SEVENTH OPERATIONAL PHASE OF THE GEF SMALL GRANTS PROGRAMME

PART 1: PROJECT COVER PAGE

A. GENERAL INFORMATION

Country Mauritius
Project No. For SGP Official Use as relevant. Do not write anything here
Project Title : Enhancing livelihood of vulnerable groups through circular economy and development of green products as replacement of single-use plastics.
Submission date 19th April 2022. Resubmission after update: 24th August 2022.
Final Submission: 6th October 2022


B. CIVIL SOCIETY/COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATION ? APPLICANT

Name of organization University of Mauritius
Year established 1965
Physical & Mailing Address: Reduit
Telephone 403 7842
Email haree@uom.ac.mu
Principal Officer (name and position) Professor S. K. Sobhee,
Vice Chancellor.
Project contacts (names and positions) Associate Professor H. Ramasawmy, Team Leader of the Pole of Research on Natural Fibres and Bio Composites.
Dr. J. Chummun, Senior Lecturer, Mechanical and Production Engineering Department.
Associate Professor (Mrs) P. Jeetah, Chemical & Environmental Engineering Department.

C. PROJECT LOCATION

Landscapes/Seascape (name) Landscape (Different rural areas).
State/District and Town/Village Rural areas across the different districts in the Republic of Mauritius (including Rodrigues Island).
Coordinates (latitude/longitude) The GPS coordinates of Mauritius are 20.3484° S and 57.5522° E.

D. GEF SMALL GRANTS PROGRAMME CLASSIFICATION (please consult NC/NSC as needed)



Primary Strategic Initiative (choose one primary Initiative) Primary Focal Area (choose one primary focal area)
Community-based conservation of threatened ecosystems and species Biodiversity
Sustainable agriculture and fisheries, and food security Climate Change Mitigation
Low-carbon energy access co-benefits Land Degradation/Sustainable Land and Forest Management
Local to global coalitions for chemicals and waste management ? Chemical and Waste Management
? Catalysing sustainable urban solutions International Waters

E. PROJECT DURATION

Proposed Start Date October 2022 or as early as possible.
Project duration (in months) 24 months

F. PROJECT FINANCE

Financial sources Local Currency USD currency (Please request the UN Rate of Exchange from the SGP)
Total fund request from GEF SGP 6,909,900 150,000
Total fund from cofinancing (cash) 8,495,000 184,409
Total fund from cofinancing (in-kind) 1,440,000 31,259
Total Project Cost 16,844,900 365,668
Note: 1 USD = MUR 46.066
?
G. ORGANIZATION ? ELIGIBILITY
Please describe proposing organization?s experience and eligibility to successfully implement the proposed project:

a) Type of organization
? Community-based organization (CBO)
? ?Civil society organization (CSO), including academic/training institution
? Others (describe the nature of the organization) _____________

In addition, choose one or more of the following as appropriate:
? ?Indigenous Peoples organization
?Women?s group
?Youth Group
?Persons with Disabilities group

b) Length of existence and project management experience if any: 57 years.

c) Briefly describe purpose and core activities of the proposing organization/group: include a mission/vision statement as appropriate.
The vision of the University of Mauritius (UoM) is to position itself as a research-intensive and entrepreneurial institution. This allows the UoM to actively participate in the development of the human, intellectual, business, and social capital required for our society to grow as an innovative economy. As such, the mission is to develop a UoM-Government-Industry relationship and also to engage closely with the community. The mission of UoM is to foster civic society engagement as well as develop world-class learning, innovative research, and an entrepreneurial culture. As opposed to a traditional University, the modern UoM caters not only for the human and intellectual capital needs of the country but also aspires to develop the business and social capital for progress. In framing its strategy, the UoM has given due consideration to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the challenges of Industry 4.0, in addition to the development of Mauritius and its endeavour to develop an innovation-based economy. As a research-engaged University, UoM priority research areas are aligned with national priority needs: agriculture, life and marine sciences, health, energy, digital technologies and socio economic-tourism. UoM has institutionalised research and built research teams through Poles of Research Excellence and Poles of Innovation. UoM is addressing impactful research through a top-down approach that can help solve local problems. Through its Knowledge Transfer Office (KTO), UoM is getting closer to industry and engaging more in innovation.

As an entrepreneurial University, it is important to instill a change in the mindset to be more proactive, innovative, have the capacity to assume risk and develop openness. Entrepreneurial initiatives include the e-library which is open to the Mauritian public, enabling access to knowledge to unleash its creative potential. Through the AgriTech Park, UoM is working closely with industry and public institutions to develop modern agricultural practice, to promote biotechnology and digital agriculture, to address food security and to nurture innovation through an agri-processing incubator.

Internationalisation is key to the new vision of the UoM. The University is promoting international education diplomacy and deeper engagement with key countries and external partners. Academic and research collaborations with reputed international universities, research institutions and research networks not only enable UoM to increase its student enrolment and doctoral intake, boost research and research supervision potential but also increase its international visibility.


d) Briefly describe organizational structure, governance and administrative framework, including staff numbers, roles, etc. Provide an indication of the legal status with any supporting registration/legal documentation as annex. If none, provide an elaboration of its nature of existence. Provide recent audited financial statements if any.
The University of Mauritius is a body corporate constituted under the provisions of the University of Mauritius (Amendment) Act 2012 and is managed by the University Council. The Council, as stipulated at Section 20 of the University of Mauritius Statutes 2013, consists of: (a) the Pro-Chancellor as Chairperson; (b) the Vice-Chancellor; (c) the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Academia); (d) the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Planning and Resources); (e) the Chief of Facilities and Services; (f) a Dean of Faculty to serve by rotation for six months; (g) an elected representative of the academic staff of the University; (h) an elected representative of the non-academic staff of the University; (i) an elected representative of the Students of the University; (j) such other members not exceeding 9, 3 of whom shall be from the Public Sector, nominated by the Prime Minister from among persons who have been recommended to him by the appropriate professional bodies or institutions and who have distinguished themselves in the fields of education, agriculture, the arts, government, science and technology, business and the professions. (k) other members will attend in a consulting capacity as and when required.

