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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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Business case

Impact on the health and happiness of human populations

Well-being

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

Account for the systems perspective during the design process, to use the right materials, to design for appropriate lifetime and to design for extended future use

Design for the future

Work together throughout the supply chain, internally within organisations and with the public sector and communities to increase transparency and create joint value

Team up to create joint value

 Develop research, structure knowledge, encourage innovation networks and disseminate findings with integrity


Strengthen and advance knowledge

Archetypes

CE Materials

Impacts

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Industries

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Materials

Nace Sectors

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

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.

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

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]

Ganbatte Cities - Policy tracker policy instruments

Policy Tracker - TEST

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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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By Shumei International and AGRINATURE Association
Overview
In 2013, AGRINATURE Association partnered with Shumei International to develop a Natural Agriculture project to help local farmers restore the land and reduce their reliance on agro-chemical inputs. The partnership was based on a mutual respect for nature and a desire to address the shift in Malagasy farming practices that was leading to greater land degradation. Natural Agriculture projects were established in three regions, and the projects included educational programs for farmers, Natural Agriculture farm sites and school gardens. In only a few years, community members have seen an improvement in rice harvests and this has gained the attention of the Ministry of Agriculture.  Plans are now underway to expand the project and increase farmer education programs across the country.
Challenges
In Madagascar, approximately 75% of the population is farmers and the majority cultivates rice. There are more than 5,000 varieties of rice in the country, and it is among the world’s leading consumers of rice, with 138 kg/ per capita consumed a year. However, the push towards conventional farming practices has encouraged farmers to buy expensive farming equipment and agricultural inputs, such as hybrid seeds, fertilizers and chemical pesticides. As a result many farmers are not able to be self-sufficient in growing their own food. The introduction of these artificial inputs has also impacted the island’s natural ecological balance, leading to land degradation and insect infestations.
Strategies
AGRINATURE and Shumei developed various strategies to introduce Natural Agriculture to local communities by:

Raising awareness of Natural Agriculture as an effective and cost-efficient way to restore the natural ecological balance of the land and manage insects and biodiversity without the use of harmful chemicals
Educating farmers and their families about the true costs of conventional agriculture and its impact on their health and the health of their enviornment
Demonstrating the Natural Agriculture approach and that it is possible to grow food and important crops such as vanilla and rice without the use of agricultural  inputs

Implementation
Natural Agriculture Project Site: Antananarivo 
AGRINATURE began raising awareness of the problems associated with excessive chemical use and presented Natural Agriculture as an alternative. They also enlisted farmers to adopt Natural Agriculture practices in villages throughout the region. Their activities included:

Educating farmers, especially women farmers
Establishing programs in two public primary schools
Creating a model farm in Ambohimila and a rice growing farm project in Ambohimahatsinjo
Providing guidance to local farmers interested in introducing Natural Agriculture
Distributing natural seeds for farmers to start their Natural Agriculture plots
Helping farmers to create compost from the local environment instead of using chemical fertilizers or manure.
Distributing Natural Agriculture crops produced by local farmers to villages

Natural Agriculture Project Site: Sambava 
Madagascar is the leading producer of vanilla globally. The unique flavor is due to the conditions of the soil and the climate, which are fundamental to its taste. In order to meet the high demand for vanilla, many farmers believe they must use chemical inputs to increase their yields. At this Natural Agriculture project site, AGRINATURE and Shumei wanted to demonstrate the ability to grow natural vanilla in northern Madagascar that would retain the quality of the Malagasy vanilla while eliminating all chemical inputs. In order to do this, Shumei and AGRINATURE:

Started working with planters through the local authorities and the Regional Office of Agricultural Development SAVA of the Ministry of Agriculture as their local partners
Established a Shumei/ AGRINATURE model farm   to produce natural vanilla following the tenants of Natural Agriculture
Created the demand for Natural Agriculture vanilla through the Miho Museum, which is using the vanilla to make ice cream at their restaurants

Natural Agriculture Project Site: Anjiro 
In Anjiro, the focus is on the traditional Malagasy farming culture and the future generations of farmers in Madagascar. For this site, Shumei and AGRINATURE created a “Field School”, where activities include:

Teaching students traditional growing methods and the benefits of Natural Agriculture
Enabling students to grow their own Natural Agriculture vegetables
Distributing the produce from their Field School to parents

Impact and Results
Shumei and AGRINATURE’s collaboration has shown Malagasy farmers the value of their ancestors’ traditional farming practices and the benefit of incorporating Natural Agriculture, such as:

The restoration of the land to promote beneficial insects and soil microorganisms
The cost-effectiveness of saving seeds and eliminating agricultural inputs, such as fertilizers and pesticides
The consumption of pure and natural foods for overall health and well-being

After viewing the results of Natural Agriculture programs in Ambohimahatsinjo, where locusts did not attack the Natural Agriculture rice, the Minister of Agriculture became convinced that Natural Agriculture could be an effective alternative to pesticides. In addition, by eliminating chemical fertilizers, pesticides and antibiotics, Madagascar could save up to $100M a year and invest these savings in other development initiatives. Currently, the State and AGRINATURE Association are working together to explain the benefits of Natural Agriculture to farmers and expand its adoption.
Additional plans for expanding the Natural Agriculture partnership in Madagascar include:

Creating another demonstration farm
Working at the policy level to influence decision-makers
Establishing three rice growing demonstration sites in Antananarivo and three sites in the Southwest
Conducting agriculture programs in public and primary schools, orphanages and with the Boy Scouts
Expanding seed-saving and distribution with a focus on rice
Marketing Natural Agriculture products at local markets
Organizing visits between farmers to exchange views and share best practices



Africa

Madagascar

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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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Shumei International

<p>The Agrinature Association has partnered with Shumei International to develop a Natural Agriculture project to help local farmers restore the land and reduce their reliance on agro-chemical inputs. Their strategies include education to promote natural techniques for managing insects and biodiversity. They have also created a model farm to demonstrate the natural agriculture approach and the possibility of growing vanilla and rice without the use of chemical inputs. The success of the project has led to a collaboration between the Agrinature Association and the state to work together to educate farmers on natural agriculture and to expand its adoption.</p>