Business case

Reduced green house gas emissions released into the biosphere

Reduce Emissions (SDG13)

Minimise waste through diversion: Instead of sending waste to landfill, it is redirected into other industrial processes for handling, treatment, recycling, recovery, or reuse in various forms. 

Minimise waste through design: At the outset of a process of project, plan and design such that there is zero waste or minimal waste during production, use, and at end of life. 

Minimise Waste (SDG12)

Collecting waste from households and businesses by means of refuse bins, wheeled bins, containers, etc., and providing treatment, incineration, materials recovery and reclamation, and disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous waste

Waste Management

Reuse, repurpose, and recycle waste streams within other industries

Valorise waste streams - open loop

Cycle strategies aim to cycle and reuse materials at their highest value: they maximise the volume of secondary materials re-entering the economy, ultimately minimising the need for virgin material inputs and therefore also narrowing flows. Of course, virgin materials will always be needed to a degree: all materials degrade and can’t be cycled infinitely, use energy, and require blending with virgin materials to maintain strength and functionality.

Cycle

Impacts

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Industries

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The principles of a circular economy concern designing out waste, regenerating ecosystems and keeping items in use. Decoupling the economy from material flows—improving the rate of resource productivity faster than the economic growth rate—is also a consistent guide. By evolving with the growing number of applications of circular economy principles, and consolidating these strategies across thematic areas, Circle Economy’s Key Elements Framework (KE) renders the elements of the circular economy salient and serves as a basis to derive contextual strategies and interventions. 


The Framework consists of:
- Core Elements: Activities directly handling product or material flows; and uniquely,
- Enabling Elements: those that remove obstacles for core actors.


Key elements of the circular economy

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Circle Economy's framework of strategies and activities that define the circular economy

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Based on the work of [Bocken et al. (2016)](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/309699661_Product_design_and_business_model_strategies_for_a_circular_economy), the Four Flows Framework serves as a simple framework for managing resource flows in a circular economy by using less (Narrow), using for longer (Slow), using again (Cycle), and using clean, regenerative materials and energy (Regenerate).

These different principles of circular economy can be applied to our socioeconomic metabolism: we can design stocks like buildings, infrastructure, machinery, and vehicles to be rich resource mines for the future, and design manufactured goods and consumables to be cycled and made regenerative. Furthermore, the focus must also centre on getting more value out of fewer materials. Achieving the aims of a circular economy—minimising material use, regenerating the Earth, and preventing material losses—can be done through these four key strategies mentioned above.

Source: Circle Economy. (2023). *[The circularity gap report 2023](https://www.circularity-gap.world/2023)* (p.22). Amsterdam: Circle Economy. 

Four Flows Framework

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 At an insect farm in Kenya, fly larvae are being used to combat food waste.It's part of the InsectiPro farm's mission to chip away at the 1,900 tons of organic waste produced in Nairobi every day.InsectiPro uses the larvae of black soldier flies to break down more than 30 tons of discarded fruit each day. The fruit scraps come in from markets, juice companies, and breweries, and are then fed to the larvae.From there, the larvae are dried and sold as animal feed. Any excess waste created by these larvae are sold to neighboring farms to use in the soil."The biggest difference is that the [black soldier fly] manure, the plant converts it very fast, so it is like fertilizer," farmer Douglas Njoroge told Reuters. "It is taken up very fast, it breaks into the soil very well, and it also helps the soil maintain a very good texture."Talash Huijbers founded InsectriPro two years ago. The farm normally produces around two tons of larvae each day, but the pandemic cut production in half.      InsectiPro feeds organic food waste to fly larvae, and then sells them to neighboring farms as animal feed.   Reuters   Meanwhile, border closures slowed imports of other types of animal feed like fishmeal, which is popular in Kenya, creating more demand for InsectiPro's locally sourced larvae. Growing concerns over fishmeal's environmental impact have made room for more sustainable and affordable alternatives like insects.InsectiPro isn't alone — entrepreneurs and startups in North America and Europe are part of the movement, too.The company plans to eventually use every part of the insect, including the shell.InsectiPro has more abstract goals in mind too, like getting people to think about waste, and these little grubs, in a different way. "We think InsectiPro is a company of the future, because we are where sustainability and profitability meet," Huijbers said. "And more importantly, we see the beauty within the beast. And I think you should too." 

