Table 1 Case studies on social values for sustainable development in community-based projects
From: Social values and sustainable development: community experiences
Title of the initiative | What were the project’s goals? | To which results has it led, in a sustainable development context? Which difference has it made? | Location | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Building Resilient Communities to Support the Health and Wellbeing of Venezuelan Refugees | This innovative project proposes a set of technological tools and resources to integrate urban planning and management of resilient communities for Venezuelan refugees in terms of accessing health and well-being support in Brazil and Colombia | It contributes to the development of effective public resilience policies and practices in response to COVID-19. These tools seek inclusive interventions, of a technological nature, that offer support to public agencies to assist and support the health and well-being of this vulnerable group | Brazil and Colombia | LabCom—UFPel [34] |
Desa Makmur Peduli Api (Prosperous and Fire Free Village) | This initiative is focused on two activities: The Fire Management System Program and the Community Empowerment Program. It aims to reduce forest fires, create resilience, enhance food security, and alleviate poverty | Frequent forest fires cause damage and losses in terms of health, environment, society and economics and have a negative impact on extractive activities (timber, palm oil, and other commodities). This programme is successful to reduce the fire hot spots and provide additional income monthly | Islands Sumatera and Kalimantan in Indonesia | Pasaribu et al. [43] |
Equator Initiative | The programme recognizes and advances local sustainable development solutions for people, nature and resilient communities through three action areas: Equator Prize, Equator Dialogues, and Equator Knowledge | It provides opportunities for indigenous people to address the challenges of land degradation, biodiversity conservation and livelihood improvement in a socially equitable manner | Equator | Berkes and Adhikari [5] |
Enabling Communities for Climate Change Adaptation Planning | The project mainly links SDG 5 and 13 to empower local communities through Community based Organizations and youth ambassadors to design local climate change adaptation plans. It will also provide a platform for local communities to share these climate change adaptation plans with relevant ministries and municipal councils | It helped in augmenting the capacity of civil society and youth in three climate change hotbeds by a set of interventions which addressed a better understanding of climate change science and the ability to craft and deliver gender-sensitive adaptation plans. It empowered civil society and youth with the knowledge and skills to develop effective gender-sensitive strategies for climate change adaptation in their areas | Jordan | United Nations [55] |
Enhanced Rural Resilience in Yemen (ERRY) | This initiative’s aim was to support displaced marginalized, youths and women to establish decentralized solar energy systems to improve access, employability skills, stable income and self-confidence | The distinguishing feature of this initiative is to make solar energy accessible and affordable to all. Solar micro businesses have recovered 50% of the seed grant in addition to a $100/month stable income since the establishment of the business | Yemen | Abyan et al. [1] |
Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR) | This is an easy and low-cost land restoration initiative to combat poverty and hunger amongst poor subsistence farmers by increasing food and timber production and resilience to climate extremes | It is both an effective climate mitigation and adaptation intervention where farmers can protect and manage the growth of trees and shrubs that regenerate naturally. It addresses multiple problems simultaneously through the restoration of vegetation, such as: land degradation, food insecurity, drying of springs, etc. | African, Asian and the Caribbean countries | Kandel et al. [31] |
Food Assistance for Assets (FFA) for Resilient Communities in Latin America and the Caribbean | This initiative is aimed at improving, and providing cash, voucher or food transfers | In 2018, more than 230,000 people directly benefited from its programmes with 5,500 hectares of land rehabilitated, 290 water ponds, shallow wells, and fish ponds built, 155 km of feeder roads constructed or repaired, 5,800 social or community infrastructure assets constructed or rebuilt | Guatemala, El Salvador, Colombia, Honduras, Haiti, and Bolivia | FAO and WFP [19] |
GO-GRASS | Based on harnessing regional assets, this project aims at diversifying, revitalizing and strengthening rural economies with quality jobs and opportunities in cooperation with entrepreneurs and local authorities | It has developed a set of cost-effective and sustainable circular small-scale bio-based solutions and business models to unlock the overlooked potential of grassland across European communities and create new business opportunities for rural areas | Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, and Denmark | Go-Grass [23] |
INCLUDE (Indigenous Communities, Land Use and tropical Deforestation) | This project details the economic, social and cultural damage being inflicted by tropical deforestation and pushes for change, empowering indigenous communities for decision-making and economic gains through sustainable agricultural modes of production | It addresses issues of governance, power and injustice, and involves the perspective of marginalized groups like indigenous people | Chaco Salteño—Argentina | European Union [18] |