Role of the Council of University of Mauritius Under Section 15 of the University of Mauritius Act Amendment 2012, is that it should be the executive body of the University and shall have the custody, control and use of the common seal of the University. It is also responsible for the management and administration of the revenue and property of the University, and shall have general control over the conduct of the affairs of the University.

As at 31 July 2020, the full-time staff population at the University reached 961, comprising 291 academic staff and 670 non-academic staff, with 54% of our staff being female.

The University of Mauritius consists of seven Faculties, each of which comprises a different number of Departments that engage in both teaching and research. The Faculty of Engineering offers four-year undergraduate BEng (Hons) programmes that satisfy the academic requirements of the Council of Registered Professional Engineers (Mauritius) for registration as Professional Engineers. The engineering programmes are aligned to the prescribed competency standards of signatory members of the Washington Accord. In this context, several of the bachelor of engineering programmes at the Faculty (Mechanical, Chemical, Electrical & Electronics and Civil) are already accredited by the Engineering Council of South Africa. A range of BSc and MSc programmes, in focused areas, are equally offered.
In addition to teaching and learning, the Faculty has developed research capacity in a number of thematic areas of local and international, such as waste management, construction engineering, energy management, renewable energy and renewable materials among others. In-line with its vision to promote research and enhance its visibility at national, regional and international levels, the University of Mauritius has encouraged the setting up of different Poles of Research. Thus, in August 2017, the ?Pole of Research on Natural Fibres and Bio-Composites? (PRNFBC) was set up at the Faculty of Engineering with a view to boosting its research activities. The Pole is now regrouping a multidisciplinary team of academics with background in Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Textile Engineering & Technology, Product Design, Biosciences & Ecology and Agriculture. With the current action, the PRNFBC wishes to take its applied research initiative to the next level, where green functional products can be designed, fabricated and tested in order to sustain the initial effort around UN SDG 12. To that effect, the PRNFBC wishes to mobilise the whole chain from farmers to entrepreneurs for the following main reasons: (1) provide farmers with an additional opportunity to be more resilient to the negative effect of climate change by earning additional income with the extraction, processing and sale of natural fibres, (2) provide farmers, farmers? clusters (a cluster is a group of growers/farmers within a particular region), farmers? cooperative associations, women & youth associations, NGOs and Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with an opportunity to create sustainable green materials and eco-friendly products with added value, (3) provide an incentive for farmers to reclaim 9,000 hectares of abandoned agricultural lands (MSIRI, 2016).

e) Describe previous experience relevant to the proposed project, including activities related to global environmental issues; or experience with projects that focus on sustainable development at community level.
In June 2018, the UoM?s Pole of Research in Natural Fibres and bio based composites (PRNFBC) of UoM organised a Workshop "Unleashing Opportunities in the use of Natural Fibres" to interact with more than 25 local stakeholders, interested in the potential of using locally available natural fibres. The PRNFBC already has good visibility in Mauritius and its members are often called upon to share their knowledge and experience through different forums. In January 2019, an awareness workshop about the production of textile fibres from bananas was organised by the Ministry of Social Security, National Solidarity and Environment and Sustainable Development. In December 2019, the team leader participated in a discussion panel on the theme ?From theory to action: research, incubators, entrepreneurship? at the first edition of the Eco-Action Forum on Circular Economy, Indian Ocean Commission, 9-11 December 2019, Park Hennessy Hotel, Mauritius. On 13th November 2020, the team leader delivered a presentation on opportunities in the development of green functional products from natural fibres, during the Circular design workshop and exhibition organised by Solidaire in collaboration with the British Council at the Park Henessy hotel.
One team member (Dr Pratima Jeetah) did a presentation on ?biodegradable products - alternative to plastics? during the Consultative Workshop on ?Plastic-Free Mauritius: Defining the Roadmap? organised by the Ministry of Environment, Solid Waste Management and Climate Change on 18-19 October 2021. About 250 people/ stakeholders attended the workshop either in-person or virtually, which showed the high interest and need to urgently address the plastic problem and to be in line with the Government Programme 2020-2024 which envisions to make Mauritius a plastic-free country within the nearest possible delays.
One member participated (Dr J Chummum) in a Consultative Workshop that was organised by the Ministry of Industrial Development, SMEs and Cooperatives in February 2020. The aim of this Workshop was to help propel the manufacturing sector to a higher growth path through the emergence of innovation-led, high value, knowledge-intensive, fashion-driven and technology-enabled activities. Dr. J. Chummun also participated in a Working Group that included key players in the manufacturing sector.
The Pole of Research, PRNFBC has been able to secure research funds from different sources, in-house as well as from local and International Institutions: Mauritius Research & Innovation Council (MRIC), the Higher Education Commission (HEC), Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF), DAAD & BMBF (through a consortium with Aachen University, Germany) in order to invest in equipment for the extraction of fibres and for the characterisation of the mechanical properties of natural plant fibres. These research initiatives aim at implementing the United Nation (UN) SGD12, which is, ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns. Members of PRNFBC have been working with two major local manufacturers of plastic composite products (Resiglas Ltd and Nabridas Ltd). One project was completed in 2019 with the collaboration of Resiglas Ltd for the manufacture of Pandanus utilis (plant) based polyester composite plates by compression moulding. A second project was carried out with Nabridas Ltd for the manufacture of water-tank covers, using banana-fibre based polyester-composite. These examples illustrate the strong potential in creating a wide range of green products for local consumption, falling under the label ?Made in Moris? (Made in Mauritius). This would lead to a reduction in the import of fibreglass materials, and a more sustainable local consumption resulting in a lower carbon footprint.
Under the initiative of the PRNFBC, the Faculty of Engineering has set up a Natural Fibre Laboratory (NFL) to widen the scope of its research and development activities related to extraction and processing of natural fibres, and transformation of same into different products. Since December 2019, the Lab is housing three new machines: banana/pineapple/sisal fibre extractor, a combing machine, and a banana pseudostem-cutting machine. The PRNFBC has obtained funding to the tune of Rs 7,7 million from various funding agencies for the purchase of the non-woven line and the purchase has already been finalised. In 2021, PRNFBC in collaboration with Aachen University, Germany has obtained funding from the German government (by BMBF/DAAD) to develop a pineapple fibre composite reinforced electric scooter. PRNFBC is one of the major collaborators in this project together with the University of Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania. All of the above-mentioned funds will cover the co-financing requirement for the present proposed action.

