Case Study: Making animal feed from invasive plants.
Background
The Impact Catalyst‘s Social Employment Fund (SEF) programme addresses the dual challenge of environmental degradation and socio-economic needs in communities across the Northern Cape, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and the Free State. One of the operational initiatives within SEF focuses on the removal of invasive plants, transforming them into valuable resources like energy pellets and animal feed.
About Impact Catalyst
The Impact Catalyst is an initiative founded by Anglo American, the CSIR, Exxaro and World Vision South Africa, to create mechanisms that drive large-scale, socio-economic development initiatives through public-private partnerships. The initiatives will be designed to leverage collaboration across all sectors and will be selected for impact beyond the scale of individual participants.
Joint programmes are established between The Impact Catalyst and the Office of the Premier in the selected provinces through the Collaborative Regional Development Platform.
The first Regional Socio-Economic Development Platform was launched in the Limpopo Province in partnership with the Office of the Premier in the province. The focus is on improving the health, wellbeing and living conditions of communities across Limpopo.
Objective
The primary objective of the alien vegetation removal programme is to combat environmental degradation caused by invasive plant species like eucalyptus, wattle, and poplar. These plants not only deplete excessive water resources but also pose a threat to biodiversity, impacting local ecosystems. The SEF programme aims to demonstrate to participants that they can contribute to the circular economy, creating high-value products while addressing economic and environmental challenges.
Implementation and results
In Blouberg, the SEF programme successfully demonstrated the conversion of invasive plants into energy pellets and animal feed. The initiative showcased the potential for creating cost-effective and safer alternatives to paraffin for home cooking and heating. Additionally, biomass trials in Taaiboschgroet, Limpopo, highlighted the successful utilization of pellets and the production of animal feed from invasive biomass.
Market trends and potential
According to Future Market Insights, the global biomass pellet industry is anticipated to experience significant growth between 2023 and 2033. Valued at US$ 20,409.2 million, with Europe contributing 60% to overall sales, this industry presents a substantial opportunity. South Africa, as a leader in green energy in Africa, aligns with the government’s commitment to invest in infrastructure supporting biomass pellet production from waste material.
Strategic partnerships and scaling
The Impact Catalyst, in collaboration with strategic partners such as Anglo-American Group, De Beers, Eskom, and Sasol, intends to scale the alien vegetation removal initiative. The business case is strengthened by the interest shown by participants, community members, and local businesses. This collective support creates an opportunity to attract additional funding, enabling the equipping of rural communities with advanced training and suitable equipment to actively participate in the growing biomass industry.
SEF programme impact
Managed by the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), the SEF programme, implemented by the Impact Catalyst, has onboarded 2,300 participants. These participants earn monthly stipends and are trained in alien vegetation removal, community farming, and waste management. The success of the biomass initiative provides a compelling example of the SEF programme’s ability to address environmental concerns, create employment, and contribute to sustainable economic development in local communities.