Creating Wealth from WasteA Business Plan of WLE’s Program on Resource Recovery & Reuse

This is still a wordy first draft without much formating or illustrations, only for discussion of the structure.

The final format (leaflet, brochure, ppt) is still open.

Executive summary

Resource Recovery and Reuse (RRR), a strategic research area within the CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land & Ecosystems (WLE) is led by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), and provides research for development solutions in the interface of agriculture and sanitation.

In its two activity clusters ‘Creating Wealth from Waste’ and ‘Safe Wastewater and Excreta Use ‘ the value offering for investors and partners is:-Practical development solutions in the waste based value chain for demand-driven recovery and reuse of nutrient, water and energy resources in different domestic and agro-industrial waste streams as a valuable input for flourishing private and/or public enterprises. This will make a significant contribution to food -, water-, and energy- security, human health & livelihood, and environmental integrity.-Provision of evidence of which business models work best in different situations and why, supporting the decisions farmers, entrepreneurs, policy makers, planners, investors and civil society need to make to achieve more sustainable use of water, land and ecosystems.-Offering insights into - and knowledge-based support for exploiting at scale innovative value chain opportunities that arise from recovery and reuse of waste, also for social enterprises.-Strong focus on locally viable food safety interventions where waste resources are used for food production.

The strategic research area ‘RRR’ is a trustworthy and lucrative partner for investors because of its unique, multidisciplinary expertise in sciences (agriculture, environment, social sciences, economics, human health), business modeling, entrepreneurship and business development, its excellent presence in low-income countries and positioning within the CGIAR system with an array of strong partners and networks working on innovative solutions.

RRR will [deliver milestone 1, 2,3, by date x,y,z.]. Doing so, it’s budget of X is used for the deliverables as follows: X1 for 1, X2 for 2 and X3 for 3. Further research funds are required to [do x,y,z, for developing D,E,F].

The intended research outcomes, or, the impact on the ground, will have a real value to our investors. The ROI for the investor on [impacts A,B,C] is likely to be X.

Value offering

Our value offering for investors and partners is:-Practical development solutions in the waste-based value chain for demand-driven recovery and reuse of nutrients, water and energy resources in different domestic and agro-industrial waste streams as a valuable input for flourishing private and/or public enterprises. This will make a significant contribution to food -, water-, and energy- security, human health & livelihood, and environmental integrity.-Provision of evidence of which business models work best in different situations and why, supporting the decisions farmers, entrepreneurs, policy makers, planners, investors and civil society need to make to achieve more sustainable use of water, land and ecosystems.-Offering unique insights into - and knowledge-based support for exploiting at scale innovative value chain opportunities that arise from recovery and reuse of waste, also for social enterprises.-Providing expertise on locally viable food safety interventions where waste resources are used for food production.

The practical, solution-oriented research for development RRR undertakes, as part of IWMI and CGIAR’s R&D, creates tangible development impacts, and has a history of proven value to investors in the form of significant Return On Investment.

Problem to be solved

Specification of the problem

Increasing urbanization, amid persistent poverty and food insecurity increases pressures on the allocation of natural resources in many developing countries. While millions of smallholders in low-income countries struggle with depleted soils, lack of water and limited access to energy, urban centers generate millions of tons of waste every day. This waste is rich in water, nutrients and energy, but it is not being managed in a way that permits us to derive value from such water, nutrients and energy.In fact, uncollected and untreated waste continues to burden our environment. Globally, about 20 million hectares of farm land are irrigated with partially treated, raw or diluted wastewater, posing a significant threat to public health. The resulting challenges from an agricultural perspective are two: •Risk reduction where food safety and environmental health are at stake•Turning the threat of endless waste streams into an opportunity

Although wastewater reuse or composting are well known processes, most initiatives aiming at safe resource recovery & reuse (RRR) remain small, often not surviving beyond their pilot phase. A major reason is the historical reliance on public‐sector subsidies in the waste sector which prevents till now the adoption of market driven mechanisms and business development in the provision of sanitation services including RRR.

Problem in figures

Market potential

An estimated 10% of the world's population consumes food produced with unsafe waste resources

Farmers on about 20 million hectares are in contact with poorly treated wastewater.

An estimated 24% of the global disease burden and 23% of all deaths can be attributed to environmental factors (WHO, 2008)

Health care costs associated with health risks from environmental pollution and food contamination

More than 80% of the wastewater discharged into our water bodies is untreated.

