The proliferation of harmful chemicals is a growing concern for human health and well-being and the global environment.During its 6th replenishment period (July 2014 to June 2018; GEF-6), GEF continues to play a catalytic role in leveraging budgetary resources to support elimination and reduction of harmful chemicals and waste.The GEF Small Grants Programme (SGP) is the special window of the GEF providing financial and technical support to communities and civil society organizations for addressing global environmental challenges, while also promoting poverty reduction and sustainable development. In the chemicals and waste focal area, SGP focuses its support to communities at the forefront of chemical threats either as users or consumers, including women and indigenous peoples.As of April 2017, SGP has supported 565 projects with an investment of more than $16 million in GEF grant funding, leveraging more than $18 million in co-financing from multiple sources. SGP’s chemicals and waste portfolio has focused on:  solid waste management to avoid open burning of waste;  pesticide management in agriculture and organic farming; • reduction of chemicals usage and contamination (such as PCB) in small-scale businesses;   capacity development, awareness raising and knowledge sharing.

In this report, launched in March 2006 at the eighth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 8) in Brazil, the SGP and the Equator Initiative collaboratively present thirty case studies from their portfolio to document and draw preliminary lessons from the successes of community-based biodiversity enterprises. While these cases are selected from across Latin America and the Caribbean and initially emerged from an international workshop in Merida, Mexico, they offer valuable lessons for a global agenda.