f) Please indicate the organization?s prior engagement with GEF SGP (e.g. grantee, partner, etc). Yes/No: If yes, describe the nature of the involvement including involvement in specific projects and grants received.
The Faculty of Engineering was involved in the following projects - ?Enhancing the livelihood of women at Grand-Sable in response to climate change impacts? in 2013-2015 (GEF SGP), and Green Waste Composting project at Petit Verger Prison for carbon dioxide emission reduction in 2015.
The team members involved on the project on Enhancing the livelihood of women at Grand-Sable in response to climate change impacts were Dr G Somaroo, Dr S Irannah, Dr P Jeetah, Dr V Jumnoodoo. The outcomes of this project were as follows: 1) Women at Grand-Sable were empowered on algae cultivation, 2) Using the algae for pickles to be sold to earn a living, 3) the women were trained on how to produce their own compost for own consumption and the excess to be sold 4) cultivation of Vetiver, Cassava and other medicinal plants (Ayapana and Citronelle) to earn a livelihood, 5) soap making with the algae and 6) awareness-raising on Climate Change and the prevention of coastal erosion through mangrove propagation.

The team members involved in the Green Waste Composting project at Petit Verger Prison for carbon dioxide emission reduction were Dr G Somaroo, Dr P Jeetah, Ms Doorgha Raghoobur. The outcomes were as follows: 1) The local people of petit verger were sensitised on the importance of composting and on the ways to segregate their organic waste from the rest; 2) Prisoners were trained how to make compost 3) Prisoners were trained on the use of the compost for growing of their vegetables.

These two projects were completed successfully and all of the beneficiaries benefitted fully from the project. It is to be noted that some of the prisoners who were in their last year have started earning a living after coming out of jail with the compost production and planting of their vegetables by using the compost.

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PART 2: PROJECT PROPOSAL

SECTION A: PROJECT FRAMEWORK

1. Project Summary
Please provide a brief summary of the project in one paragraph, including rationale and context, project objective and key expected results, include the target site and community(ies) involved.

Summary
The project intends to help local entrepreneurs, farmers, women and young entrepreneurs, through SMEs, cooperative, women & farmers? associations, and vulnerable groups to manufacture sustainable and useful green end-products as alternatives to imported petroleum?based plastics through the conversion of agro?wastes such as banana stems, through training and technology transfer. Thus, entrepreneurs & farmers will be able to implement the concept of circular economy by using agro?wastes as a source of sustainable fibre materials, earn additional incomes, become more resilient to the adverse effect of climate change and potentially improve food security for the local population through the use of existing cultivations, and through the use of abandoned fertile land for the cultivation of specific food crops such as banana. The project will revolve about the empowerment of the different targeted groups (SMEs, farmers?, women & youth associations, vulnerable groups such as women rehabilitation centres & women prison, NGOs and entrepreneurs) through well focused training programmes (including hands-on practical), and leasing of specific machineries to twelve (12) of the above-mentioned type of SMEs/associations/clusters for the extraction, processing of banana fibres, and manufacture of eco-friendly functional products as substitutes to petroleum based plastics. The target sites will be across the different districts of Mauritius including Rodrigues island. The outcomes related to the action are as follows: (1) To create awareness among SMEs, local farmers and women and young entrepreneurs on the business opportunities in the extraction and processing of natural fibres. To understand the requirements of the stakeholders, representatives from the manufacturing & various economics sectors on specific green functional products with a view to replacing petroleum-based plastics; (2) To increase the number of trainers in the local community, who would further disseminate the opportunities in the use of natural fibres as raw materials, and at the same time catalyse the engagement of SMEs/local farmers/clusters/cooperative associations, vulnerable groups, women & youth associations as well as entrepreneurs in this new venture of the extraction of agro-waste fibres and processing of the same; (3) To build climate change resilience capacity and enhanced know-how and skills for the local SMEs/farmers/clusters/cooperative associations to effectively use agro-wastes in order to produce a valuable source of renewable and sustainable raw materials to support the SMEs, handicraft and the manufacturing sectors; (4) To build capacity among SMEs/farmers/clusters/cooperative associations, vulnerable groups, women & youth associations and NGOs for developing high value eco-friendly products; and (5) To sustain the development of the R & D centre at the Natural Fibre Laboratory (NFL) at the University of Mauritius in order to help farmers and entrepreneurs through Research & Development to development new green functional products with strong potential for commercialization. The overall results & impact of the action would be: (1) Improved livelihoods of the local SMEs/farmers, women & young entrepreneurs by providing new opportunities for additional sources of income and help in poverty alleviation; (2) Provide renewable and sustainable sources of raw materials to the manufacturing and handicraft sectors; (3) Significantly decrease the adverse environmental impact of burning or burying in landfill of the agro-wastes; (4) The nucleation of a new micro/cottage-industry revolving about the use of natural fibres and the development of a wide range of new green functional products; (5) Mitigate the repercussions of Covid-19 on the local economy.


2. Project Justification and Baseline
Please describe the following:
? The challenges that the project intends to address in relation to global environmental and development issues.
? How the project relates and will be contributing to the SGP Country Programme Strategy
? How the project relates to other relevant programmes supported by government, GEF and other donors, and private sector.

