours of school and university groups, as well as lecture series dealing with home energy use, upgrades and a variety of topics related to sustainable living, including green burials and electric vehicles.

The latter speaker series was “the beginning of opening our mind up to a broader vision of what we offer to the community.”

Wanting to reach people who aren’t homeowners, REEP launched a Zero Waste Challenge in 2016. This annual event asks people to try to send less waste to landfill. For five days, participants use a mason jar to hold all home garbage that would be destined for the trash. Refusing or reducing packaging, recycling and composting are all steps toward that goal.

“The more we make requests of our vendors, the closer we will get to

zero waste.”

REEP Green Solutions partners with Sustainable Waterloo Region (a group that helps businesses become more energy efficient) and the cities of Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge in Ontario in a collaboration known as Climate Action WR. That group will present a plan to area governments this spring on ways to achieve an 80 per cent reduction in

Brendan Schaefer, REEP House Facility manager, talks to a group about harvesting rainwater.

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greenhouse gas emissions from 2010 levels by 2050. Several other Ontario communities, including Toronto, Hamilton and London, have already set similar targets.

Patterson has seen her organization change and expand in reacting to what people say they need, or what municipalities or utilities are doing that they can support. Some programs have come and gone, including solar assessments, audits of church buildings, and helping rural landowners ensure their wells were being safely maintained (in response to a water contamination crisis in Walkerton, a rural Ontario community.)

New areas of emphasis include green infrastructure, helping people to put native plants in their yards and plant trees. She hopes the program will help people know what species to plant, where to put them and how to keep the trees thriving on their property.

REEP Green Solutions is as much part of a broader movement as it is a purveyor of individual services. Patterson acknowledges that staff efforts are multiplied by the support of a network of engaged volunteers, including the organization’s board, local students and community members. Even REEP’s volunteer co-ordinator is a volunteer. “This is work that is really meaningful to all of us working on it.”

Patterson is encouraged to see senior levels of government paying attention to climate change, “looking it in the eye and figuring out what we have to do.”

At the same time, while senior governments come and go, “the municipal level is where it’s at. This is where the work continues. That is really inspiring to be part of, and to see.” ◆ The Marketplace May June 2018

Climate Change Not Just an Environmental Issue

By Tariq Deen

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village water wells and household hen we think about discussion is usually focused around climate change we tend reducing greenhouses gas (GHGs) emis- rain buckets.

Adaptation is also linked with to focus on the environ- sions, it is important to acknowledge mental aspect — exthat it will take a long time before the capacity development. Initiatives can be integrated into projects that treme weather, flooding, sea level rise. extra GHGs we have put in the atmoare not linked with the environment, What is often ignored is its husphere decrease to ideal levels again. man dimension. Climate change Therefore, we need to not only focus on such as investments in women’s education. If women are provided with unfairly impacts the most vulnerable reducing GHG emissions, but also the sections of society; the poor, elderly, impacts resulting from climate change. learning opportunities they can enter rural residents, women, and those re- The Paris Accord encourages countries the work force and become finanliant on predictable weather patterns. to strengthen their resilience through cially secure, which will reduce their South Sudan gives a snap shot of climate change adaptation strategies. vulnerability to climate change.

What is climate change adaptaMEDA recognizes the significant what the future will look like under impact climate change has climate change. The United on vulnerable populations Nations estimates that as and market systems. Using many as 20,000 people are screening and assessment tools experiencing famine. An addesigned to mitigate enviditional 1.5 million people ronmental and climate risks are on the brink of famine. we support entrepreneurs in The Intergovernmental Panel adapting to climate change and on Climate Change (the U.N. body responsible for providimproving local environmental ing objective, scientific inforconditions. MEDA has launched mation on climate change) many projects with sustainable predicts that the intensity and components, notably in farmduration of regional droughts ing. Here are a few of these will likely increase during the projects and the impact they latter part of the 21st century. have had on our clients’ lives.

We should no longer look Agriculture is Tanzania’s at climate change as just an main economic sector. Unforenvironmental problem, but tunately, Tanzania has experialso a humanitarian crisis. enced crop pests and diseases.

Linking development goals The Tanzania Meteorological with climate action is necesAgency says agriculture will sary for creating resilient comsee a decline due to increased munities, and helping governrainfall variability and drought ments save money from future frequency. Cassava is a staple MEDA field manager Stephen Magige in cassava field. disasters. After years of little food for many African counprogress, global agreement tries, including Tanzania. It was reached in 2015 with the drafttion? Adaptation is the process of is viewed as a super-crop because ing of the Paris Climate accord. reducing existing and future impacts of its ability to grow in poor soil The accord outlines countries’ of climate change. These strategies conditions and resist drought. In the commitment to keep global temperacan range from large-scale projects past, Tanzania lacked a system for ture to 2.0°C below pre-industrial levels like dikes that protect low-lying areas rapid, large-scale distribution of new from sea level rise to community and varieties of disease-resistant cassava. and limit further global temperature increases to no more than 1.5°C. While individual-led initiatives, including MEDA launched a pilot project (2012 The Marketplace May June 2018

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MEDA and its partners helped Jumwa Mramba build and grow a chili bush farm.

