AL-INVEST Verde, the European Union's international cooperation programme that promotes job creation through the development of the green economy in Latin America, is halfway to a milestone, through the implementation of its Component 1, supporting the private sector, with 66 ongoing projects and a tangible transformation in various productive sectors.
The Programme has achieved the implementation of sustainable practices in more than 31,000 MSMEs that have received training to improve productivity and efficiency, foster the circular economy and digitalisation, strengthening their capacities to compete in more demanding markets. In addition, more than 2,000 SMEs have managed to increase their business volume and approximately 2,500 have implemented organic and fair trade norms, standards and certifications.
"We have been working through two pillars. The first is related to farming systems and the second to promoting more circular business models. We have seen very positive developments in many sectors. In the agricultural sector, for example, producers have adopted polyculture to optimise productivity and sustainable management of their resources. Similarly, the reuse of waste in industrial MSMEs has encouraged the generation of new products from recycled materials."says Irene Haddad, Team Leader of the Programme's Private Sector Support Component.
These results have been possible thanks to the joint efforts of more than 170 Latin American and European institutions that have been working in a coordinated manner to strengthen Latin American SMEs.
Generation of green jobs
One of the outstanding achievements is the creation and maintenance of close to 6,000 green and digital jobs, as the incorporation of sustainable practices has generated new job opportunities in the agricultural, industrial and sustainable tourism sectors, where employees are directly involved in initiatives to reduce environmental impact.
The 66 projects of the AL-INVEST Verde programme are contributing to key sectors for the Latin American economy, including the agricultural sector working with crops such as coffee, cocoa, fruit, agro-industry, etc., the industrial sector in textiles, construction, chemicals, automotive, plastics and waste management, the use of raw materials and sustainable tourism.
About AL-INVEST Verde
AL-INVEST Verde is a European Union programme whose main objective is to promote sustainable growth and job creation in Latin America by supporting the transition towards a low-carbon, resource-efficient and more circular economy. Through Component 1, the programme manages funds for the implementation of innovative projects of small business associations to boost sustainable practices in the private sector. Component 1 is led by sequa, a German non-profit organisation operating worldwide with the aim of promoting the private sector.
For more information visit: www.alinvest-verde.eu