IOF2020 – Internet of Food and Farm 2020 | This initiative brought several projects addressing IoT (Internet of Things) in the sustainable agri-food sector (meat, arable, dairy, vegetables and fruits) in different European communities | It fostered a symbiotic ecosystem of technology providers and players, helping to accelerate the virtuous cycle of adoption and maturation of IoT in the agri-food section, making European communities and farming more competitive | Europe | Sundmaeker et al. [52] |
Microsoft’s 4Afrika Initiative | Since 2013, this initiative aims to unlock and accelerate Africa’s potential to create technology not only for the continent, but for the world | It creates investments in startups, partners, small-to-medium enterprises, governments and youth. Significant strides across key economic sectors, including agriculture, social impact, healthcare and skills development have been made in Africa | Africa | IFC et al. [30] |
Natura & Co Commitment to Life | This is a 10-year timeframe programme to address the climate crisis and protect the Amazon, ensuring equality and inclusion, and shifting our business towards circularity and regeneration | Some targets were established to protect the Amazon forest (zero deforestation, to expand influence to 40 communities, to share at least R$ 60mi in value with communities), to defend human rights (to gender balance and equitable pay), and to embrace circularity and regeneration (95% + renewable or natural ingredients and biodegradable formulas) | Brazil | Nature and Co [42] |
NEIGHBOURHOOD CHANGE | This project looked to community-based initiatives for inclusive solutions. It aimed to connect local government flexibly and maximize community engagement, promoting change | It has repositioned local authorities at the centre of social innovation debate, and called for more flexible and transparent planning systems, open to collaboration between community-led initiatives and public administrations. Recently, its findings are being further explored as part of the SOLIVID project to develop a collaborative map and online resource of the solidarity initiatives set up in response to COVID-19 | Italy | Clark and Coulter [13] |
Protege BR (Protect Brazil) | This initiative connects the needs of the public health centres with the manufacturers of local products and technologies, solving health problems in the rural and small communities | Recently, it worked to increase the number of health professionals using personal protective equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic, in areas far from large centres in Brazil, to reduce a large number of workers on sick leave due to contagion | Brazil | Braida and Unanue [9] |
Re:Code – Lego Group | Re:Code is part of the Lego Group Local Community Engagement Program. Using Lego Education products, it consists of fun learning events gathering children to create, invent and code robotic models that solve real issues, mostly around sustainability | These events host hundreds of children to participate in activities that deepen learning on real-world themes while helping to boost twenty-first century skills | 26 countries | Lego et al. [36] |
Red Rocks Initiative for Sustainable Development | This initiative promotes projects to enhance sustainability in the Virunga Mountains, such as the Agritourism, Livestock Support for small-scale dairy farmers, Agriculture Project for small-scale subsistence farmers, Igihoho Project (biodegradable bags made of banana bark), Women’s Weaving supporting the widowed single mother in banana bark weaving activities, among others | It aims to ensure the sustainable social and economic development of communities by supporting locally led environmental conservation and sustainable tourism initiatives | East Africa countries | Bakunzi et al. [4] |
Social Fuel Seal—BSBios | Since 2007, BSBios, a Brazilian biodiesel company, holds the Social Fuel Seal, acquiring biodiesel raw material (soybean, corn and coconut oil) from small-scale and family farmings organized in local cooperatives | Over 40% per year of the raw materials used in the production of biodiesel are acquired from family farming strengthening and empowering rural communities and cooperatives | Brazil | Borger and Costa [7] |
Strengthening Local Governance for Disaster-Resilient Communities (SAKSHAM) | This project’s goal is to promote community resilience through an integrated approach to disaster risk reduction and management planning, capacity strengthening, and resilient livelihoods | Around 7,000 marginalized farmers will be trained in climate-smart agricultural practices and more than 280 demo plots will be established to demonstrate to neighbouring farmers the benefits of adopting climate-smart agricultural practices | Nepal | LWR [38] |
Uptown Pittsburgh EcoInnovation District | Aimed at reviving the community in Uptown Pittsburgh (USA) and bringing members of the community together for environmental projects, this project started in 2015 and emphasizes innovation and deployment of district-scale best practices to create the neighbourhoods of the future—resilient, vibrant, resource-efficient and just | This initiative provided green spaces for the community and facilitated small businesses, evading the problem of gentrification by multiple community-based programmes, such as the Sustainable Small Business Designation, the Sustainable Pittsburgh Restaurant Program, the MLK Community Garden, and Tree Tenders | Uptown Pittsburgh (USA) community | Ghosh et al. [21] |
What’s for Dinner? | Engaging freshmen students in experiential learning activities to better understand the socio-economic dynamics of their foodshed in Winona, Minnesota-USA | This initiative reduced barriers to food access while building community through ethnic gardens, food pantries, and knowledge about food production, consumption, and waste | USA | Borsari and Kunnas [8] |