Cassava pic by Steve Sugrim

– 2016) to bridge the gap between seed producers and farmers.

Abdala Hatibu is a farmer in Masasi District. While Abdala occasionally grew cassava in the past, it was not his main crop. When MEDA approached Abdala to sell cassava seeds he was originally apprehensive. He embraced the project after he saw that profits from selling cassava seeds provided him with a more stable income than his previous crops. The project has allowed Abdala to start building a house in Masasi City and purchase a two-acre, fully mature cashew nut farm.

Edward Kusenha is a farmer in the Dodoma Region. While Edward farmed cassava it was only for personal consumption. After joining MEDA’s cassava project, Edward started selling cassava stems and tubers.

The profits from the project allowed

Cassava, a staple food in many African countries is a drought resistant super-crop.

MEDA has launched many projects with sustainable components, notably in farming. him to reduce his labour costs and begin to build a house for his family.

Edward`s success has led his neighbours to ask how they can become involved with other MEDA projects.

With one of the stronger economies in Africa, Kenya is a shining example of economic development.

Like Tanzania though, Kenya is experiencing the impacts of climate change. Prolonged droughts and environmental changes are creating economic losses and food insecurity.

Economic inequality persists. Poverty and unemployment are particularly high among the youth and in rural areas. The government has set ambitious economic goals. But without the involvement of local businesses, these goals cannot be achieved.

MEDA’s Equitable Prosperity through Private Sector Development project works with small and medium-sized enterprises to provide opportunities for subsistence farmers.

Through the project MEDA has 9

partnered with Equator Kenya Limited (EKL). EKL buys premium quality African Bird Eye (ABE) chili from a network of over 7,000 farmers.

Jumwa Mramba is an ELK farmer from Kilifi county. She used to rely on drought and disease prone crops, and her income suffered because of a lack of market demand. Through this project Jumwa received horticulture training. In April 2017 Jumwa began with 90 chili bushes. By June 2017 her plantation increased to 150 bushes. The project provides her with a stable income because of ELK’s assured chili market, and allowed Jumwa to establish her own nursery to increase crop production.

As MEDA moves forward, addressing climate change will become an increasingly important part of our vision and actions. We will not only continue to integrate climate change and environmental components throughout our projects, but will also work towards climate changefocused interventions that adhere to MEDA’s strength of creating resilient market systems capable of adapting to climate change. ◆ Tariq A. Deen was MEDA’s Environment and Climate Change intern earlier this year. His position was funded in part by the United Nations Association of Canada’s (UNAC) Green Corps initiative.

The Marketplace May June 2018

A flavor sensation Tanzanian firm partners with MEDA to grow farmers’ income

By Mike Strathdee MOSHI, TANZANIA — Juan Guardado has abandoned several careers that could have made him quite well-to-do.

Money has been less important to him than making a difference and improving people’s lives.

“You have to think about what your legacy is going to be,” Guardado said of his abandoned career paths during a tour of NEI, the extracts firm he co-founded in 2011. “I definitely don’t regret it.

“When I go see the farmers, some of them just run out and give me a hug. A lot of clients in consulting don’t necessarily do that.”

NEI (Natural Extracts Industries) is a MEDA partner that is working to raise the living standards of thousands of Tanzanian farmers, primarily by teaching them how to grow organic vanilla.

Guardado was born in El Salvador, living there the first four years of his life. After college in the US, his early career was in the computer graphics industry, working for Matrox Graphics and NVIDIA Corp.

Wanting his legacy to be something more than pixels, he worked for McKinsey’s Business Technology Office in London, England, focusing on management consulting in the areas of health tech and health systems.

Discussions about becoming a partner at McKinsey’s didn’t seem fulfilling either, so he moved to Tanzania in 2010.

NEI came into existence the following year. His partner, Silas Losinyaari Noah, oversees the firm’s supply chain team, does government liaison and acts as legal secretary for NEI. For the first three years of the business, NEI focused largely on The Marketplace May June 2018

works with by the end of 2019. They currently have relationships with 3,000 farmers, about half of who are actively harvesting.

“If you’re going to do economic development, it’s going to be in agriculture,” he said.

“Seventy per cent of the people are employed in agriculture in some way, 30 per cent of the GDP comes from the agricultural sector, so clearly, that’s where it’s at.”

But he didn’t want to work in commodities. “In commodities, you’re fighting for the pennies. And yes, there is big volumes, but what we’re trying to do here is the opposite — we’re trying to push the price up for the farmer, give them an income.”

Giving farmers an Vanilla beans provide an above average return for income means a betterTanzanian farmers. than-average return. training farmers and planting vanilla. NEI’s top-performing farmers last All but two of NEI’s 30 full-time year earned $1,500 US for their vaand two part-time employees are Tan- nilla beans. zanian nationals. Guardado expects That’s significant in a Tanzanian the firm will grow to 50 staff this year. context, a doubling of purchasing More significantly, NEI plans power for some. A 2015 United Nato double the number of farmers it tions report suggested that the average small Tanzanian farm was only .9 hectares (just over 2.2 acres) and “We’re trying to produced food worth $790 a hectare.

