Economía Verde: por que necesitamos hacer parte de este movimiento.

La capacidad de recuperación y desarrollo sostenible de los sistemas económicos y socio ambientales que sustentan el desarrollo global, pasa por uno de sus mayores desafíos en la medida que urge la necesidad de apoyar una población en rápido crecimiento y que demanda cada vez mayores insumos de la biodiversidad. Esto incluye la satisfacción de necesidades de energía, alimentos y agua para 9 mil millones de personas en 2050, garantizando además, condiciones justa y equitativas para su desarrollo. El éxito relativo alcanzado por los modelos de desarrollo del siglo XX, estimularon que la población mundial se multiplique por cuatro, la producción económica aumente 22 veces y el consumo de combustibles fósiles, 14 veces. Son las externalidades de este progreso que debemos administrar hoy y con base en esta experiencia, prepararnos para el futuro. 

Este contexto ampliamente reconocido y aceptado, demanda nuevos modelos, sistemas y herramientas que estimulen una actividad económica sostenible y comprometida con principios de economía verde, colocando como prioridad de la agenda de desarrollo mundial una mejor  compresión del funcionamiento de los servicios ecositemicos y la búsqueda de alternativas para el manejo eficiente de  la biodiversidad, buscando no poner en riesgo la estabilidad social conquistada y las bases que sustentan la democracia y soberania de las naciones. Todos estos temas clave,  que muy posiblemente marcaran gran parte del debate internacional del siglo XXI.

Entre los nuevos modelos y sistemas que buscan una respuesta de mercado para algunos de los desafíos mencionados, surge la Economía Verde como una propuesta de cambio cualitativa a la lógica de consumo ilimitado de sistemas de biodiversidad que se proyectan al colapso. Es sobre está nueva lógica y persiguiendo las mismas metas que el concepto de Negocios Verdes gana importancia y se suma a un movimiento amplio que busca por un lado, reducir las asimetrías de los países desarrollados frente a los países en desarrollo y que detienen importante , si no la mayor parte del capital natural del planeta, al tiempo en que se busca el desarrollo de nuevos mercados que permitan la puesta en valor y el uso sostenible del capital natural, promoviendo una transformación productiva. 

Así como otras conquistas sociales, todo indique que la transformación necesária no vendra únicamente de políticas globales o de Estado, es necesário que a nível individual, escuelas, universidades, organizaciones de la sociedad civil y otras formas de organización social, se experimenten formas prácticas que permitan cambios cualitativos en los padrones y responsabilidad que tenemos como ciudadanos y consumidores.  Comenzando de forma individual, en familia y luego influenciando los sistemas sociales y económicos que dependen y de los cuales dependemos, podremos apreender más sobre estos temas, desarrollarnos como personas e individuos solidários y consicentes, además de ejercer las bases para transformaciones más importantes.

Es tiempo de apreender.

Você sabia que milhares de mulheres e crianças morrem em Moçambique todos os anos, pelo simples ato de cozinhar?

Com isto SNV Moçambique, encerra um capitulo do seu trabalho em Moçambique na área de Turismo. Obrigado aos 33 colegas e assessores de turismo da  região da Africa do Leste e Austral que contribuiram com estudos de casos.

A versão em Portugues em formato de e.book ( Kindle) , esta disponível na Amazon: "Economia do Turismo"

Graças ao financiamento da Fundação Ford. A versão em ingles, do e.book, deverá estar pronta até Janeiro de 2014.

  

Noor Momade ( CEO of the Travel Agencies Association) José Psico Tomo ( CEO of the Mozambique Tourism Institute), Federico Vignati ( SNV), Quessanias Matsombe ( President of Tourism Businesses Federation) 

         

Rik Overmars ( SNV Country Director)

Fernando Sumbana, ( Minister of Youth and Sports)

Carvalho Muaria ( Minister of Tourism)


On the media:

Vendedores de Alimentos gastam US$ 3.2 milhões de dólares em carvão.

Recentemente foi realizado em Maputo, um estudo sobre introdução de energias limpas nos mercado municipais. Este trabalho fez parte da Parceria Estratégica que tem o Conselho Municipal de Maputo-CMM com a SNV e o FUNAE e que contou ainda com a participação da empresas Clean Star e Green Light Research.

O objectivo do estudo foi o de oferecer uma perspectiva actualizada sobre o consumo de carvão vegetal dos vendedores informais de comida, principalmente daqueles que trabalham nos mercados municipais. .