Each day, two million tons of solid waste are discharged into the environment, thus polluting soils, rivers, lakes and coastal areas

Value of ecosystem services lost due to unsustainable waste management (water provision, food provision, nutrient cycling, biodiversity, water purification, recreation)

Number of farms suffering from water scarcity or soil depletion

Productivity loss due to water scarcity or soil depletion

Globally, an estimated 2.6 billion people lack access to adequate sanitation (World Bank, 2013)

One USD invested in sanitation yields 5.5 USD in returns (Hutton, 2013)

Background (optional, is in proposal)

Data set & background of the research

Previous successes and failures

Solution – Our Vision

“Waste is both a resource and a business opportunity. We envision across low-income countries smaller and larger enterprises safely recovering water, nutrients, energy and organic matter from domestic and agro-industrial waste

streams, supporting food production and enabling revenue generation in the sanitation service chain.”

Solution – Our rationale

Hopeful signs of viable approaches to resource recovery and reuse are emerging around the globe, especially in low-income countries. Many of these new commercial pathways are being charted in the informal sector, based on innovative approaches, private capital and business models for cost recovery, social benefits or profit. These enterprises target wastewater reuse; co-composting of different organic wastes, including fecal sludge; and waste-based energy systems. They are building on own initiatives or public-private partnerships, thereby shifting the focus from ‘treatment for disposal’ to ‘treatment for reuse’.

Though initiatives are emerging, they are scattered and mostly remain in the pilot phase. A new approach is needed to implement viable solutions at scale, which support livelihoods, enhance food safety and security, support green economies and contribute to cost recovery and/or profit generation in the sanitation chain.

Since the public sector, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, often lacks the financial and human resources needed to keep pace with this development, private-public partnerships are particularly encouraged in our program.

Solution - Pertinent questions

In order to address the issues on resource recovery and reuse, our research will provide answer to some essential questions:-What are the characteristics of viable business models for the safe recovery and reuse of water, nutrients, energy and organic matter in a low-income country, and which factors govern success in mainstreaming and taking to scale such businesses?-What is the potential for developing viable waste recovery business models for providing marketable water, fertilizer and energy products from waste materials, particularly in poor countries, where the willingness and ability to pay for sanitation are limited?-How can we minimize the health risks to farmers, food vendors and consumers when market products are produced from waste, and which are the key enabling conditions that encourage stakeholders to change behavior and adopt safety practices? -What is the value of ecosystem services in resource recovery and reuse systems?-How far could RRR positively affect waste management and the environment? What roles might resource recovery businesses play in financing and managing parts of the sanitation value chain?-What levels of public funding or donor support might be needed to stimulate business development, and how long might those funds be needed? What programs might be helpful in reducing the sanitation sector’s reliance on financial aid?-How will climate change affect wastewater generation, management and reuse, and how far could waste and marginal‐quality water reuse increase the resilience of cities or reduce their negative footprint?-To what degree do the answers to these questions vary across countries and regions or by the type of waste stream and business considered?

Solution – Implementation strategy

Program descriptionOur research will provide guidance regarding the size of addressable markets for resource recovery and reuse, the (initial) subsidies that might be needed to spur private‐sector involvement in many settings, and the economic benefits attributable to the provision of those subsidies. We have the expertise to estimate the market and non‐market benefits of resource recovery and reuse programs, to understand potential equity considerations, and to describe the potential for successful involvement of private‐sector firms.We aim to create impact through:1)Developing scalable business models that offer easy entry to enterprises of different sizes and supporting emerging entrepreneurs, while taking advantage of economies of scale for generating substantial social benefits.2)Carefully addressing issues and perceptions regarding public safety and health risks: we will deliver options for mitigating risk and enhancing social awareness of resource recovery and reuse. We will also determine optimal forms of social marketing, regulations and incentives to encourage desirable changes in perceptions and practices.3)Conducting institutional dialogues and developing innovative partnerships across the agricultural and sanitation sectors, we will work with public and private entities to promote long‐term capacity building in resource recovery and reuse, guideline development and policy support.