Knowing that he is creating value push the price up for the farmers, and that they appreciate those efforts, is deeply satisfyfor the farmer, give ing for Guardado.

While he recognizes that NEI has a long way to go, he feels the firm is them an income.”

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Juan Guardado pic by Mike Strathdee

already having an impact in on store shelves this spring. a very tangible way. “I’m not To meet this demand, just going to trade the vanilla.

NEI has been increasing I’m going to try to add value the number of farmers by making the extracts.” they work with and rampInitially, the firm sent ing up efforts to increase small volumes of pods to production from existing online retailers in the US. producers. They hope to Gradually they got more get organic certification for orders from Europe. Then their products this year. orders switched to Indian As they work to scale Ocean islands, including production, NEI has reMauritius, during a crisis duced its processing time in Madagascar, which was for extraction from 15 days a major vanilla supplier. to six days.

Those buyers wanted exThey currently operate tracts. (NEI currently proin four regions of Tanzaduces vanilla, orange and nia, unique among vanilla cocoa extracts.) processors. Eventually, Later, they turned their they hope to expand to two attention north as they more regions. began getting interest from Other future plans online retailers in Europe. include expanding into When he and Noah cocoa. Recently, NEI has started NEI and decided on had inquiries from Japan, their business focus, they Germany and Turkey. found vanilla being grown, The vanilla extract but very little of it. That market is very opaque both forced them to focus on in terms of pricing and establishing the value chain, volumes, Guardado said. a slow process.

Global demand ranges from Juan Guardado tells the NEI story to MEDA staff and From 2012 to 2015, they 3,000-7,000 metric tonnes, supporters. barely had any harvest, depending on the source. spending their time working with Media reports in Canada this that allowed them to identify where farmers, planting and training. Over winter suggested that a global surge shipments come from after registerthe past three years, they have seen in the price of vanilla will push ing farmers on mobile tablets. steadily increasing production. NEI’s “The value proposition for the ice prices to record levels, as much as 2017 vanilla harvest was 2.5 times the cream manufacturer was clear: high20 times what it sold for only a few previous crop. years back. Part of that is blamed on quality, unique flavor profile, full This year, they a 2017 cyclone hitting Madagascar, traceability, and expect at least doubecause it’s direct, a world-leading vanilla producer, bling of production destroying a third of their expected at a lower price from newer farmers, 2018 output. than they were and a lot more from Guardado suspects a cartel in getting in the US.” producers with more The ice cream Madagascar may be holding back mature vines. supply to keep prices high. manufacturer, Last year was But he thinks demand is growwhich he cannot pivotal for NEI, as ing as major food manufacturers — identify, has a a luxury ice cream Nestle, Unilever, General Mills and deal with Sam’s manufacturer found Hershey, to name a few — have all Club, a major US the company and retailer, for at least switched to natural ingredients or are said they wanted to 2.5 million litres of in the process of doing so. direct source NEI’s As this trend increases, the marTanzanian directvanilla. Luckily, NEI ket for vanilla will split into niches. sourced vanilla had implemented a “Nowhere do I see slack in actual ice cream. That NEI produces organic vanilla traceability platform demand.” ◆ product should be extract.

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The Marketplace May June 2018

Growing vanilla in Tanzania MEDA partnership helps with irrigation, training

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ike many Tanzanian farmers, Martha Kisanga has a lot on the go.

She grows a dozen crops on her three-acre property in Lyamungo Village in the Machame area of Tanzania.

Squash, corn, yams, coffee and bananas have been among the mainstays until the last few years, when she began growing half an acre of vanilla.

She has three dairy cows that supply milk for her household plus a bit more to sell to neighbors. The primary value of her cows is in the byproduct. Cow dung provides a free source of fertilizer to promote the growth of various crops. She needs

to buy more cows to have enough fertilizer on hand.

Kisanga is also a lead farmer who has received training from MEDA partner NEI (story on previous page). She works with other farmers in quarterly training sessions that include best practices in planting, use of mulching and bio-pesticides, reducing harvest losses, and where to take beans after harvest.

She is paid for her time, which includes recruiting new producers, and has an incentive to ensure farmers she works with do well, receiving a percentage from their production.

She harvests between 15-20 kilograms (33-44 pounds) of vanilla

pods annually. Vanilla is by far the most lucrative crop of the many she grows. Top quality beans, 17 centimetres (almost seven inches) or larger, fetch $30 a kilogram. Smaller pods sell for $20 a kg. Martha earned about $400 US from the vanilla she sold to NEI in 2017.

Vanilla has to be pollinated by hand, producing one bean per flower, a labor-intensive process. The plant flowers for three months. Six months later, the harvest starts, continuing between July and October. Vanilla vines are not terribly thirsty. But they do need a regular drink, about a litre of water per week. That’s increasingly a problem in some parts of Tan-

Rehema and Martha Kisanga grow over a dozen different crops on their three-acre farm.