A equipa envolvida na elaboração do Estudo pretendeu também analisar a receptividade dos vendedores de alimentos às alternativas ao carvão e cobriu 32 dos 40 mercados municipais, bem como 430 comerciantes de alimentos.

Além de análises económicas, foi testado o uso do etanol, especificamente das soluções promovidas pelo Ndzilo, como alternativa e os resultados do uso do etanol foram positivos, indicando que os vendedores de alimentos não só deseja alternativas como tem recursos financeiros suficientes para pagar por outras fontes de energia, talvez mais limpas e económicas.  

Estima-se que nos mercados municipais existam pelo menos dois mil vendedores de alimentos e que cada vendedor gaste, em média, 3.900 meticais (135 dólares) mensais na compra de combustível. Isto representa um gasto de US$ 3.2 milhões de dólares ao ano, somente na compra do carvão.

Agora, as questões que se colocam são: O que falta para que as empresas nacionais entrem no mercado de energias alternativas para cozinha?; Quais os entraves para que o carvão vegetal seja gradualmente substituído por gás, briquetes ou mesmo pelo etanol? e talvez mais importante, Por quanto tempo mais, a população vai aceitar pagar mais de US$ 30 dólares por um saco de carvão que apenas 2 anos atras custava US$ 8 dólares?  

Sabe-se que, em Maputo mais de 70% da população ainda utiliza carvão para cozinhar. Somente em 2011 foram consumidos 3 milhões de sacos de carvão na nossa cidade. No pais, foram mais de 15 milhões. Com os preços do carvão a aumentar cada vez mais na nossa capital, é cada vez mais evidente a oportunidade pela venda de produtos que venham a substituir os tradicionais fogões de carvão, assim como de alternativas ao próprio carvão. O fogão Ndzilo, que promove o uso de etanol, é um produto novo que a população ainda esta a testar, mas o desejo por alternativas não é novo, a população tem dinheiro, mas não há produtos disponíveis para as camadas de baixa renda.   

O CMM, FUNAE e SNV estão trabalhando juntos no desenvolvimento de um mercado para soluções eficientes para cozinha. Espera-se que com o iniciao de um importante programa da GIZ, novos modelos de fogões eficientes sejam produzidos e vendidos aqui em Moçambique, visando atender a demanda nacional. Assim mesmo, há importantes esforços para promoção de fontes alternativas de energia, tais como o próprio etanol e os briquetes.

Esperemos, que com informações desta natureza o mercado de alternativas ao carvão cresça em Moçambique, a população de baixa renda e a as florestas, que estão sendo literalmente cozinhadas, agradecem.

In this interview, Federico Vignati offers market insights about the charcoal economy in Mozambique. Vignati explains why the current US $ 100 mln market represents a "tasty" opportunity for Mozambican SME's.

Tourism Economy: how to promote jobs, income and prosperity in Mozambique

Tourism Economy: how to promote jobs, income and prosperity in Mozambique

by Greenfield Nick 17/07/12

On July 2nd, SNV presented the publication titled Tourism Economy: how to promote jobs, income and prosperity in Mozambique, to the Mozambican Minister of Tourism, Mr. Fernando Sumbana.

This publication is the result of a collaborative effort between SNV, Ford Foundation, UNWTO-STEP, private sector representative organizations, and the Mozambican Ministry of Tourism. The publication was designed as a training tool for strengthening strategic thinking and skills development for public tourism managers.

 

 SNV Head of Tourism Federico Vingati with Minister of Tourism Mr. Fernando Sumbana

The book covers major issues related to tourism economy including destinations governance, measuring tourism impact, building public-private partnerships, value chains and clusters analysis and development, and destination marketing. The publication highlights a total of 26 cases covering the experience of SNV in the tourism sector of nine African countries. The publication was edited by Federico Vignati of SNV in Mozambique.

According to the Minister of Tourism, Mr. Fernando Sumbana, “We feel very proud to see how SNV has been able to put together such an important number of stakeholders to bring to Mozambique this important legacy. The book will be an important reference for us, government and for a new generation of professionals who will support that tourism will keep on generating income, employment and prosperity in Mozambique”

In his remarks, Federico Vignati said, “Although this book is not an end itself, it represents an important step towards strengthening government capacity to coordinate and lead tourism destination development in a sustainable and inclusive basis.   Mozambique has a clear vision; it understands tourism as a way to bring in prosperity to the country. We thank the government for the opportunity given, letting us make a small contribution to this wider and exciting challenge.”

It is time for Gas: why this is the ideal moment to introduce gas to the low-income families in Maputo City.