Kenya

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Nairobi

InsectiPro

Fly larvae are being used to prevent food waste at an insect farm in Kenya. InsectiPro, a Nairobi-based insect farm, is working to reduce the daily output of 1,900 tons of organic food waste. The farm feeds black soldier fly larvae more than 30 tons of discarded fruit, which it then dries and sells as animal feed.

InsectiPro - Reducing food waste with an insect farm.

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This collection is part of Footprints Africa's work to build a comprehensive database of circular economy initiatives in Africa. 

This is a result of the collaboration with the <a href="https://www.acen.africa" target="_blank">African Circular Economy Network (ACEN)</a>, as part of the programme to support the circular economy transition in Africa. Footprints Africa's vision is that businesses can be a force for good at scale. Their mission is to advance sustainable, scalable and inclusive approaches to development of local African economies. Footprints Africa supports SMEs to adopt future-friendly practices, such as those inspired by the circular economy, to address the challenges of growth and create jobs. 

This open-source dataset features well over 500 cases and 200 examples of policies and laws and intent to collect inspiring examples of initiatives from across Africa, in order to inform the global dialogue, which is largely focused on the European and American context. 

To learn more about Africa's initiatives and content to accelerate the transition to a circular economy, visit https://www.footprintsafrica.co/

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Footprints Africa

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Reduced use of virgin materials and/or an increase of the use of secondary and bio-based materials

Reduce Material Consumption (SDG12)

Producing agricultural products and processing them into food and beverageproducts for consumption

Agri/Food

Producing and gathering crop and animal products from land and water through farming, hunting, and fishing

Agriculture

Utilise waste streams as a source of secondary resources and recover waste for reuse and recycling

Use waste as a resource

Archetypes

CE Materials

Materials

Nace Sectors

Topics

Urban Opportunities

Whilst no two countries are the same, there are still obvious similarities between some of them, with discernible development patterns and parallels in evidence. Common problems and shared solutions help place unique country identities and individual issues in context.

Whilst this classification is far from clear-cut and exhibits some overlap, it does underline how the discourse on transitioning to a circular economy needs to account for both differences and commonalities, if we are to arrive at a more strategic and instructive analysis. It also allows to highlight a set of key themes that are likely to be central to the countries that fall under the respective profiles. 

Country profiles (Build, Grow, Shift)

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A framework to distinguish between different country profiles and their circular transition needs.

80+ circular strategies for product development 
organised hierarchically into three tiers
with tier 1 and tier 2 based on the Key Elements Framework

DISRUPT

It is 2050.  Full systems change has taken place. This wouldn’t have been possible without the immediate action and radical steps taken from 2020 onwards. Many targets had to be identified in the early 2020s and achieved by 2030 to ensure that the 2050 goal happened in full. A sense of urgency, turbo stakeholder collaboration, supportive government regulation and clear, data driven targets enabled the mindsets and systems change needed to transform to a fully circular textiles ecosystem.

A circular economics model underpins what we have created. It reflects and supports a living organism made up of makers, users and restorers, interacting across vibrant and interconnected networks. Checks and balances, alongside transparency and accountability, ensure a healthy system. Financial, environmental, and social metrics have the purpose of serving communities and the planet. There is shared ownership of profit and loss – across all three metrics – throughout the value chain.

This is what we’ve achieved over the last 30 years:

WCTD Themes

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The Circular City Actions Framework provides urban changemakers with five complementary strategies they can use to start working towards a more circular system. 

The framework is action-based to provide users with concrete strategic directions and showcase the desired outcomes of each strategy. 
The framework consists of five complementary **strategies**, under which **sub-strategies** provide further detail. Finally, each sub-strategy consists of a diversity of tangible **solutions** which are framed in relation to key thematic areas. 

Note: solutions are currently focused on:
- 🍏 **Food systems**
- 🏢  **Built environment**
- 👕📱  **Consumer goods**
- ⚡ **Energy Systems**
- 🚌 **Mobility Systems**
- 💧 **Water Systems**

More thematic areas are coming soon...

'Click through each of the five strategy cards below to explore the framework and circular economy case studies in more depth!'



This framework was developed in collaboration with ICLEI, Metabolic and Ellen MacArthur Foundation with support from the MAVA Foundation. Read more about it [here]( https://circulars.iclei.org/action-framework/). 



Circular City Actions Framework

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An action-based framework for local governments working towards circular cities

Thematic Areas

City Stakeholders

In a circular economy:

* Food is produced regeneratively and, where possible, locally; 
* Biomass is optimally used—from agricultural by-products to manure, rainwater or used water; 
* Food losses and waste and packaging waste are designed out entirely; 
* Healthy, planetary diets are promoted and easier to access; and 
* Environmental and economic benefits are balanced with benefits to people and animals.