The Marketplace May June 2018

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NEI staffer Neil Ashworth works with farmers.

zania. There is a short rainy season of a month or two from the end of November to early January, followed by a couple of months without rain.

A longer rainy season begins in April. Then it gets really dry again in September and October. Many crops can’t wait that long for water.

Climate change is leading to more erratic weather patterns. Some years the short rainy season hardly comes at all. “Every year it’s different,” says Neil Ashworth, NEI’s deputy supply chain manager. “Some years you have heavy long rains, and other years, you miss the short rains completely.”

Getting water from a nearby river is neither practical nor sustainable.

That’s where MEDA and NEI come in, by helping farmers like the Kisangas harvest rainwater from the Vanilla flowers must be pollinated by hand.

Harvesting rainwater for dry season irrigation

roofs of their homes into large plastic collection tanks.

The project will supply 300 farmers with tanks, giving them a dependable water source during the dry months. “The more that we can supply (with barrels), that have no access, or very little access to water on the farm, it makes a big difference for them, not only in terms of 13

vanilla, but other crops,” Ashworth said. “They are able to water in the dry season. It helps them with their income.”

MEDA also does training to promote capacity-building. NEI provides vanilla cuttings to farmers, covering 80 per cent of the cost. Farmers pay the other 20 per cent. A two-metre vine takes four years to reach a harvest. ◆ The Marketplace May June 2018

Entrepreneurs writing new energy stories Inspiration from the Global South

By Scott Morton Ninomiya

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Therefore, I’m searching for creative ossil fuels power our world energy authors in places you might in 2018: they heat my home not expect. Entrepreneurs in comand transport my family — probably yours too. The munities across the global south global story of fossil fuels is a tale (the so-called developing world) are imagining and implementing innovaof great wealth, progress and detive and sustainable energy solutions velopment. But recent plot twists are revealing big holes in this story. Our at an unprecedented rate. Employing dependence on fossil fuels has left us entrepreneurial ingenuity, they are unprotected from volatile oil prices, imagining new stories and mustering created unbreathable air in many cit- the technical know-how, financial reies and caused unstable employment sources and political support to make for multitudes of worktheir imagination ers connected to fossil into reality. These fuels. Environmental authors are at work destruction and climate from Nicaragua to disruption are further Nigeria and from complex plot twists.

Brazil to BanglaMost of humanity is not desh harnessing writing the world energy local solar, wind, story but rather watching water, geothermal, it all unfold: we are the biofuel and other energy audience. We are renewable energy the tax payers and the resources. energy bill payers and Clearly, soluincreasingly, we are also tions from Nairobi the consequence payKenya cannot ers — especially in the necessarily be Scott Morton Ninomiya global south. My doctoral parachuted into research investigates how more of us Nanaimo, Canada or Nantucket, USA, can become energy authors — writing but energy entrepreneurs in the global practical, creative new energy stories south can be pivotal sources of inthat are more sustainable economicspiration for emerging energy authors ally, environmentally and socially. in North America. Southern energy Alas, in North America our entrepreneurs are increasingly creating energy story is so entrenched in fossil visions for a good life that relies on fuels that that it is difficult for us to small-scale, decentralized, local energy even imagine alternative plot lines. sources managed by community Fossil fuels are written between the instead of large-scale energy megaprojlines of our infrastructure, politects managed by distant governments ical systems and our social culture. and corporations. This approach helps The Marketplace May June 2018

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to build energy agency among citizens — the sense that it is not only possible, but imperative to build sustainable energy solutions in their communities. My research will explore how that kind of practical inspiration can be communicated and implemented across geographical, technological, political and cultural differences.

I anticipate interest among fellow Mennonites in my research and am excited to share early ideas in The Marketplace. Mennonites come dangerously close to taking pride in our ability to weave creative tales of hope in challenging circumstances.

Entrepreneurially minded Mennonites have worked with communities all over the world to imagine stories of justice that seek restoration over retribution, stories of poverty alleviation that build capacity instead of dependence. This history of ingenuity imbues us with promising potential as creative and collaborative 21st century energy authors. I would be interested to hear the thoughts of Marketplace readers on my research, and your ideas about where I might find some interesting energy stories in the global south (or anywhere for that matter). I look forward to sharing the results of my research over the coming years with you as well. ◆ Scott Morton Ninomiya is pursuing a Global Governance PhD at Balsillie School of International Affairs in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.

His research and advocacy focuses on the pursuit of practical, sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels. He can be reached at sdmorton@ uwaterloo.ca

Climate and coffee Kenyan firm helps farmers grow beans amidst changing weather patterns

By Mike Strathdee THIKA, KENYA — Arabica is the most popular coffee variety in the world, accounting for three-quarter of worldwide production by some estimates.

It’s also something that future generations will have to do without due to climate change, a Kenyan coffee expert suggests.

“Eventually, this type of coffee will disappear,” Elio Lolli predicted while giving a tour of his coffee plantation to MEDA supporters earlier this year. “It’s not (going to be) economically viable.”

Lolli, director of Caffe Del Duca, is looking for ways to develop new coffee varieties that will be able to thrive in the changing weather conditions.

