Description of the project: The project pursues two goals: 1. To increase by 20% the number of manufacturing companies utilizing sustainable, climate friendly techniques, promoting best practices for low-carbon manufacturing in the Caribbean region. 2. To enhance the income, health, education level and entrepreneurial skills of women in the Caribbean by 25% by 2020. With the creation of 250 healthy cosmetic products, this social enterprise improves the lives of more than 2 million people, and serves approximately 1.5 million customers in Trinidad and Tobago and the wider Caribbean, 90% being women.

Climate Impact: The manufacturing process uses agricultural nutrient-rich waste discarded by farmers: mango seeds, avocado seeds, fruit and vegetable matter inadequate for consumption but with great nutrition benefits. It uses low resource input, low-carbon approach, to create healthy and affordable personal care products for all age-groups and backgrounds. The project reduces GHG by reforesting the area using permaculture techniques, with indigenous plants and trees.

Gender Impact: The social enterprise employs rural women from disadvantaged backgrounds. 70% of the enterprise’s benefits are used to improve the livelihood of women in the Caribbean region. It supports education, living conditions and health of over 1.8 million women. 20% of the projects investments goes directly towards mentoring girls and young women.

Scalability / replicability: The development of an efficient low-carbon manufacturing process allows for an upscaled production via low-demand scheduling and strategies which are designed and implemented by women to ensure greater accessibility and reduced manual labor input. A just payment strcuture has been implemented with gender-based incentives. The social enterprise works with women-led organizations such as the Network of Rural Women Producers and others in the Caribbean working towards sustainability.