This definition builds on those of the [Ellen MacArthur Foundation](https://ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/cities-and-circular-economy-for-food), [Wageningen University](https://www.wur.nl/en/Dossiers/file/Circular-agrofood-system.htm), the [Platform for Accelerating the Circular Economy](https://pacecircular.org/sites/default/files/2021-02/circular-economy-action-agenda-food_0.pdf ) (PACE), as well as Circle Economy’s own work in analysing the climate mitigation potential of [circular food interventions](http://circularity-gap.world/2021).

Explore the different themes under this definition below.

Circular food themes

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Explore different themes under the concept of 'circular food'

Test Framework

Challenges

Based on the ongoing ISO standardisation process, a taxonomy has been defined under which to cluster indicators to measure circularity. 

ISO Taxonomy

If managed well, the transition to the circular economy will have multiple benefits for the labour market, including the opening up of job opportunities, raising job standards and reducing inequalities through a global redistribution of value. But a positive transition to circularity for work and workers must be underpinned by three pillars: upskilling the workforce, quality of work and inclusive job opportunities. Find out more and explore cases that illustrate these pillars below.

Circular Jobs Initiative Pillars

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A positive transition to circularity for work and workers must be underpinned by three core pillars.

This is a survey that dives into understanding the policy environment around specific circular solutions. 

The survey is divided into five sections, based on the five key elements of the Circular Cities Action Framework. 
Each section asks 2-3 questions to explore which policies may or may not be present within your city to support a transition towards a circular economy. 

You are not alone! Each question provides some practical examples from cities around the world that have adopted a certain policy to support their transition. This can help to compare with your city - is your city doing something similar?

The survey answers should be based on your current knowledge, and not illicit additional research - ! Please make use of the Not sure option as appropriate.


Ganbatte Cities Policy Tracker [Food]

Policy Tracker - TEST

WE MAKE AFRICA FOOD SECURE WITH THE HELP OFWith the growing population and the environmental pressure on the current food industry there need to be changes and innovative solutions. For us, the solution is insects.  People call them beasts, we call them beauties. As most people try to get rid of insects, we farm them on a large scale. With the help of insects we are dedicated to making changes within the food industry.​ We are creating sustainable, nutritious & profitable systems, that will positively change the current food and value chains. OUR MISSIONBEYOND FARMERSWE ARE FOOD CHAIN-GERSWE ARE OUR VALUESOUR SDG'SInsectiPro focusses on 4 different SDG's (Sustainable development goals). These goals are part of the 17 goals created by the UN.2. Zero Hunger and MalnutritionWe work on creating alternative food sources that are higher quality and more affordable. 12. Responsible Production and ConsumptionWe use  a zero waste model  focused on circular closed systems, ensuring responsible food  production and consumption of food. 9. Industry & InnovationWe use insects in innovative ways to create more sustainable feed and food products.17. Partnerships We believe that the only way to change the system is together.  ​

Africa

Limuru

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Footprints Africa supports SMEs to adopt future-friendly practices, address the challenges of growth and create jobs, using supply chains as a tool for development. 

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InsectiPro cultivates black soldier fly for animal feed and crickets for human consumption. Their aim is to supply high protein foods at affordable price and to provide a solution for food crises in Africa. They are working to make insect consumption widely accepted by humans. Their cheap animal feed also makes production less costly for farmers.

InsectiPro - Regenerative protein from insects

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This collection features a selection of case studies, mainly based on the [2024 Circularity Gap Report](https://www.circularity-gap.world/2024). 

In this year’s Report, we shift from exploring the what to the how: exploring the different ways that we need to ‘change the rules of the game’ and create a set of conditions that discourage the overshoot of planetary boundaries and ‘undershoot’ of human development. This process has resulted in us spotlighting 12 of the original 16 solutions, highlighting the country profile that they are most relevant to, as well as placing people at the centre of this story for the first time. Based on extensive interviews and desk research, this Report aims to show governments and industry leaders that if they want to turn theory into action and scale an economy that delivers on needs within the safe limits of the planet, they need to dismantle harmful entrenched processes and align enabling elements. 