In working to reach our aims, our activities will go along two lines:1)Developing innovative partnerships aiming at private‐ and public‐sector support for the uptake of successful business models, accompanied by action research and stakeholder dialogues, and2)A four‐step rolling work plan that enables our research to learn from existing successes and failures in the analysis of business models, the study of their feasibility at scale in different settings, and actual business model implementation, as shown below:

Solution – Implementation strategy

To enable promising as well as new business models to succeed at largest possible scale, we are learning from existing or emerging RRR cases to understand their technical, economic, regulatory, cultural, and institutional conditions, and in particular their business plan. In a second step, we are testing the application potential and robustness of promising models across Asia, Africa and Latin America via local feasibility studies within similar and different settings, and without compromising human and environmental health. In working to reach our aims, our activities will go along three lines:

1. Developing innovative partnerships aiming at private‐ and public‐sector support for the uptake of successful business models, accompanied by action research and stakeholder dialogues,

2. A four‐step rolling work plan that enables our research to learn from existing successes and failures in the analysis of business models, the study of their feasibility at scale in different settings, and actual business model implementation, as shown below, and

3. The development of Sanitation Safety Plans, safe reuse guidelines, strtaegies and policies in close collaboration with WHO and national authorities.

Impact Pathways

Our impact pathway combines Innovative Action Research and Innovative Partnerships.

DIAGRAM NEEDED

This includes:•Multi-disciplinary action reserach in RRR business analysis, modeling and testing of model feasibility at scale.•Partnerships with business schools, private and public sectors, directed at learning with and for entrepreneurs. •Partnerships required to safeguard public health which is a pillar of our applied research around waste resources, especially in low-income countries. For this we work closely with WHO and FAO feeding research back into the development of global public goods, in particular reuse safety guidelines for farmers and authorities and Sanitation Safety Plans for operators of RRR facilities.•The work is interlinked with carefully selected professional networks, such as the International Water Association and the Sustainable Sanitation Alliance, to steer the development and distribution of best practices and business models to NGOs, business schools, the private sector and donors.

Still to be aligned stronger with RRR’s Theory Of Change.

Outcomes

a) Impact pathway for ‘Creating wealth from waste’

Outcomes

b) Impact pathway for ‘Promoting safe wastewater and excreta use’

Deliverables and timeline (I)

What and when do we deliver (milestones in the impact pathway)

We will perform:•Analysis of new, emerging and established business models for resource recovery & reuse with high level of cost recovery, social benefit, or profit.•Assessment of health and environmental risks, risk perceptions and options for risk mitigation.•Develop investment plans (preceded by feasibility studies) to enable the safe replication of business models at scale in various locations across Asia, Africa and Latin America.•Assistance in drafting guidelines, regulations and policies on safe waste management for reuse in agriculture and landscaping.•Development of partnerships and stakeholder dialogues.

Specifically, this will lead to:Research outputs1. Catalogues of promising RRR business cases and models for nutrient, water and energy.2. Assessment of health and environmental risks and options for risk mitigation.3. Investment plans to enable the replication of business models across Asia, Africa, MENA and Latin

AmericaResearch Outcomes• Enabled business schools, donors and the private/public sector to understand water, nutrient and

energy recovery from waste as a business opportunity.• The program will inform over 10 donor programs and 20 business schools about reuse-based

business opportunities at scale, and explore the feasibility of recommended business models in 10 peri-urban pilot sites across Asia, Africa, MENA and Latin America.

To be aligned stronger with ToC and with RRR’s 3rd AC

Deliverables and timeline (II)

Research outputs1. Joint publications with WHO, FAO, USEPA and/or being clearly referenced.2. National and regional stakeholder and policy dialogues3. Guidelines on options and regulations for safe wastewater reuse drafted e.g. for USAID missions,

and for safe excreta use e.g. for India, Ghana and Sri Lanka

Research Outcomes1. National level: Improved urban agriculture and wastewater reuse through research, behavior

change and policy dialogues (focus: South Asia, West Africa).2. International level: Safe wastewater and excreta use promoted through global reuse guidelines,

multi-regional capacity building and international public goods.3. Training workshops covering 30 countries in collaboration with WHO and UN-Water, at least two

major international guidelines (WHO, USEPA) cite frequently our input, and policy dialogues facilitated in South Asia.

To be aligned with RRR’s 3rd AC

Intermediate Development Outcomes (to be sorted and adjusted to CG guidelines)

1. Increased RRR from organic and liquid waste supports ecosystem services, system resilience and food production.

2. RRR activities will multiply to the benefit of 8 and 15 million (m) market-oriented smallholders in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, respectively, improving food supply for at least 42 and 75m consumers in both regions, and enabling a cost reduction in waste management which could help to serve additional 12 and 22m households, respectively, in both regions.