Caffe Del Duca, located in Maboromoko- Thika, 26 miles north-east of Nairobi, works with thousands of farmers in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda to source quality coffee, roasting the collected product for local and export markets.

Through a recent partnership with MEDA, the company will work with 1,000 new farmers and 100 micro-enterprises in Western Kenya over the next two years, targeting an equal number of female and male entrepreneurs.

Lolli’s father came to Tanzania from Italy in 1954 to work in coffee, planning to stay for two years. “Since then, we’re still here.”

Throughout his working lifetime, Lolli has been involved in growing coffee and making machinery, including pulpers that reduce water consumption.

Climate change is a concern that forces the development of new coffee blends, including Italian blends.

“We are actually seeing the climate change,” he said.

photos by Mike Strathdee

Women make up most of the workforce at Caffe Del Duca’s seedling nursery.

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Caffe Del Duca used to get a late crop in November or December. Now they get the crop in May or June “which means the quality is going down, not up. Any good food or fruit, it takes a long time to ripen.”

In addition to declining quality, “it’s getting more difficult to produce because of the climate change.”

Finding the right moisture levels for coffee is challenging. If there is not enough rain, the beans become too light, Lolli said.

If there is too much rain, the coffee berries (also known as cherries) become diseased.

Historically, Kenya has had two distinct coffee crops, Arabica and Robusta, says Leonard Murwayi, a value chain specialist with the firm.

Farmers have been marginalized as Kenya imports Robusta, so Caffe Del Duca is working to increase the domestic supply of Robusta.

“It’s getting more difficult to produce because of the climate change.”

Robusta coffee has generally been less favored than the Arabica.

Robusta is more bitter and less flavorful than Arabica. Espresso in Kenya and Ethiopia has historically been 70 per cent Robusta and 30 per cent Arabica, according to Caffe Del Duca’s web site.

Over the past four years, the company has been working to create a nursery to cross-pollinate and create a Robusta coffee that is water resistant and high production.

Caffe Del Duca has 14 employees, two-thirds of them women. Women have better manual dexterity than men, making them better suited for working with seedlings, Lolli explains.

The partnership with MEDA will help Caffe Del Duca gain improved access to local, regional and interThe Marketplace May June 2018

A woman mixes coffee beans that are drying on long tables in the sun.

national markets and strengthen the business capacity of the 100 entrepreneurs (coffee vendors) it works with.

It will also train farmers in post-harvest operations for improved quality, using collection points and helping groups to acquire drying tables. Soil conservation activities such as protecting water catchment areas will be stressed to prevent soil erosion.

A gender consultant will be hired to train both men and women on equity leadership, decision making, 16

business development and financial literacy, including bookkeeping and tracking money. CDD will help entrepreneurs get the public health licences they need to enter the coffee business and assist some of them in buying subsidized coffee-making cans.

Some farmers will receive assistance in purchasing pruning tools, sack sprayers and affordable fertilizer.

Kenyan coffee growers prune their plants, something that is foreign to Ethiopian farmers. (In an unrelated consulting project, Lolli is trying

mick, MEDA’s country manager for MEDA’s M-SAWA (equitable prosperity) initiative.

“Western Kenya was hit hard by the HIV and AIDS epidemic of the recent past, thus leaving a significant number of widows,” McCormick said. “The project will help a number of these widows access better livelihood opportunities (including) farming and smallscale vendor retail.”

Each new farmer needs five seedlings and a tree to provide shade to get into coffee production. Coffee bushes

Comments?

to teach sustainable farming practices to Ethiopian growers.)

One part of the MEDA project targets one of Kenya’s most vulnerable populations — widows who are farmers. Caffe Del Duca will help widows to set up five demonstration farms and nurseries.

Vulnerable widows have been identified by CDD and MEDA as a Elio Lolli specific group that will be targeted within the overall client population, says Lloyd McCor-

are intercropped with both food crops and shade trees. Plants take two years to mature enough to produce and will yield for five years.

A coffee bean (or cherry) is a seed of the coffee plant and the source for coffee. It is the pit inside the red or purple fruit.

CDD’s nursery grows plants from cuttings and seeds, producing up to 100,000 plants a year, focusing on varieties that are resistant to several diseases. “As the climate gets warmer, it (coffee plant) is more susceptible to leaf rust,” Lolli said.

Climate change is also increasing the size of insect pests. As temperatures increase, yields drop. Yields were down by 50 per cent in 2017, he said. “The taste varies from the date of the rainfall.” ◆

Would you like to comment on anything in this magazine, or on any other matters relating to business and faith? Send your thoughts to mstrathdee@meda.org

Caffe Del Duca grows up to 100,000 coffee plants a year to produce disease-resistant varieties.

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The Marketplace May June 2018

Weathering the Storms of Entrepreneurship Making lives better by lifting others

By Jeanette Gardner Littleton HARRISONVILLE, MO — “My nicknames were ‘golden boy’ and ‘lucky,’” Mike Vogt says of his early vocational journey. He’d just left college in the 1980s when he landed his first job as a draftsman for a firm that manufactures stair lifts and wheelchair lifts. He learned, grew, was promoted in the small company, and was content.