[Circle Economy](https://www.circle-economy.com/) is a global impact organisation with an international team of passionate experts based in Amsterdam. We empower industries, cities, and nations with practical and scalable solutions to put the circular economy into action. Our vision is an economic system that ensures the planet and all people can thrive. To avoid climate breakdown, our goal is to double global circularity by 2032. 

Through the *Circularity Gap Reporting Initiative*, our mission is to deliver an annual global Circularity Metric that measures the state of the world economy and identifies key levers to transition to global circularity. 

To learn more about these interventions to accelerate the circular transition, read the [latest Circularity Gap Report 2024](https://www.circularity-gap.world/2024), as well as previous editions of the global [Circularity Gap Reports](https://www.circularity-gap.world/global).

Global Circularity Gap Report 2024

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Impact on the availability of resources as well as their effect on living organisms, ecosystems, and components of the environment.

Ecological Impact

Impacts on the social fabric of the community and well-being of the individuals and families.

Social Impact

Impacts on the financial condition of a company, as well as the the economicconditions of its stakeholders and on economic systems at local, national, andglobal levels.

Economic Impact

Impact on the quantity or quality of jobs, and shifts in the labour market

Jobs

Direct and indirect reduction in economic costs

Cost Savings

Direct and indirect effects that increase revenues or the potential for new revenues, for example from new products, customer segments, partnerships or business models

Revenue Potential

Ensure renewable, reusable, non-toxic resources are utilised as materials and energy in an efficient way

Prioritise regenerative resources

Utilise bio-based, reusable, non-toxic and non-critical materials

Regenerative materials

Using bio-based materials such as bioplastics, mushroom-based materials, etc.

Alternative bio-based materials and inputs

Build countries consume 13% of the global material footprint, while they account for almost 50% of the population. 

Examples include countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia such as: 
- Bangladesh
- Ethiopia
- Nigeria
- Pakistan
- The Philippines
- Some small island states, ...

Minimal contribution to the overshoot of planetary boundaries: these countries contribute 20% of land use change, 30% of
freshwater use, 23% of phosphorus emissions to soil, and 11% of nitrogen emissions.

To find out what country profile your country belongs to, explore [this interactive story](https://circularity-gap.world) and search for your country on the final map.

Build

The food system nourishes populations and employs 50% of the global workforce, but:
- it currently drives a quarter of the overshoot on the climate change planetary boundary due to its greenhouse gas (GHG) production, 
- animal farming alone uses over one-quarter of all land, equivalent to the size of the Americas,
- nearly a quarter of freshwater resources are lost due to rampant food waste, and
- it is the single largest driver of biodiversity loss.

A circular food system must address the whole value chain, from production to consumption to waste management. The four key solutions for the food system are:
- Put healthier, satiating foods first: Prioritise satiating and healthy foods with a lower environmental impact—ideally shifting calories from meat, fish, and dairy towards cereals, fruits, vegetables, and nuts.
- Go local, seasonal, and organic: Prioritise the production and consumption of local, seasonal, and organic produce (sometimes in combination with GMO to reduce pests and disease loss on crops), which can lead to a significantly reduced need for chemical inputs, fuels, and processing services that contribute to environmental impacts.
- Mainstream regenerative agriculture: Scale up agricultural practices that regenerate ecosystems, recirculate nutrients and sequester carbon by design. 
- End avoidable food waste: Minimise food loss and valorise waste following the food waste hierarchy along the supply chain and at the consumer level through better management of transport and storage, more refrigeration and smart planning, and technology at the consumer and food service levels.



🍏 Food Systems

**Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation**

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The manufacturing industry’s recovery from COVID-19 remains incomplete and uneven: some high-income regions achieved record-high manufacturing value added per capita in 2022 but levels in LDCs were not much higher than the 2015 baseline. 
In the aftermath of the pandemic, data show that higher-technology industries recovered faster and proved to be more resilient, pointing to the need to promote innovation and technology transfer in a way that benefits all countries. 

Inclusive and sustainable industrial development has been incorporated, together with resilient infrastructure and innovation, as Sustainable Development Goal 9 in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

To achieve Goal 9 by 2030 it is essential to support LDCs, invest in advanced technologies, lower carbon emissions, and increase global mobile broadband access.

