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Sustainable Growth

Friday, 10 August 2018

Green jobs: Essential Amathole - A case study of unlocking green jobs in the bioprospecting sector

  • Year: 2018
  • Organisation: WWF South Africa and TIPS
  • Author(s): Daryl McLean (Rhodes University, Environmental Learning Research Centre); Shakespear Mudombi (TIPS)

UNLOCKING GREEN JOBS IN SOUTH AFRICA

The Unlocking Green Jobs: A Catalytic Intervention was a two-year initiative and collaboration between the World Wide Fund for Nature, South Africa (WWF-SA) and Trade & Industrial Policy Strategies (TIPS). Published reports include a synthesis report, Unlocking green jobs in South Africa: A catalytic intervention, which summarises the findings and three three case studies.

The reports were produced with the financial assistance of the WWF Nedbank Green Trust and Agence Française de Développement (AFD).

The Essential Amathole case study focuses on the bioprospecting strategy, one of two components in the National Biodiversity Economy Strategy. Th bioprospecting strategy aims to grow the industry by 10% a year, off a 2014 baseline of R1.5 billion. The number of jobs to be created is not described in the strategy itself, but the aggregate target for the biodiversity economy is 300 000 jobs. This research provided a quantitative modelling that allowed more precise estimation of the total number of hectares that would need to be cleared of invasive alien plants, and planted, harvested and beneficiated through the extraction of essential oils (a highly profitable and labour-intensive strategy) to create these jobs.

Main report

Unlocking green jobs in South Africa: A catalytic intervention - synthesis report

Other case studies

Protecting and unlocking jobs through water stewardship: A case study Linked to the Umbogintwini Industrial Complex, Ethekwini

Unlocking and retaining jobs in the alien vegetation added value chain through industrial symbiosis: Case study on wood pellets