“I had no inclinations of entrepreneurship. I was fine just doing my drawings, living ‘normal’ life. My wife, Natalie, and I were active in the Mennonite church, where we served as youth leaders, led small groups, taught Sunday school, and served on boards.”

Then the company was sold.

Soon, Vogt and his co-workers started their own manufacturing company. They still focused on stair lifts, affordable, simplified ones homeowners could install.

“God’s hand was evident with the new company,” he recalls. “Before long, we were growing at a rate of 60 percent annually.”

Their business was so successful that in 2008, an equity firm made a purchase offer Vogt’s partners could not refuse. Vogt remained with the firm as chief operating officer for four years, but began to realize the company’s goals were different than his. He and Natalie had begun to enjoy anonymously helping others— such as families with medical bills, those struggling to make ends meet, and Christian charities. The firm that purchased their business focused on profits to the detriment of employees.

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Natalie and Mike Vogt with a chairlift that can be used inside or outside.

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This conflicted with Vogt’s longing to help others achieve better lives.

“My wife agreed to a second attempt at starting a company,” he says. Only this time, the business was set up so employees would eventually own the company and have a source of retirement income.

Investors bought into the dream.

Staying Home Corporation was born.

The company serves elderly and disabled people, creating products to help them overcome physical challenges in their homes.

But it looked like his third time with a company wouldn’t be a charm; that the golden boy’s record would be tarnished.

“While I was certain God had led me to this point of starting another company, I didn’t realize how prideful I had become. I believed I was being blessed because of my righteousness. God humbled me dramatically. Few decisions I made were correct, the products weren’t selling, and everything was crashing. I found the verse ‘pride goes before a fall’ is more like ‘pride goes before a body slam to the canvas!’”

Fortunately, Vogt responded to what he felt was God’s discipline and met other Christian businessmen who helped him weather the storms and grow in his faith. “My key verse now is Isaiah 26:12 (NIV), ‘Lord, You establish peace for us; all that we have accomplished You have done for us.’

“We continued to design products, and God sent us just enough work to keep the doors open,” he says.

Those products are truly fascinating. Stair lifts are still in the mix— with new innovations, including an outdoor model. The company created a small, affordable, battery-powered elevator that can be easily installed in existing home structures. And this spring, they will release a new solarpowered vertical wheelchair lift.

Mike and Natalie, the firm’s office manager, base their business on creating niche items to enhance their

customers’ lives. Sometimes an idea comes from potential customers, such as when their engineer’s elderly mother said, “I need a tornado shelter.”

The Staying Home staff of 37 began creating a storm shelter that could double as a safe room for home invasions while costing less than a new furnace.

“The first prototype we sent for testing at the National Wind Institute at Texas Tech came back in little pieces,” he recalls with a grin.

As they continued to work, the dream grew. What if they made a shelter that could fold against a wall and then easily deploy within three seconds to hold a whole classroom of children?

It’s amazing how well people do and how much they appreciate it when you just give them the opportunity to prove themselves.”

In December 2012, a shooting at Sandy Hook elementary school in Newton, Conn. led to the deaths of 20 young children and six adult staff members. That led the company to investigate making a shelter that could protect against automatic weapons.

Finally, they found steel that would withstand F5 tornado winds and was rated to protect against bullets. They created the Hide-Away Tornado Shelter/Safe Room to be configured in custom shapes and sizes. Kansas School for the Blind purchased one large enough for their whole student body. A classroomsized, foldable Hide-Away shelter can 19

hold 30 students for a cost of around $500 per child—and will last for years to protect hundreds of children.

Vogt tells all employees that his personal priorities are his faith in Christ, his relationship with his wife, his children, his health, and the business. “I explain this so they know we will be open to them dealing with their own personal issues, even when it means they may have to miss work.”

The Vogts also think outside the box with hiring. Whether it’s people who have made mistakes and need a fresh start, are overcoming addiction issues, or face other struggles, “We like to give them a chance,” he says.

“They still have to work as hard as everyone else. But it’s amazing how well people do and how much they appreciate it when you just give them the opportunity to prove themselves.”

The Vogts also use another underemployed segment of society: 20 percent of their current staff is over 60. “We like to pair the young people with the older ones to mentor them,” Vogt says. He adds, “It’s great to pair a cocky 24-year-old with an older employee and give him a hard time, ‘Look, this 60-year-old grandma is outworking you!’ It becomes a fun challenge for them to become as productive as the older workers.”

Not surprisingly, he notes, “Though our company is only in its fifth full year, I’ve had the pleasure of working with many of our associates for 20 years.” Mike and Natalie’s leadership style keeps employees hanging around.

“Our hope is to be able to provide jobs to those in need, donate to causes as the Lord directs, and create a company that can continue on with these goals long after we are gone,” he summarizes. “We are attempting to create a company in a manner that we believe is biblical.” ◆ Jeanette Gardner Littleton is a Kansas Citybased writer and editor who works in communications for the Church of the Nazarene.