This goal's target includes:
- develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure, including regional and transborder infrastructure, to support economic development and human well-being, with a focus on affordable and equitable access for all;
- promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and, by 2030, significantly raise industry’s share of employment and gross domestic product, in line with national circumstances, and double its share in least developed countries;
- increase the access of small-scale industrial and other enterprises, in particular in developing countries, to financial services, including affordable credit, and their integration into value chains and markets;
- by 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes, with all countries taking action in accordance with their respective capabilities;
- enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors in all countries, in particular developing countries, including, by 2030, encouraging innovation and substantially increasing the number of research and development workers per 1 million people and public and private research and development spending;
- facilitate sustainable and resilient infrastructure development in developing countries through enhanced financial, technological and technical support to African countries, least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing States;
- support domestic technology development, research and innovation in developing countries, including by ensuring a conducive policy environment for, inter alia, industrial diversification and value addition to commodities;
- significantly increase access to information and communications technology and strive to provide universal and affordable access to the Internet in least developed countries by 2020.

Sources: [https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal9](https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal9)
[https://sdgs.un.org/topics/industry](https://sdgs.un.org/topics/industry)

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9. Industry, innovation and infrastructure  

Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation

**Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable**

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The pandemic has caused major shifts in migration patterns, including huge movements of people in and out of urban areas. Furthermore, climate change and conflicts tend to have disproportionate impacts on cities. These factors mean that the world is far from achieving the goal of sustainable cities.  
In many developing countries, slum populations have been growing, putting at risk the target of adequate housing for all by 2030. Since 2015, the number of countries with national disaster risk reduction strategies has more than doubled. 

Cities are hubs for ideas, commerce, culture, science, productivity, and social, human and economic development. Urban planning, transport systems, water, sanitation, waste management, disaster risk reduction, access to information, education and capacity-building are all relevant issues to sustainable urban development.

This target entails multiple essential concepts such as disaster risk reduction (DRR) and sustainable transport.

To achieve SDG 11, efforts must focus on strengthening capacities for planning for urban development, improving access to public transportation, and enhancing waste management. 

Sources: [https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal11](https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal11)
[https://sdgs.un.org/topics/sustainable-cities-and-human-settlements](https://sdgs.un.org/topics/sustainable-cities-and-human-settlements)


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11. Sustainable cities and communities

Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

**Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns**

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The world is seriously off track in its effort to halve per-capita food waste and losses by 2030.The COVID-19 pandemic has had significant impacts on consumption and production patterns, with disruptions to global supply chains and changes in consumer behaviour. 

Responsible consumption and production must be an integral part of the recovery from the pandemic. 
But the global economy also needs to speed up the decoupling of economic growth from resource use by maximizing the socio-economic benefits of resources while minimizing their negative impacts. 

Reporting on corporate sustainability has tripled since the beginning of the SDG period, but the private sector will need to significantly improve reporting on activities that contribute to the SDGs. 

This primarily entails environmentally sound management of "toxic chemicals" A substantial use of chemicals is essential to meet the social and economic goals of the world community, and these can be used with a high degree of safety when best practices are followed.  Gross chemical contamination, with grave damage to human health, genetic structures reproductive outcomes, and the environment, has been continuing within some of the world's most important industrial areas, and restoration will require major investment as well as the development of new techniques.
Effective control of the generation, storage, treatment, recycling and reuse, transport, recovery and disposal of hazardous wastes is another similar challenge. 
In addition,  solid wastes include all domestic refuse and non-hazardous wastes such as commercial and institutional wastes, street sweepings construction debris, and, in some countries, human wastes. As hazardous waste is frequently intermixed with other waste, this poses particular management challenges.
Finally, this target ensures that radioactive waste is safely managed, transported, stored and disposed of, with a view to protecting human health and the environment. 

To deliver SDG12, it is crucial to implement policies that support the shift to sustainable practices and decouple economic growth from resource use.

Sources: [https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal12](https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal12)
[https://sdgs.un.org/topics/chemicals-and-waste](https://sdgs.un.org/topics/chemicals-and-waste)

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12. Responsible consumption and production

Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

The food system nourishes populations and employs 50% of the global workforce, but:
- it currently drives a quarter of the overshoot on the climate change planetary boundary due to its greenhouse gas (GHG) production, 
- animal farming alone uses over one-quarter of all land, equivalent to the size of the Americas,
- nearly a quarter of freshwater resources are lost due to rampant food waste, and
- it is the single largest driver of biodiversity loss.