It has been reported that the amount of plastics produced in the world every year has increased explosively from 2 million tons in 1950 to 368 million tons in 2019 (Plastic Soup Foundation, 2019). Around the world, people have realised the negative impact of petroleum based plastics on the environment, both terrestrial and marine. Researchers from around the world are working towards the development of sustainable renewable materials to replace petroleum based plastics. In line with this, the Mauritian government came with the banning of vest type plastic bags in 2016. In addition, as from 15 January 2021, the Environment Protection (Control of Single Use Plastic Products) Regulations 2020 (the Regulations) came into operation and banned the importation, manufacture, possession, sale, supply and use of not less than 10 non-biodegradable single use plastic products.
The challenges the project intends to address
(a). Even though the Control of Single Use Plastic Products Regulations came into force in 2021, a lot of single use plastic products can still be seen on the market: packaging/wrapping of various foodstuffs, secondary packaging for beverages, fruit trays, cling films, packaging for toys, and many others. Consequently, to support the initiative of the government to be a plastic free country in the near future, the challenges that the team members of the Pole of Research on natural fibres and bio-composites (PRNFBC) at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Mauritius intends to address is to manufacture locally made sustainable products. It is to be noted that since the regulation has been enforced, wholesalers have started importing bagasse based products (takeaways, plates etc.) which are used on the market. With increase in the importation cost, freight cost increasing and other related costs including VAT, the consumer is bearing all these expenses and people especially those with low income families are having difficulties in meeting both ends and having a decent livelihood. Thus, to decrease carbon footprint associated with the imported bagasse based products and to enhance the livelihood of vulnerable people locally, the project will encourage locally made products which will also be in line with the SDG 12 on sustainable production and consumption.

(b). Another challenge that the project will attempt to address, is the sustainability of this research work with a view to gradually replacing plastic materials, including those that have not been banned yet by the Government, for instance, yoghurt pots, soft drink and water bottles, primary packaging materials and many others. It is to be noted that the team members are working on numerous projects on alternatives to plastic using locally available biomass including seaweeds and this know-how will be disseminated to the beneficiaries of the project. The challenge consists of looking for an alternative which is sustainable and durable that can replace other plastic products that are not yet in the regulation and can thus be added to the list in an amended regulation.


(c). Moreover, it has been reported that around 9000 hectares of land has been abandoned (MSIRI, 2016: http://www.msiri.mu/UserFiles/File/R_D/MSIRI_R_&_D_Plan_2016-2020.pdf) by small planters due to the low income from sugar cane plantation. One of the challenges that this project will address is to enhance the livelihood of many farmers including women & youth. Thus, these farmers/ planters will be encouraged to cultivate the abandoned land with bananas that will be sold to the NGOs and other beneficiaries to be used for producing biodegradable products as an alternative to plastic products. This will result in an income-generating activity.


How the project relates and will be contributing to the SGP Country Programme Strategy and how the project relates to other relevant programmes supported by government, GEF and other donors, and private sector.

To be able to meet the challenges, local stakeholders, SMEs as well as associations of women and disabled persons will be trained on how to extract fibres from banana pseudostem and how to manufacture various products like paper bags, take away containers, agricultural mulch and plantation botte, seedling trays, egg trays, shock absorbers in packaging boxes for fragile products such as glasswares and bottles, as a beginning to substitute plastic materials and imported material from the local market which is a sustainable alternative.
With these activities, we will also be inculcating/ applying the concept of reduce, reuse and recycle within the communities which are ranked higher in the waste management hierarchy as compared to landfilling. The banana agro waste will be reused and at the same time these agro wastes going to the landfill will be reduced. In the same spectrum, the banana agro waste will be recycled into other products thus promoting the essence of a circular economy. Consequently, this will enhance sustainable urban solutions whereby previously plastic packed vegetables/ fruits from the rural areas will be henceforth packed in green packaging to be transported to the urban regions which are high plastic consumers.
Thus, this project is in line with the government vision 2020-2024 to make Mauritius a plastic free country. It is also in line with the OP7 Strategic Priorities of the SGP Country Programme with respect to waste management and catalyzing sustainable urban solutions.
.


3. Project Objectives, Results/Outputs, and Activities


Table 1: Project framework and Implementation Plan
Project Objective: To replace petroleum-based plastics with eco-friendly products and provide new opportunities to improve the livelihood of rural inhabitants and vulnerable groups through the implementation of the circular economy concept by reclaiming agro-wastes materials. Timing/Duration of Activity in Quarters
Project Framework Responsible
Party Indicator, including means of verification 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Component/Output 1:
Outcome 1.1: To understand the specific requirements of different stakeholders and private sector manufacturing clusters and to reconcile them with international norms and standards in the development of the specific green functional products with a view to replacing petroleum-based plastics.
Output 1.1: A list of plastic based products which would need to be replaced by green biodegradable products (to be locally made) in the short terms (within the next 12 months), medium terms (within one to two years), and on the long term (within the next 2-3 years). University of Mauritius.
A list of at least ten (10) commonly used plastic based products to be replaced by biodegradable substitutes.







Outcome

Outcome 1.2: To create awareness among local farmers and entrepreneurs on the business opportunities in the extraction and processing of natural fibres.

Output 1.2: At least 2 national awareness workshops on the use, benefits of natural fibres.
Aim: To take stock of the requirements to replace single use petroleum plastics which are not currently falling under the plastic ban regulations.
Secondly to create and/or raise awareness of farmers, NGOs and SMEs on the processes for fibre extraction, fibre processing and applications of fibre materials in the manufacturing, textile and handicraft sectors.

University of Mauritius.









University of Mauritius.



University of Mauritius.




University of Mauritius.