The Marketplace May June 2018

Review

Learning from Indigenous wisdom

By Dennis Tessier The Archipelago of Hope: Wisdom and Resilience from the Edge of Climate Change

By Gleb Raygorodetsky (Pegasus Books, 2017 336pp, $28.95 US)

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his book is a compelling account of indigenous people’s experiences with climate change. The author collects and weaves together the stories of Indigenous peoples; from the Gwich’in reindeer herders and Skolt salmon fishermen of Finland, the Nenets of the Yamal region of Russia and Altai people of the sacred Altai mountainous region of Russia, to the Sapara of the Amazon, the Karen in Thailand, and the Tla-oqui-aht of British Columbia.

Through this work, Raygorodetsky conveys several important and interdependent narratives. He begins with trying to understand each community’s unique culture. From the elders, community leaders, and other members of the community he learns about the resilience of each group of Indigenous peoples, who have managed to survive military, industrial and political encroachment, displacement, and cultural genocide in an increasingly resource-hungry world.

The novel succeeds in exposing the reader to the historical and cultural diversity of the Indigenous groups portrayed. But this is merely a foundation for Raygorodetsky’s primary intent: to inform readers of the threat climate change poses to Indigenous people’s way of life, and to amplify their voices as we seek more environmentally sustainable paths.

The author is successful in addressing the false belief that while The Marketplace May June 2018

Indigenous culture and traditional economies have been viewed as backwards and outdated, they may in fact be our only hope of adapting to the effects of climate change. Indigenous peoples have been active stewards of the land for millennia, understanding “the interdependencies of the sun, water, air, forest, fire, wildlife, fish and people that have emerged and co-evolved since the glaciers retreated northward.”

An example of the lack of understanding of Indigenous practices is the Karen people of Thailand. Their traditional form-shifting agriculture called swidden, where forest is cut and burned, farmed and then left to regenerate after a few growing seasons, has been dismissed as destructive and unproductive compared to modern agricultural practices. However, evidence shows that swidden may in fact mitigate the impact of climate change and enhance the life cycle of the forest.

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Archipelago of Hope is a compelling read because the stories told implore us to take seriously the knowledge and wisdom that Indigenous peoples are willing to share, so that we can be better stewards of our planet. As the author points out, while the world’s 370 million indigenous peoples make up only four per cent of the global population, they make up 60 per cent of the world’s linguistic and cultural diversity and occupy 20 per cent of the global land area, which supports approximately 80 per cent of the world’s biological diversity.

A few days after reading The Archipelago of Hope, I traveled to Northern Ontario to spend some time ice fishing with my uncles. Standing on the ice enjoying the March sunshine, I noticed a bald eagle circling 50 feet above our heads. This was the third and largest eagle we saw that day.

My uncle suggested we share a fish we had caught with the bird, and I obliged. We talked about the tensions based on racism and misunderstandings between Algonquin and non-indigenous people over harvesting of fish.

I mentioned to my uncle how there are talks between the Algonquins and the Ministry of Natural Resources to work together to manage and protect the lake. He simply replied, “Algonquin voices should have been part of the process from the very beginning.”

Archipelago of Hope brings attention to this very concern, giving Indigenous peoples more voice in climate change mitigation and adaption. ◆ Dennis Tessier is Senior Program Manager, Environment and Climate Change at MEDA’s head office in Waterloo, Ontario and a member of the Algonquins of Mattawa/North Bay First Nation.

Review

Business that aims to end poverty, unemployment and pollution

By JoAnn Flett A World of Three Zeros: The New Economics of Zero Poverty, Zero Unemployment and Zero Net Carbon Emissions.

By Muhammad Yunus (Public Affairs, 2017, 304 pp., $28 US)

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World of Three Zeros adds to the literature promoting social business. A social business is “a non-dividend company dedicated to solving human problems,” says Yunus, winner of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize, and author of several other titles on the topic.

In this book Yunus asks, “Why has the world left the challenge of solving social problems to governments and charities alone?”

Yunus believes that through social business, the economic and social halves of society are reconnected.

The book argues for an overhaul of the economic framework and the capitalist system. “We need to redesign the economic framework of our society by moving from a system driven purely by personal interest [profit maximization] to a system in which both personal and collective interests are recognized, promoted, and celebrated,” Yunus says.

Yunus identifies the challenges society faces: rising inequality, extreme weather conditions, and increasing unemployment and job creation issues. “The existing capitalist engine is producing more damage than solutions,” he writes.

Solutions require a change to the economic system and a revision about assumptions of human nature. Yunus believes that people are not only self-

ish, but also selfless. The “Capitalist Man” is selfish, and drives our current economic system. However, the “Real Man” is very different from the “Capitalist Man” and makes money not just for selfish reasons but to benefit others.

Economic systems built upon selfishness create shortcomings in the free-market such as unemployment, pollution, and poverty.

However, a redesigned economic framework creates new possibilities and contains three basic elements. First, the new system is based upon human values that promote collective interests. Second, all human beings are entrepreneurs and not merely job seekers. Third, the financial system should be redesigned to work effectively for the poor.