3. National level: Improved urban agriculture and wastewater reuse through research, behaviour change and policy dialogues (focus: South Asia, West Africa).

4. International level: Safe wastewater and excreta use promoted through global reuse guidelines, multi-regional capacity building and international public goods.

5. Training workshops covering 30 countries in collaboration with WHO and UN-Water, at least two major international guidelines (WHO, USEPA) cite frequently our input, and policy dialogues facilitated in South Asia.

Intermediate Development Outcomes

• Estimated beneficiaries over 5-10 years are 21m farm workers and 88m consumers currently exposed to water and food contaminated by fecal matter in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa

• RRR activities will multiply to the benefit of 8 and 15 million (m) market-oriented smallholders in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, respectively, improving food supply for at least 42 and 75m consumers in both regions.

• Cost savings for waste management 3400 m US$/yr in South Asia and 1900 m US$/yr in SSA which could help to serve additional 22 and 12m households, respectively, in both regions

• Reduction in GHG emissions from RRR activity sums up to about13 million t/yr of CO2-e

• Cost-effectiveness of alternative risk reduction and wastewater treatment options is well below USD 100 per DALY averted, thus very cost-effective.

Benefits & Beneficiaries

Deliverables and their value

Meaning and value of our deliverables for the investor

The norm for the Rate of Return to Agricultural R&D investment is typically in the range of 40-60% per year.

Track record (*): Without CGIAR research:•Developing countries would be producing 7-8 percent less food•Developing countries’ cultivation practices would lead to an 11-13 million hectares greater encroachment into primary forests and other fragile environments•Developing countries’ per capita food consumption would be 5 percent lower, on average•Approximately 13-15 million more children would be malnourished.

•For every US$1 dollar invested in CGIAR research, US$9 worth of additional food is produced in developing countries

Note: The 9 USD return is based on breeding. Research into NRM yields more numbers like above 1.4-1.6 USD for one USD investment. In sanitation it is up to 5.5 USD based largely on time savings (for finding a toilet). We need more data here!

Deliverables and their value

Meaning and value of our deliverables for the investor – Continued

R&D with a short lag-time to adoption, and with lower development cost, gives rise to the highest ROI. Short lag-time can be realized either by short development periods, and/or by quick adoption. Quick adoption is more likely with better incentive for use, e.g. by having attractive market mechanisms governing the adoption, which is a key strength of RRR’s development strategy, next to creating significant benefits for people and environments as explained above.

Competition (to be shortened?)

Who are our competitors-Development-oriented science groups or other organizations eligible to receive development funds, working in the area of resource recovery and reuse in low-income countries (e.g. ---)-Development-oriented science groups or other organizations eligible to receive development funds, working on reduction of the waste problem in low-income countries (e.g. ---) -Development-oriented science groups or other organizations eligible to receive development funds, working on reduction of environmental pollution and/or human health risk in low-income countries (e.g. ---)-Development-oriented science groups or other organizations eligible to receive development funds, working on market-mechanism-based development of agriculture and/or sanitation sectors, in low-income countries (e.g. ---)

What sets us positively apart from our competitors-The CGIAR is well-placed to bring together national and international researchers, entrepreneurs, business schools and other specialists across technical and policy disciplines to conduct innovative research on resource recovery and reuse.-CGIAR’s reputation of working on Research for Development. IWMI’s reputation on excellence in Research for Development in the interface of water, agriculture and sanitation.-RRR builds on many years of experience working on safely recovering water, nutrients and organic matter from liquid and solid waste streams for agriculture and aquaculture.-RRR team’s combined experience in research for development (agriculture and sanitation interface, economics, environmental science, social science and public health), business modeling, entrepreneurship and business development.

Marketing & communication strategy (still needs focus)

How, when and where do we communicate about our R&D intentions and results

•Classic scientific reporting media•Social media publication (combine Facebook, blogs & linkedIn)•Websites & links (own, science partners, on-the-ground partners, other development organizations, donors)•Targeted email (own, science partners, on-the-ground partners, other development organizations, donors)•Government bodies & other authorities•Investors’ hubs•Entrepreneurs’ hubs•Business schools

•High focus on awareness (PR) and publication•Advertise examples of success•Connect with city plans for sustainable development & sustainable marketing initiatives (certification bodies, CDM etc.)•Networking communication via the (to be developed) RRR Business Incubation Network

Financial performance

• What are the costs from milestone to milestone• What is our cash flow for the coming 5 years

Financial forecast (5, 10 years?)