2 national awareness workshops.
Activities:
1.1: To Prepare final specifications for the acquisition of twelve (12) sets of fibre extractor, combing or manual combing tools, pulp making and pressing/moulding machines for the farmers? clusters and cooperative associations and launch tender/purchase procedures.
1.2: To develop a webpage for the e-portal for the project and link the same with the UoM website. The e-portal will highlight the partnership between UoM and UNDP GEF SGP for fighting plastic pollution, and will provide a one-stop shop for any individual seeking materials, advice, and support for green functional product development.
1.3: To design and develop training materials, power point and video presentations on the business opportunities of using natural fibres for product design and development;
1.4: To organise a number of consultative meetings & focus group discussions with different clusters of stakeholders such as the Ministry of Environment, SME Mauritius, Association of Mauritian Manufacturers, different industry clusters such as the textile, food and beverage, hospitality sectors, in order to identify the needs for specific green functional products which would need to be developed in replacement of current petroleum based plastics as well as the international norms and standards which would need to be adhered to.
1.5: To organise a number of formal meetings/short seminars with the different target groups for sensitisation about the potential of natural plant fibres.


1.6: To organise 2 national awareness workshops at UoM.
1.7: To conduct a comprehensive assessment of the current behaviours of stakeholders/beneficiaries/potential direct beneficiaries with respect to the use of local natural fibres for the development of green products. The behaviour of the selected beneficiaries/direct beneficiaries will subsequently be assessed towards the end of the project in order to understand the impact of the project on their respective business/operational activities.


University of Mauritius.



University of Mauritius.





University of Mauritius.




University of Mauritius.






University of Mauritius.





University of Mauritius.

The launch of the tender exercise by the Procurement dept of the University of Mauritius, and the subsequent order of the equipment.


The launching of the webpage, and the web address



At least 50 participants to the seminars/workshops.






Interaction with at least 50 entrepreneurs from SMEs, farmers, women & youth associations and vulnerable groups.

The formal attendance sheets of the participants and survey feedbacks for the 2 national workshops.

A minimum of 50 participants to each national workshop and related feedback obtained.




X





X





X
















X









X




X







X





X

















X







X





X





X


Component 2/Output 2:
Outcome 2: To have a significant pool of trainers in the local community, who would further disseminate the opportunities (through SMEs, different farmers? cooperative associations, women and youth associations as well as NGOs) in the use of natural fibres as raw materials, and at the same time catalyse the engagement of local farmers and youth & women entrepreneurs in this new venture of the extraction of agro-waste fibres and pre-processing of the same.

Output 2.1: To have at least 5 Training courses of Trainers for fibre extraction & pre-processing at UoM.
Output 2.2: A minimum of 100 SME entrepreneurs, women & young farmers, members of NGOs, women from small entrepreneur associations, people from vulnerable groups & handicapped associations trained in fibre extraction and pre-processing. It is also proposed to liaise with the prison management in order to train women prisoners in the fibre extraction & pre-processing techniques.
Aim: To train a maximum number of people in the community about the different methods of fibre extraction, and fibre pre-processing to improve fibre quality.


University of Mauritius.









University of Mauritius.


University of Mauritius.













A minimum of five (5) training sessions to be held at the University of Mauritius, and with about 20 participants per session.










A minimum of 100 trained participants, particularly women & young farmers and entrepreneurs.
































































Activities:
2.1: To design and develop training material on the fibre extraction from banana stems.
2.2: To provide training and hands-on practice for trainers on topics of extraction and pre-processing of fibres.

2.3: To acquire fibre extraction, combing or manual combing tools, pulping and pressing/moulding machines for SMEs, farmers? clusters/cooperative associations, and leasing of these machines to 12 eligible SMEs, clusters/associations of farmers, women & youth associations, vulnerable groups and NGOs including installation and testing.


University of Mauritius.


University of Mauritius.




University of Mauritius.

Training manual prepared by the university of Mauritius.

Number of trained participants (a minimum of 100) and award of certificate of attendance.


12 sets of banana fibre extractor, combing/manual combing tools, pulping and pressing/moulding machines leased to SMEs, farmers associations, women & youth associations, NGOs and vulnerable group associations.



X



X


















X














X







X










X







X






Component 3/Output 3: Outcome 3: To build capacity among SMEs, entrepreneurs, farmers & their clusters/cooperative associations, women & youth associations, NGOs, and vulnerable group associations for developing eco-friendly functional products (food containers, egg and fruit trays, seedling trays, secondary packing materials, etc.) hat will replace petroleum based plastic materials.

Output 3.1: At least 5 Training courses for the treatment and processing of banana fibres for the manufacture of a range of green functional products.

Output 3.2: A minimum of 100 women & young farmers. members of NGOs, women from small entrepreneur associations, vulnerable group associations, and SMEs trained in the treatment of fibres to enhance the properties and to manufacture green functional products.

Aim: The training sessions will equip the participants with hands-on experience about the different stages of fibre processing in order to empower the participants in the development of green functional products.


University of Mauritius.





University of Mauritius.






University of Mauritius.

Number of trained participants (at least 100 participants in 5 sessions) and award of certificate of attendance.







Number of participants (a minimum of 100), particularly, entrepreneurs, women, young and handicapped participants, and number of awarded certificate of attendance.
Activities
3.1: Preparation of materials and planning for the organisation of a minimum of 5 training courses for the fibre treatment, pulp making, product manufacture & testing.


3.2: To provide training and hands-on practice for trainers on topics of fibre treatment to enhance the fibre mechanical properties, pulp making, product manufacture & testing.




3.3: A series of workshops with different cluster groups based on the type of green products being developed for feedback, monitoring and continuous improvement purposes.

University of Mauritius.







University of Mauritius.






University of Mauritius.

Number of manual (e-type or paper-type) and/or videos produced for the training sessions.


Number of trained participants (a minimum of 100 participants) and award of certificate of attendance.




Number of workshops(at least 3 worshops) organised and the number of participants (a minimum of 25 participants per workshop) as well as feedback obtained.



X



X



X



















X





















X









X











X









X
Component 4/Output 4:
Outcome 4: To develop new ecological functional products based on both existing R & D work as well as new R & D work at the Natural Fibre Laboratory (NFL) at the University of Mauritius in order to help farmers and entrepreneurs through Research & Development in the development of new green functional products with strong potential for commercialization.

Output 4.1: Upgrade NFL facilities for the development and physical testing of fibre based products.