Yunus details how social business addresses the problems of poverty, unemployment and environmental decay. “We owe it to future generations to begin moving toward a world of three zeros: zero poverty, zero unemployment and zero net carbon emissions,” he argues.

In a critical observation about unjust wealth distribution, Yunus says, “If you wanted to describe the difference between ants and elephants, you would certainly not use the word inequality!” In a similar critique he writes, “Unemployment means throwing a fully capable person into the trash—a particularly cruel form of punishment.”

He connects poverty and inequality to pollution among the poor, noting 21

that, “…history shows that when destructive environmental policies are pursued, the poor suffer most.”

He observes three mega-powers transforming the world: youth, technology and good governance, which is displayed in care for human rights. Youth are well equipped to take action to create the world they want. Technology can bring new levels of success to transportation, manufacturing, agriculture, health care and information management.

Good governance and ethical government leadership address corruption and build strong, stable, honest and efficient societies.

For Yunus, reformed economic systems uphold the multi-dimensional aspect of human beings. Multidimensional humans are creative and thus, entrepreneurial. As such, they should be thought of as job creators and not merely job seekers. He believes social business and universal human entrepreneurship can create a world with zero poverty, zero unemployment and zero net carbon emissions.

The social businesses profiled in the book are innovatively addressing social problems. Surprisingly, Yunus does not discuss the Benefit Corporation movement a global movement, in over 50 countries and 130 industries, whose single goal is “to use business as a force for good.” Benefit Corporations have rigorous, thirdparty standards for measurement of people, planet and profit. Benefit Corporations are also seeking to re-orient capitalism in order to achieve a more shared and durable prosperity. ◆ JoAnn Flett directs the MBA in Social Impact at Eastern University, a Christian university near Philadelphia, PA.

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News

In praise of big business

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ashing big business is increasingly popular among Americans. The percentage of the US population with a favorable view of large business has slipped from 60 per cent in 1950 to only 21 per cent last year, according to The Atlantic magazine.

But that negative opinion ignores the reality that large firms pay more taxes, create more jobs and lead in innovation compared to small companies, the article “Learning to Love Big Business” argues.

Larger companies employ more women and minorities and offer better pay and benefits than smaller companies, the story suggests.

Contrary to popular belief, small companies (defined here as firms

The Marketplace May June 2018

with less than 100 employees) don’t create the vast majority of new jobs, it suggests.

People concerned about income inequality should also appreciate the role of larger firms. “Today the richest regions in the United States and abroad are those in which selfemployment is lowest — and the poorest are those with the most selfemployed inhabitants. The reason is simple: As a rule, the smaller the firm, the lower the productivity level.

Richest and fairest: Economies led by large firms also tend to have less income inequality.” ◆

Safety in avocados

Fed up with violent crime in their community and the inability of au-

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thorities to do much about it, avocado farmers in Aguacate Sur, Mexico have funded their own police force.

The village, part of the town of Tancitaro in the rural Michocan region, was suffering kidnappings, extortions and murders by a number of criminal enterprises. It now spends about $1.2 million US annually to fund the 80 officer CUSEPT, (Public Safety Corps. in English). About half the funding comes from avocado producers, who were frequent targets of criminal groups.

Most residents of the community apparently have some connection to the avocado industry. The region produces an estimated 80 per cent of avocados imported to the US, about $1 million worth a day. ◆

Soundbites

Energy efficiency ratings are going down

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ot that long ago, a home’s energy efficiency was rated on an ascending scale — the higher the number, the better. Those days are done, and the goal now is to see how low you can go.

Energy usage measured in gigajoules is now the measuring stick, with Net Zero being the ultimate achievement. A net zero home is one designed, modelled and built to produce as much energy as it uses annually.

That future is closer than you think, energy efficiency specialist Mehmet Ferdiner told a Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy seminar recently.

Japan had 20,000 net zero homes as of 2014. California is requiring that all new homes be net zero ready by 2020. Canada proposes that by

2030, all new buildings should be net zero ready. (A net zero ready home is airtight enough that with the addition of solar panels to generate power, it will be net zero).

Europe is requiring that all new buildings be net zero by 2021.

A few net zero home pilot projects have been done in Canada. One builder has reduced the incremental cost down to about $15,000 extra, with an eight-to 10-year payback, Ferdiner said.

A home energy rating disclosure act is coming soon in Canada, requiring all homes to be labelled, “basically like calories on a box.” ◆

Trash terror

Next time you take garbage to the curb, share a word or a prayer for the

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person who picks it up. In the US, it is a dangerous profession. Injuries and deaths per total number of workers among trash collectors put them in the top risk level, along with fishermen, roofers and loggers according to a Pro Publica report.

Over 300 workers in the US waste industry lose their lives every year, mostly involving private companies.

Working six days a week, 10-14 hours a day contributes to fatigue. Equipment problems, fires and sharp objects are among the occupational hazards. ◆ Would you like to comment on anything in this magazine, or on any other matters relating to business and faith? Send your thoughts to mstrathdee@meda.org

The Marketplace May June 2018

The Marketplace May June 2018

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