The transformation of business models: Our partner’s experiences with the private sector in the Med
The transformation of business models that have an impact on biodiversity and water resources is a new approach to conservation. This key challenge must be addressed to ensure more water-efficient practices as well as an improved resilience of businesses.
To do so, the Knowledge and Sectors project funded by MAVA helps stakeholders to adopt solutions and implement them at a scale that minimizes their footprint in the Mediterranean. In this framework, BirdLife works with site leaders to capitalize on experiences from Maristanis project in Sardinia (MEDSEA), Ulcinj salina in Montenegro (CZIP, MSJA), Buna Bojana in Albania (IUCN-Ecaro), Ghar el Melh in Tunisia (AAO-BirdLife) and Bahia de Cadiz in Spain (SEO/Birdlife).
In Ulcinj salina, partners worked with the local community to develop sustainable tourism activities and with the Municipality to elaborate a roadmap on sustainable development with a focus on tourism. A total of 8 small grants were supported and successfully promoted through 2 BirdSaltPeople: FEST in 2021 and 2022. During the festival, it was possible to buy the sweetest gingerbreads and biscuits in the shape of birds.
In Ghar el Melh (GEM), Partners focused on the territorial development plan to ensure the tourism stakeholders are aware of, and implement, solutions to minimize their ecological footprint. The priority in GEM is to raise awareness about the impact of tourism activities on the environment, solid waste management and the importance of sustainable management. About 10 tourism providers were invited to attend different trainings aiming to raise awareness (mainly on solid waste management) and build capacities on the link between GEM tourism as a socio-economic activity and the ecosystem and natural resources.
The partner in Buna Bojana had the objective of promoting more sustainable use of water resources and chemicals in the agricultural sector. Through the grant program they implemented on-ground water-saving projects as well as education campaign projects about water. Another theme of the grant scheme was to boost the availability, popularity, and diversity of sustainable and nature-based tourism initiatives in Buna. They had both small projects to set up eco-tourism facilities, and larger ones that ran international nature tourism campaigns and tourism strategies. In October, they ran final workshops and advisory services in each of the three agricultural communities in Buna to encourage conservation agriculture, more sustainable use of resources in agriculture and to introduce some available schemes to assist farmers to progress further with making their farms more sustainable and adaptive.
In Oristano the Maristanis project aims at promoting the use of precision agriculture technologies to use water and efficiently working together with innovator farmers who want to invest their resources into testing new technologies. Four different approaches were tested thanks to the support of the Maristanis project to reduce water use. The most successful one was a new start-up, created by a young local drone driver, to promote the use of drones in precision agriculture and reduce water and chemical use. In the future, MEDSEA will create new opportunities for farmers and tourism operators to disseminate the lessons learned and the good practices outside the Maristanis area.
SEO/BirdLife, together with other partners, organised a workshop on “Natural capital in artisanal salt pans” with the aim of promoting the incorporation of ecosystem services in the management and decision-making processes in the management of traditional Mediterranean salt pans through the natural capital approach. This approach contributes to highlighting the value of sustainable and environmentally friendly management of natural and protected areas, artisanal means of exploitation, and their important contribution to the generation of shared value for nature, society, and the business fabric. With 53 participants the webinar was a success, and the recording can be found here.