Output 4.2: Development of relevant prototype for different fibre products.

Aim: The main aim is to sustain the development of viable prototypes for green functional products which would be defined during the stakeholder meetings (at the beginning of the project).



University of Mauritius.







University of Mauritius.







University of Mauritius.



A minimum set of 10 prototypes of new green functional products developed.





New equipment purchased, and which are related to the development of green products, such as the nonwoven line.


Number of banana (a minimum of 10) based fibre/pulp prototypes of new green functional products developed.

Activities
4.1: Finalise the specifications, launching of tender and purchase of new equipment such as specific microscope, biopolymer film casting machine, compression/hot pressing moulding machine, etc in order to improve R & D facilities to provide sustainable alternative solutions to petroleum based plastics. It should be noted that a major equipment, namely, a non-woven line has already been purchased and delivered to the University (See Annex 2). This equipment will be unique in Mauritius, and will provide strong capabilities to develop eco-friendly materials for the development of a variety of functional products


4.2: To bring existing R & D work (for the development of biodegradable products) to a mature level, and development of new alternative green solutions.



4.3 National workshop to showcase the R & D work which will support the specific requirements of stakeholders? ecological product requirements.

University of Mauritius.











University of Mauritius.





University of Mauritius.

Improvement in the R& D capabilities and development of new green functional products.








New ecological functional products developed to replace plastics.



Number of attendees to the workshop (a minimum of 50 participants), and partnership developed between UoM and SMEs to upscale & commercialise the new products.















X



X











X



X











X



X











X















X















X















X















X








X








































Monitoring and Evaluation
a. Mid-term review and reporting
A comprehensive technical and financial report will be prepared and submitted at the mid-term, that is by the end of the first year of the project. A presentation through Zoom or any other relevant online platform can also be done in order to further explain the work covered during the first 12 months. It should be noted that all purchase items will be carried out through the University Procurement Office as per the established procedures. All financial statements will be verified and certified by the Financial Director of the University of Mauritius. University of Mauritius.




X
b. Final review and reporting.

A final detailed technical and financial report will be prepared and submitted at the end of the 2 years. An oral presentation through Zoom or any other relevant Online platform will be done to provide further details of the lessons learnt, main outcomes and impact of the project for the beneficiaries. University of Mauritius.


X




4. /Community and Stakeholder Participation Plan


(i). Project Planning and design
In order to reach a wider audience of entrepreneurs, farmers, young & women entrepreneurs, the team is proposing to interact with various relevant stakeholders to raise awareness of SMEs, cooperative societies, and NGOs about the potential of green agro-business and the opportunities to adopt greener and more sustainable production practices for an inclusive green economy. The PRNFBC already has good visibility in Mauritius and its members are often called upon to share their knowledge and experience through different forums. In January 2019, an awareness workshop about the production of textile fibres from banana stems was organised by the Ministry of Social Security, National Solidarity and Environment and Sustainable Development. The ?Industrial Policy & Strategic Plan for Mauritius? Workshop was organised by the Ministry of Industrial Development, SMEs and Cooperatives (Industrial Development Division) in February 2020 for key players in the manufacturing sector and aims to gauge their expectations for a re-dynamised industrial sector in Mauritius.
Awareness workshops on the opportunities in using agro-wastes (instead of burning) for fibre extraction and the benefits and uses of the natural fibres will be organised, where stakeholders and the community will be involved. A sensitisation campaign will be organised to promote the green products and to encourage the locality/ stakeholders to buy these bio-based products.
During the past few years, members of the PRNFBC have provided short training sessions about the use of the banana fibre extractor and combing machines as well the maintenance of these equipment to several members of a women association.

(ii). Project implementation

The project will be divided into two phases.

Phase 1 will be of a duration of about one year, and will consist of the following main activities:
- Different stakeholder workshops and meetings in order to collect maximum information on the required plastic product substitutes, and to also match the same with the facilities in house at the University of Mauritius.
- Development of the training materials (handouts, videos), and development of the e-portal.
- Preparation of the machine specifications, and purchase or fabrication of the machines.
- Recruitment of a research assistant and a trainee project assistant to assist the team in bringing a set of identified/selected green functional products to a prototype stage including specific testing to demonstrate conformity to relevant standards.
- Selection of the entities/SMEs/associations/NGOs which will be the direct beneficiaries.

Phase 2 will consist of the following main activities:
- Completion of the purchase or fabrication processes of the required machines.
- Installation and commissioning of the machines at the selected direct beneficiaries.
- Delivery of the training sessions on fibre extraction.
- Delivery of the training sessions on the fibre treatment and transformation processes.
- Feedback workshops with the beneficiaries/direct beneficiaries.
- National workshop to showcase the R & D work completed in this project as well as the deliverables and achievements from the direct beneficiaries.

Empowerment Programme: the beneficiaries (SMEs, farmers, young & women associations/entrepreneurs/vulnerable groups) will be trained on the method of extracting fibres from biomass and to convert them into the final product. For instance, a multitude of products can be manufactured from biomass fibres that can replace existing plastic products or imported food containers like take away boxes, cups, straw etc. on the local market. It is important to also substitute the imported biomass based product on the market so as to reduce our carbon footprint and thus contributing to the SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities & Communities), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption & Production), and SDG 13(Climate Action).

Equipment will be bought and leased to the eligible SMEs/associations/clusters/vulnerable groups so that they can independently extract fibres and produce alternatives to plastic products. The final product will then be sold by the beneficiaries to earn money and improve their livelihood.

Selection of direct beneficiaries for the leasing of equipment

Throughout this project, the team will interact with three (3) categories of participants, namely, stakeholders, beneficiaries, and direct beneficiaries.

Stakeholders are essentially SMEs/ministries/NGOs/manufacturers/private organisations which will interact through workshops and meetings in order to provide maximum information based on needs and requirements of society for substitutes for petroleum-based plastics.

There would also be beneficiaries which could be associations that can participate in the training but without receiving any support in terms of equipment.

