To reduce our environmental footprint, our teams work together and commit to improving their practices year after year. That’s why, to celebrate World Environment Day, we want to highlight our champion teams. Here are five country offices that stood out for their environmental management in 2021-2022:
- SOCODEVI-Honduras
“The evolution of the level of environmental responsibility of our offices is the product of the awareness days that we held each year in 2019, 2020, and 2021. We worked with the entire team to use recycled and FSC-certified paper, taking care to print as little as possible. We switched to using soy-based ink, which is less harmful to the environment. We purchased reusable dishes for all the co-ops where we held events, and prioritized water dispensers to avoid disposable bottles. Food was managed to eliminate food waste.”
– Xiomara Escoto, central zone coordinator and Jimena Moncada, monitoring and evaluation specialist.
- SOCODEVI-Ghana
“All of this is a learning process. Change takes time and we have to talk about it continuously. For example, I had to intervene three times in one year because single-use plastic cups were coming back into the office. People are proud to see the improvement in our eco-responsibility results. Now everyone is getting the message, even the beneficiaries. The ‘School Radio’ broadcast has also helped extend the reach of the messages.”
– Raphael Asuure, specialist in climate-smart agriculture and agri-food processing.
- SOCODEVI-Vietnam
“Each member of the staff and board of directors of the supported cooperatives received an ecological kit: bag, bottle, utensils, and reusable straws,” explains Gaby Breton, co-director of the VCED project.
These people, by their insistence, then inspired others by constantly refusing plastic straws at the restaurant, explains Thu Le Thi Nguyet. “The result: it led the owner of one of the restaurants frequented near the office to stop using plastic straws, and to provide bamboo or reusable straws only upon customer request.“
- SOCODEVI-Senegal in Thiès
“We have adopted environmentally-friendly driving and promoted carpooling among colleagues for better fuel economy“, says Lamine Diedhiou, whose team has improved and distinguished itself in terms of transportation through various training.
- SOCODEVI-Côte d’Ivoire
In the Korhogo and Abengourou offices, Awa Comoé and Jeanne Klarrou, administrative and accounting assistants, are environmental allies. They are committed to raising awareness of eco-actions, such as the use of reusable dishes for the snacks offered during the SOCODEVI Field Schools. “The food service providers were initially reluctant to accept our desire to have reusable cutlery”, says Awa Comoé. After four years of collaboration, these people testify that this practice is also economical!”
We would also like to highlight the special efforts of the SOCODEVI teams in Guatemala and the head office in Quebec City! Thank you for contributing to the protection of the environment and for making SOCODEVI a greener organization every year!