A circular food system must address the whole value chain, from production to consumption to waste management. The four key solutions for the food system are:
- Put healthier, satiating foods first: Prioritise satiating and healthy foods with a lower environmental impact—ideally shifting calories from meat, fish, and dairy towards cereals, fruits, vegetables, and nuts.
- Go local, seasonal, and organic: Prioritise the production and consumption of local, seasonal, and organic produce (sometimes in combination with GMO to reduce pests and disease loss on crops), which can lead to a significantly reduced need for chemical inputs, fuels, and processing services that contribute to environmental impacts.
- Mainstream regenerative agriculture: Scale up agricultural practices that regenerate ecosystems, recirculate nutrients and sequester carbon by design. 
- End avoidable food waste: Minimise food loss and valorise waste following the food waste hierarchy along the supply chain and at the consumer level through better management of transport and storage, more refrigeration and smart planning, and technology at the consumer and food service levels.


🍏 Food systems

Based on extensive interviews and desk research, this Report aims to show governments and industry leaders that if they want to turn theory into action and scale an economy that delivers on needs within the safe limits of the planet, they need to dismantle harmful entrenched processes and align enabling elements - policy, finance, and people

- Build circular expertise and skills: Ensure people are skilled and trained to ensure a just transition where opportunities and decent livelihoods are fairly distributed across and within societies.


People

Regenerate strategies phase out hazardous or toxic materials and processes and substitute them with regenerative biomass resources. A circular economy aims to mimic natural cycles—by shifting to more regenerative farming practices, for example—while also maximising the share of circular biomass that enters the economy. Regeneration can happen both at the systems level (by designing regenerative processes) as well as at the product level (by switching synthetic to organic fertilisers, for example).

Regenerate

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**These 17 Goals recognize that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests.**

The SDGs build on decades of work by countries and the UN, and especially on the Millennium Declaration adopted in September 2000 at UN Headquarters in New York which let to the elaboration of eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to reduce extreme poverty by 2015.

In 2015, the Paris Agreement was signed. A major blueprint came out of this: The Sustainable Development Goals: 17 overarching goals—and 169 targets—that governments are aiming to meet by 2030. Significant progress has been made in terms of poverty, health and inequality, but there's still a way to go. This is where the circular economy comes in: by circulating resources multiple times, the circular economy tackles issues of scarcity and allows all to access what they need—without overburdening the earth. If it's implemented in a holistic way—affording attention to social considerations and the fair distribution of resources— it also offers a pathway for achieving the SDGs; and the link between the two is ever-growing. To read more about the link between the SDGs and the circular economy, click [here](https://www.circle-economy.com/blogs/how-the-circular-economy-can-help-us-reach-the-sustainable-development-goals).

It is the Division for Sustainable Development Goals (DSDG) in the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) which provides substantive support and capacity-building for the SDGs and their related thematic issues. TheDSDG plays a key role in the evaluation of UN systemwide implementation of the 2030 Agenda and in advocacy and outreach activities relating to the SDGs. In order to make the 2030 Agenda a reality, broad ownership of the SDGs must translate into a strong commitment by all stakeholders to implement the global goals. DSDG aims to help facilitate this engagement.
Alongside this, the annual High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development serves as the central UN platform for the follow-up and review of the SDGs.
In addition, the UN Secretary-General presents an annual SDG Progress report, which is developed in cooperation with the UN System, and based on the global indicator framework and data produced by national statistical systems and information collected at the regional level.

To read more information: [https://sdgs.un.org/goals](https://sdgs.un.org/goals)

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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In the 2024 Report, we shift from exploring the what to the how: exploring the different ways that we need to ‘change the rules of the game’ and create a set of conditions that discourage the overshoot of planetary boundaries and ‘undershoot’ of human development. 

This process has resulted in us spotlighting 12 of the original 16 solutions, highlighting the country profile that they are most relevant to, as well as placing people at the center of this story for the first time. 


Based on extensive interviews and desk research, this Report aims to show governments and industry leaders that if they want to turn theory into action and scale an economy that delivers on needs within the safe limits of the planet, they need to dismantle harmful entrenched processes and align enabling elements:

- Create a level policy playing field: Set the ‘rules of the game’ through policies and legal frameworks that incentivise sustainable and circular practices while penalising harmful ones, thereby shaping the nature and scale of economic activities across industries and nations. 

- Get the economics right: Adjust fiscal policies and practices to create true prices and ensure that circular solutions are funded so that they can replace linear norms.

- Build circular expertise and skills: Ensure people are skilled and trained to ensure a just transition where opportunities and decent livelihoods are fairly distributed across and within societies.