The direct beneficiaries are those SMEs/manufacturers/NGOs/associations which would receive equipment under a lease agreement. These direct beneficiaries should show the capabilities to extract fibres and process the same into useful functional products. These direct beneficiaries should also show the capability to sustain the effort and should have a proper financial and management accountability.

A local call for the involvement of direct beneficiaries in the project will be done through the UoM website and local newspapers.

The direct beneficiaries should meet a set of eligibility criteria, which would be defined by a committee comprising of members from the University project team as well as representatives from UNDP.


(iii). Project monitoring and evaluation
At the level of the project implementation committee (comprising primarily of the 3 members of the PRNFBC), meetings will be organised twice monthly initially. During project implementation, meetings will be planned before commencement of the specific activity and after completion of the activity. However, site visits will be conducted once a week during implementation of the activity and any challenges will be also identified.
Following the ?Train the Trainers? workshop, the beneficiaries will be encouraged to relate their experience in subsequent workshops/ sensitization campaigns that will be carried out in targeted localities and state the difficulties faced. The opportunities and barriers to implementation will be identified at the same time.
There will be a follow up with the beneficiaries that will be done to ensure that they are able to use the facilities/equipment at their disposal as well as to manufacture the expected products. If they have any difficulty, the team will address the same. Beneficiaries will also be asked to bring their finished products to the UoM and the products will be tested for their quality of finish and any necessary strength requirement as per the appropriate standards which will be identified.

A mid-term report (technical and finance) as well as a final report will be prepared and submitted. The reports will provide details about each stage of the project, particularly the implementation phase.


5. Inclusion ?Women, Indigenous Peoples, Youth, and Persons with Disabilities:


The local farmers, women and young entrepreneurs both from Mauritius and Rodrigues will be involved in this project. They will be trained on how to use the equipment that will be donated to them. They will also be trained on how to extract fibres and produce the final product depending on the needs of the local market.

It is to be noted that both in Rodrigues and Mauritius, there exist many women entrepreneurs and farmers. Accordingly, with the fibres produced, they will be given training on how to produce non woven mats, take away containers, packaging, paper bags, agricultural mulch, seedling trays, shock absorbers/buffers used in packing boxes for glassware & bottles, seedling trays, egg & fruit trays among others.

The project will, as far as possible, consider the involvement of associations of disabled persons and vulnerable groups.

Current status and behaviour of potential beneficiaries

Members of the project team have interacted with NGOs, farmers? associations and other entities in order to understand their operational needs with respect to green production, whilst keeping in mind the sustainability concept and the manufacture of local products.

The main observation is that almost all of the contacted organisations are fully committed towards providing their members and communities facilities to empower women as well as other people from vulnerable groups in order to make them financially self-dependent. In many instances, the institutions run specific programmes where the first phase is related to rebuilding one?s self esteem and improving the resilience to day to day challenges, followed by a second phase where training facilities are provided to encourage participants to develop their own small businesses such as agricultural farming, chicken breeding, composting, etc.

To date, there are just a few isolated known initiatives from associations/organisations/entrepreneurs which are using local raw materials such as the Pandanus utilis (Vacoas) leaves, coconut shell to develop mostly handicrafts, and a few functional products such a bags made from Vacoas leaves.

Thus one objective of the present project is to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the current behaviours of stakeholders/beneficiaries/potential direct beneficiaries with respect to the use of local natural fibres for the development of green products. The behaviour of the selected beneficiaries/direct beneficiaries will subsequently be assessed towards the end of the project in order to understand the impact of the project on their respective business/operational activities.

There is however, a substantial scope to use local renewable raw materials, particularly agro wastes such as banana and coir fibres to manufacture a wide variety of day to day functional products. One example is the manufacture of egg trays. Most of the locally used egg trays are imported on an annual basis. The importation of the egg trays adds to the carbon footprint, and to the total amount of energy required to manufacture and bring the product to Mauritius. There are specific entities/organisation which already have a significant number of banana plantation, and would be interested to further expand its production. Thus the raw material, that is, waste banana stems would be available year round for the extraction of banana cellulosic fibres for the manufacture of egg trays. This would help to reduce the direct expenses for the purchase of the egg trays but also lower the carbon footprint and empower eligible inmates for example with relevant skills that would be also useful after having served their sentence.

A few other examples are the production of single use food plate, take away food boxes, and fruit & seedling trays. At present, all these high-volume low-cost functional products are imported, mainly from Asia. Thus, there is a significant potential to use local cellulosic plant fibres for the intended project aim.




Budget share for the local beneficiaries in terms of machinery

It should be highlighted that 42 % of the requested budget of 150,000 USD will be used to purchase equipment that will be leased to the women & youth associations, women vulnerable groups, and farmers? associations. In addition, 7 % of the requested budget will be utilized for training & workshops, and for providing tea and lunch breaks for the beneficiaries as well as developing the videos and the e-platform that will be used by the beneficiaries as well as the community at large. 15 % of the total budget will be used for the recruitment of research assistant(s) and trainee project assistant(s) to assist the team in the various activities within the scope of the project.

6. Impact ? Sustainability, Scale-up and Replication:


Having food security in mind and the fact that about 9000 hectares of fertile abandoned land is available, the increase in banana plantation (among others) will be encouraged to ensure a constant influx of fibres. Mauritius is blessed with a variety of fibrous plants such as sisal, pineapple, sansevieria, bamboo, coconut from which more fibres can be obtained and used either separately or in blends.

With respect to replication and sustainability, once the beneficiaries have been trained, they will then apply the same principle/ technology for extraction of fibres from the other biomass that will be easily available and accessible in their respective localities (such as pineapple, coconut/coir, pandanus/Vacoas, palm, maize, sansevieria, etc. They can thereafter produce different green functional products with different sources of natural fibres as well as from blends of fibres in order to replace petroleum based plastic products.