Investment needs

• In order to be able to extend our reach and impact, what else do we want to do, and

• How much money do we need for such activities (broken down per activity and milestone)

Capabilities and assets

Our tightly knit RRR team is comprised of people with a multitude of skills and a broad scientific knowledge. Capabilities available within our team are :

Scientific knowledge SkillsSoil science R&D/ScienceNatural resources management Business modelingAgricultural economics Business developmentWaste management Business planning/Enterprise developmentCivil engineering Business financial managementEnvironmental science Value chain developmentSocial science Entrepreneurship buildingLife sciencesPlant breeding

Key assets:•A decade of experience in working with fecal sludge, wastewater, urine and municipal solid waste in low-income countries.•A multi-disciplinary team of entrepreneurs, business developers, economist, environmental scientists and engineers specialized in reuse project analysis and development.•Ten offices in Asia and Africa and a strong partner network. •A continuously growing compendium of successful reuse cases and related business models for RRR at scale.•A strong focus on capacity building in the scientific community as well as through business schools and students.

Our staff are based in: To fill in offices

Current partners

Our current partners include:-Research organizations (examples)-Partners on the ground (examples)-Donors (International Fund for Agricultural Development – IFAD; Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation – SDC; Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; European Union – EU; United States Agency for International Development – USAID; African Water Facility – AWF)

-Key Partners (to be grouped): Investors, foundations, social entrepreneurs, municipalities, public health entities, WHO, business schools, NGOs and specialized research institutions, like SANDEC /EAWAG. FAO, UNU-INWEH, UNW-AIS, USAID, national authorities, IWA and SuSanA.

-Current Main Donors: IFAD, SDC, BMGF, EU, AWF/AfDB, ….

Contact information

For scientific information:-Dr. Pay Drechsel – Theme Leader RRR p.drechsel@cgiar.org +94 11 2880000 ext. 1316-Jasper Buijs – Senior Researcher Enterprise Development j.buijs@cgiar.org +94 11 2880000 ext. 1308-Krishna C. Rao – Researcher Business Model Analysis k.c.rao@cgiar.org +94 11 2880000 ext. 1322-Dr. Miriam Otoo – Project leader Resource Recovery m.otoo@cgiar.org +94 11 2880000 ext. 1320& Safe Reuse

For business development-Jasper Buijs – Senior Researcher Enterprise Development j.buijs@cgiar.org +94 11 2880000 ext. 1308-Mireille Perrin – Head, Business Development m.perrin@cgiar.org +94 11 2880000 ext. 2210

For linkage to CGIAR Research Program on Water,Land and Ecosystems (WLE):-Andrew Noble – Director, WLE a.noble@cgiar.org +94 11 2880000 ext. 1318

Websites-http://www.iwmi.cgiar.org/Topics/Resource_Recovery_and_Reuse/index.aspx-http://www.iwmi.cgiar.org/Research_Impacts/Research_Themes/Theme_3/index.aspx-http://www.iwmi.cgiar.org/

Further slides for internal use only

Purpose of this business plan

• Aligning internal understanding of RRR strategy and needs, strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats

• Showing partners the advantages of working with us• Convincing investors of the quality of the investment opportunities we offer,

and the value their investments represent for them.

Business model of RRR

Guideline for this Business plan

• Who is the audience for the business plan?• What is the aim of the document?

• What is the market opportunity (Not only the problem, but what opportunities can be derived from this problem?)• Data set for the industry, locally/regionally (background of the research, previous activities and successes and failures) • The management team in place (backgrounds/bios)• Complete implementation strategy (program description)• Who are our competitors? Why are we better?• Marketing & communications strategy• Projected financial performance (what will the costs be from milestone to milestone?; What will the deliverables be from milestone to milestone? What do the deliverables mean for our audience?)

Translate research impact into ROI (investor perspective):Understand investors, how do they calculate their ROI from investments made? Cost to raise 1 US$?

Easier to raise 1 US$ with high impact. Governments to invest in funding agencies: Reduced health care costs, environmental remediation costs, GNP increase (poverty reduction) etc.