Enabling factors

Lack of access to affordable protein sources for farmed pigs, chickens and fish in Kenya can deter women and youth farmers from starting a small livestock venture, with both groups less likely to have access to the required capital. Yet, their involvement in agriculture is widely recognised as critical to Kenya’s economic development. Traditionally, Kenyan farmers use fishmeal and soybean as protein sources for their animals, but both can be problematic for smallholder communities. Kenya does not produce high quantities of soybean, and limited local supply translates to expensive import taxes, which often push the commodity out of the reach of small-scale operations. Likewise, fishmeal is becoming a less reliable protein source due to greater market competition, overfishing and traders often adulterating supplies with sand to increase profit margins. Two production models show insects could provide a reliable, sustainable, safe, and cost-effective source of protein for small-scale livestock and fish farming enterprises.   The development of the models has stemmed from the Insect feed for poultry, fish and pig production in sub-Saharan Africa (INSFEED) project, one of nine projects under Cultivate Africa’s Future Fund, a joint initiative of ACIAR and Canada’s International Development Research Centre. Black soldier flies provide the opportunity for smallholder farmers to shift towards a more reliable, profitable and ultimately more sustainable source of protein for their animals. Black soldier flies as fresh livestock feed When Ms Roseanne Mwangi first started her pig venture in Makuyu, Kenya, she relied on locally made fishmeal and soybean feeds but quickly realised the cost far outweighed potential returns.   While attending a conference in 2018, Ms Mwangi visited a research farm in Uganda where she learnt how to derive chicken feed from housefly larvae feeding on pig manure. Further research led her to farm black soldier flies, and she approached the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), the INSFEED project implementer, for more information. Black soldier flies are renowned as being one of the most efficient waste recyclers of the insect world. Unlike common houseflies, black soldier flies don’t have mouths and are incapable of transmitting deadly diseases, posing minimal risk to human or animal health.  
An adult black soldier fly doesn't have a mouth and cannot spread disease. Adult black soldier flies have one goal—to lay eggs. The resulting larvae can devour a wide range of food scraps and waste materials, quickly converting leftovers into protein. From hatching, black soldier fly larvae only take 10-14 days to grow fully. At this adult stage, the larvae are fed to animals, providing a protein-rich food source for livestock. By May 2019, Ms Mwangi started producing black soldier flies. Together with her five workers, Ms Mwangi uses potato peel waste as a substrate (sourced from her sisters’ business venture) to grow the flies. They currently produce an average of 500 kg of black soldier flies larvae every week, fed directly to her chickens and pigs. The high-protein black soldier fly increases the chicken’s growth rate and the amount of good, lean meat they produce.  ‘Within two months, our chickens weigh 800 gms more and appear huge compared to layers and broilers in the market,’ says Ms Mwangi. 
Roseanne Mwangi (right) collecting mature black soldier fly larvae that will be dried and used as animal feed.One chicken at live weight fetches 900 Kenyan Shillings (Kshs) (A$13.6) and 600Kshs (A$9.1) cold dressed. At the time of the interview with Ms Mwangi, she had sold 300 chickens and was seeking to produce an additional batch of 500 birds. In her pig venture, Ms Mwangi can sell one pig carcass for between 16,000 and 18,000Kshs (A$242-272). She has 140 pigs with a feeding ratio of 25% black soldier flies, and she is looking at increasing the percentage to between 80 and 90%.  ‘When feeding the pigs with black soldier flies, we have noticed that the pigs get to marketable size one and a half to two months earlier, which in turn reduces the feeding and labour costs involved in pig production in my facility. We have also noted the significant reduction in fat, resulting in more lean meat production from the pigs,’ says Ms Mwangi. 
Pigs fed with black soldier flies grow faster and produce more lean and better quality meat.Ms Mwangi has been contracted to supply her pigs to Farmer’s Choice—a major pork retailer in Kenya. They graded the carcass quality of her pigs as ‘grade one’, especially the eye of the loin, as it has less fat compared with other suppliers. Farmer’s Choice is seeking to develop a partnership model with Ms Mwangi to train other pig farmers on black soldier flies rearing techniques based on her results. Dried and packaged  Commercial production of black soldier flies is also underway with 24-year-old Talash Huijbers, a recent HAS University of Applied Sciences graduate, Netherlands. Ms Huijbers founded InsectiPro in her quest to source more sustainable protein feed solutions through insects.  