The PRNFBC is already working with different NGOs, and several of them have a particular interest in using fibres from plants such as bananas for the making of functional and crafts products. But there is a need to empower the women entrepreneurs as to how to make good use of the equipment such as the fibre extractor, and hot-pressing machine, and how to turn agro-wastes into valuable functional end products.

Moreover, the beneficiaries, especially NGOs, will follow the ?Train the Trainers programme? for effective dissemination of information and technology back in their respective community.

Training to enhance creativity of different people from different groups/organisations so that they come up with their own ideas in making fibre-based products. One such example is the manufacture of plates and cups through moulding/pressing of banana fibre-based pulp material.

Purchase of machinery such as fibre extractor, pulp maker machine and moulding machine, 12 of each with a view to empowering 12 clusters/ associations through training and technology transfer.

On a long term and socio-economic point of view, the beneficiaries from various localities will thus benefit in terms of (i) job creation as they will gain the appropriate skills to start up a business of their own, (ii) an increase in the resilience of the beneficiaries to sustain their livelihood. This will thus, widen the SME based in Mauritius and using locally manufactured products thus implementing the circular economy concept and decrease the dependence on importation products and the associated freight cost which thus contribute to the social sustainability of Mauritius, which strongly aligns with SDG 8 (decent work and economic growth), SDG 11 on sustainable cities, SDG 12 on sustainable consumption and production and 13 on climate change.

The team is also considering the blending of agro wastes plant fibres with waste cotton fabrics. It is already interacting with one major local textile company, where there is a significant amount (several tons) of waste cotton fabrics. Part of these wastes could potentially be processed, then blended with natural fibres in order to design and manufacture specific functional products. The company has already shown a keen interest to collaborate with the team on this matter. The availability of a significant amount of waste cotton fabrics will also ensure a sustained production of useful eco-friendly products being considered for the project and is further reinforcing the concept of circular economy.

For those living near the coast, algae can be used as a raw material for fibre production at a subsequent stage (not within the scope of this project). Currently, Associate Prof H Ramasawmy and Associate Prof P Jeetah are working on a project for producing biopolymer from macro-algae extracts for the manufacture of natural fibre reinforced biodegradable polymer for secondary packaging application. Recently, researchers have investigated on the use of seaweeds as natural sources to manufacture edible film for food packaging (Fawzy et al., 2017; Galus & Lenart, 2013; Kuan et al., 2020; Mahcene et al., 2020). Thus, there is the potential of algae-derived biopolymer in Mauritius since there are around 435 known algae species around the island which remain as an untapped resource so far, with 268 red species, 108 green species and 59 brown species available (Bolton et al., 2012). The use of macroalgae for micro-industrial applications will also create jobs for inhabitants living in coastal zones since cultivation of the biomass would be required. It should be mentioned that algae represent a formidable source of free biomass, which can be properly exploited in the local context. This aspect can be taken up as a subsequent stage and can help sustain the development of eco-friendly packaging products. The above information is provided in order to show that there is room for expansion and to use other types of biomasses, be it, marine or terrestrial.

With respect to the environment, the items produced will gradually substitute plastic products and when they will be disposed of, they will biodegrade in the environment or can be thrown in the composter to ultimately become compost that can be utilised in plantation.

This project will hence contribute towards the country?s vision towards sustainable development using its available local resources and meeting the sustainable development goals.


7. Innovation
Please describe innovative aspects of the project. This may include new way of thinking, new form of organizing resources, new ways to connect within community, improvements of existing product/service/delivery process, original product/service/model of delivery, and fueling local action and organizing as groups.

One aspect of innovation is the research and development of eco-friendly method(s) to treat and transform the fibres into pulp for the production of eco-friendly products. The common method of producing pulp is to use sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) which does pause some health and safety issues. Moreover, there is a cost implication since sodium hydroxide has to be imported and purchased. The team will develop the methodology to come up with alternative low-cost and eco-friendly method(s) to treat and transform fibres into pulp.

Moreover, textile wastes, mainly cotton fabrics can also be used as a source of fibre for mix with the fibres obtained from banana stems. This is yet another method to obtain lignocellulosic pulp material to scale up the production of eco-friendly functional products whilst reusing waste materials effectively. However, there is a need to investigate and to develop the methodology for the treatment(s), combination of the different materials and processing of the same for the manufacture of each intended specific end product.

In order to stay connected with the community and to monitor and attend to their queries, an e-platform (linked to the University of Mauritius website) will be created to take stock of their progress and to attend to queries by the beneficiaries.

8. Knowledge Management
Please describe the plan to capture, share and disseminate the knowledge, lessons learned, and good practices gained through the implementation of the project. Please specify the knowledge products to be generated by this project.

With respect to capturing, sharing and disseminating the knowledge and lessons learned, the team will provide user-friendly recipes on how to manufacture different green products to substitute plastic based or imported products. Moreover, several materials (notes and handouts) will be freely available to the public on the e- platform which will be a one stop shop whereby beneficiaries and potential stakeholders can contact the team members for any support.

The good practices as well as difficulties faced and how to tackle the same will also be available as information on the e-platform to help the community at large. There will also be a platform for interactions to take stock of the situation and get feedback from the beneficiaries.

Knowledge products generated by the project will be: the training, the hands-on practical experience gained, the sharing of good practices and methods of dealing with problems faced, as well as the green products manufactured following the training courses and hands-on practical, and short videos on the workshops/ training that will be available on the website Specific workshops and focus groups will be organised after the launching of the implementation phase, particularly after the second set of training and provision of the equipment, in order to take stock of any difficulties being encountered by the different beneficiaries, and to provide remedial actions/solutions.


SECTION B: PROJECT RISKS, MONITORING & EVALUATION

1. Project Risks
Please describe major risk factors that could result in the project not producing the expected results. These should include both internal factors (e.g. technology involved fails to work as projected) and external factors (e.g. climate change impacts, political and economic situation, etc). Please also propose risk mitigation measures to address the potential risks.

Table 2: Risks and Mitigation Measures
# Internal and External Risks Possible mitigation measures
1 We can run the risk of not getting