In Mozambique, 75% of the family households depend on biomass energy for cooking. It is estimated that each year about 16 million m³ is used to produce charcoal with an estimated wood value of more than $700 million, but generating only about $ 300 million in the local charcoal market.^[1] In 2011, the fastest growing

cities of Mozambique (Maputo, Beira and Nampula) consumed 8 million 60kg bags of charcoal, leading to price increases of up to 200%.^[2]

In 2011, the city of Maputo consumed 3 million bags of charcoal, generating a US$ 70 million market.

From an environmental impact point of view, the impact on forests of the charcoal demand in Maputo is enormous, so much so that nowadays the charcoal sold in the city is produced in areas up to 400 km away, while 10 years ago it was produced in the province. The reason? There are no more forests left.

Obviously, great difficulties in producing and distributing charcoal has an impact on prices, it increases them. Between 2010 -2012 the price went from 250 Mts per bag of charcoal to the current 650 Mts, and nothing prevents the price to continue to rise.[1]

Although charcoal is still convenient in Maputo, sold at several distribution points in various quantities at an affordable price, the monthly consumption per household in the peri-urban areas hovers around 650 to 750 Mts per month.[2]

This new price level and the expenses of low-income families, create a real market opportunity for the introduction of alternatives to charcoal, among which gas appears to be the most preferred and desired option.[3]

According to a recent study by SNV in partnership with FUNAE and the City Council in the Mafalala neighbourhood, 63% or 1.800 families already are aware that gas is an ideal alternative for cooking. In this neighbourhood, 30% of the families already combine with charcoal with gas, and everything seems to indicate that this is a trend.

According to the study, families who traditionally consume charcoal, now would be able and really wish to pay for gas, something that only a few years ago would have been unthinkable. At present the potential market of gas consumers in Maputo, i.e. capable of buying gas in sustainable market bases, would be around 100.000 families, or 36% of the charcoal consumers.

That is why, according to the study and the vision of the authors, turning low-income families and individuals into gas customers, poses not only a great institutional or government challenge, but offers above all an important market opportunity for the private sector.

The Case for Supply and Demand:

• Demand - (an expanding market that needs gas) - Based on market information, it is clear that at present over 100 thousand families in Maputo are in the process of constituting a new consumer market for gas. Taking also into consideration that biomass energy expenditure of family households is growing rapidly, this number tends to increase.

Right now, there does not exist a well-developed mechanism that distributes gas to low-income families in peri-urban areas. In the last decade several projects have been launched to promote cooking techniques using efficient stoves and alternative energy sources. These projects generated low demand, insufficient to bring about sustainable change.

Today the market is completely different, with high prices of charcoal, and average spending per family of between 650 Mts to 750 Mts per month, thus even exceeding the costs of LPG and electricity. This is the right time for the introduction of gas in Maputo.

From an economic point of view, meeting the demand of low-income families in Maputo, in addition to respecting the right to clean energy sources, offers a market opportunity that could translate into profits for companies that invest in inclusive business models targeting the Base of the Pyramid.

·       Supply – (Gas bottles on site with the right price) - Due to the current market structure focused on the upper middle class segment and the industrial market, gas supply and the gas distribution system in particular do not include the effective attendance of low-income families.

Low-income families spend up to 1/3 of their income on dirty and precarious energy sources, proportional values ​​that are much higher than those spent by a Maputo middle class family. (Estimated at 600 Mts per months).

At present there is no supply designated for the low income population, so that people from this consumer segment who have the means and the wish to change to a new source of energy cannot do so. While other industries such as telecommunications can leverage their performance by attending the low income population, offering a wide variety of prices and sales outlets, the energy sector has yet to explore these models. It is evident that a couple of years ago an effort in this direction would not have been feasible from a financial point of view, but today the reality is different.

Making consumers embrace the technological change, through buying a bottle of gas (3kg / 9kg) and a gas stove, is the main impediment at the moment.[1]

 By Federico Vignati - João Munguambe and Mario Batsana

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[1] SNV (2012) Study on the charcoal market in the Mafalala Neighborhood.

 

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[1]  Biomass Strategy (BEST Mozambique), preliminary results, 2012.

[2]  Biomass Strategy (BEST Mozambique), preliminary results, 2012.

[3]  See the Mafala Energy Market study.

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[1] Biomass Strategy (BEST Mozambique), preliminary results, 2012.

[2] The highest price increases have been observed in the southern region, above all in the Province of Maputo.