Talash Huijbers of Insectipro with a cricket at her businesses headquarters.With technical and financial support from INSFEED, Ms Huijbers received a starter pack of cricket seed and started experimenting with crickets. She is now the biggest producer of crickets among the entrepreneurs trained by icipe’s Insects for Food, Feed and Other Uses Programme. Her crickets are primarily grown for human food and not livestock feed.  In 2018, Ms Huijbers looked to expand to other insects for feeds options and approached INSFEED for help.  ‘We started black soldier flies production in late 2018 with starter stock black soldier flies populations of larvae from icipe,’ says Ms Huijbers. ‘Currently, we are at 3 tonnes daily production and eyeing to supply the larvae to large scale feed enterprises in the region.’ 
Talash Huijbers posing with her packaged dry black soldier fly larvae.From her production, Ms Huijbers dries at least 70% of the larvae and packages it for sale as livestock feed. The remaining 30% are raised to adult flies for the continuity of the colony. Her enterprise employs 43 people, 31 of them women, who are all below the age of 30.  Biowaste processing Apart from creating a high protein content feed and supplementing farmers’ incomes, black soldier flies can be used to clean up vast quantities of bio-waste such as fruit and vegetable waste from markets, potato peels, beer waste, food waste, and pig manure. These products are readily available, and they are a nuisance to most people in Kenya due to their offensive and unbearable smell.  ‘I started scouting for waste from our neighbours—[snack manufacturing company] Tropical Heat. When [supply] was assured, I set out to find more industrial waste at big companies as well as within the single markets,’says Ms Huijbers, who now collects food scraps and leftovers ranging from mango peels, watermelons, and beer waste, locally known as machicha. 
Talash Huijbers at her food waste collection point. Leftover fruits and vegetables act as substrate for the rearing of black soldier flies.When fed organic waste, black soldier flies produce nitrogen-rich frass (insect manure) that can be used as a high-performing fertiliser.  Dr Chrysantus Tanga, INSFEED project leader and a research scientist at icipe, explains, ‘the composting process of black soldier fly organic fertiliser takes five weeks compared to the 8–24 weeks for conventional organic fertilisers.’ The research team tested the black soldier fly frass fertiliser on maize in open field conditions. They found that plots treated with the frass fertiliser had 14% higher maize grain yields than plots treated with existing commercial organic fertiliser.  Plots were treated with 100kg of nitrogen per hectare, but it was applied in three different forms of fertiliser: black soldier fly frass, commercial organic and urea. The frass-treated plots produced 27% more grain than the commercial organic-treated plot and 7% more than the urea-treated plot. 
Crops grown with the black soldier fly frass fertilizer have outperformed existing commercial fertilisers.Further studies have revealed that maize grown on plots treated with black soldier fly frass fertiliser generate 29–44% higher net incomes compared to plots amended with commercial organic fertiliser. The team is now exploring the use of frass fertiliser by smallholder farmers in low-income countries and its potential to create affordable revenue generation opportunities.   Over the past six months, and in partnership with Nairobi County, the INSFEED project team has trained over 1,096 farmers (733 men and 363 women) on sustainable ways of producing black soldier flies as feed for their animal and the frass fertiliser for their crops. ‘The project has also provided them with starter kits to set up their household production systems’, says Dr Tanga. Policy breakthrough  One significant barrier preventing would-be insect agripreneurs from getting involved in the emerging industry has been the lack of supporting policy. Insects are typically not considered domestic animals, requiring farmers to pay expensive annual certification fees and subject to tight restrictions limiting their ability to move and trade insects and insect products.  But in a recent policy breakthrough and following draft proposals being submitted by the INSFEED team, the Kenya Bureau of Standards announced new policies that would enable insect farmers, harvesters and processing industries to ‘sell their products in the local markets and beyond.’ 
New policy standards in Kenya will help agripreneurs sell insects, like the black soldier fly larvae pictured above, to new and emerging markets. Dr Tanga explained that with the development of the standards, ‘new opportunities have emerged to start the development of the insect value chain to harness the prospects across the entire chain that will allow producers, processors and suppliers, especially youth and women, to earn more income from insect farming.’ With a national system that better supports farmers in producing and harvesting insects, Kenya and its future agripreneurs are ready to take advantage of a new industry.  The INSFEED research initiative commenced in 2015 and is part of the Cultivate Africa’s Future Fund, a partnership between ACIAR and the IDRC that leverages the strengths and resources of each organisation to improve overall food and nutrition security across Eastern and Southern Africa.

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Kenyan entrepreneurs

National standards can support the production of insect-based protein to cut costs, emissions, waste and more.