A special prize will be awarded for the use of the native potato in a business model.
Lima, August 9th, 2019.- PERUMIN Inspires, the first region-wide initiative in Latin America aimed at social enterprises concerned with the reduction of social and economic gaps in the communities of the Peruvian Andes, has gathered 180 applications.
The projects, which are currently being reviewed by a specialized technical committee, must contribute to achieving four of the seventeen United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): 2° Zero Hunger, 3° Good Health and Well-being, 6° Clean Water and Sanitation y 8° Decent Work and Economic Growth. These goals contribute to the sustainable development of communities, which is a shared goal with the extractive industry.
“The large amount of applications received demonstrates not only the interest of Peruvian entrepreneurs to contribute to the development of High Andean communities, but also in the trust they place in the mining industry, in which they can find allies to boost their initiatives and the impact they have.” stated Manuel Fumagalli, president of SNMPE, Executive Director of Barrick and Member of the Organizing Committee of PERUMIN 34.
Of the submitted proposals, 40% correspond to the category “Active Social Entrepreneurships” and 60% to “Innovative Ideas”. Likewise, 80% applied for the special prize of the International Potato Center (IPC). The latter gives recognition to the initiative that uses native potatoes as part of its business model.
Outstanding proposals will be presented in PERUMIN 34
The five finalist projects in each category will be showcased in the SUM room at the PERUMIN 34 Mining Convention. Meanwhile, the two winners will earn a spot in the Mining Summit, where they will present their projects and highlight the importance of being part of solutions that contribute to sustainable development and the generation of opportunities for all.
“PERUMIN Inspires was born with the purpose of changing the perspective from which the mining sector supports sustainability, introducing innovation in the social issues and promoting an initiative such as this, whereby social entrepreneurs establish a connection with the solution to their problems, seeking technical support for their proposals, generating benefits for themselves and their communities” stated Fumagalli.
It should be noted that the winners of the two categories (“Active Social Entrepreneurships” and “Innovative Ideas”) will receive technical support from NESsT. The first will also have the opportunity to travel to Santiago de Chile for a workshop with AGORA Partnerships, a US-based accelerator.
On the other hand, the winner of the special IPC prize will be invited to the world’s largest international horticulture event, which has been held in Beijing - China since the beginning of May 2019.
The PERUMIN Inspires award is an initiative of the Peruvian Institute of Mining Engineers (IIMP), the International Potato Center (IPC), and Kunan, a Peruvian Social Entrepreneurship Platform.
About the Peruvian Institute of Mining Engineers, the International Potato Center, and Kunan:
The Peruvian Institute of Mining Engineers - IIMP is a private non-profit association founded in 1943, aimed at combining efforts with private and public organizations to generate spaces for dialogue, where actions that enable the long-awaited sustainable development of the country are proposed.
The International Potato Center (IPC) was founded in 1971 as a development research agency focused on potatoes, sweet potatoes, and Andean roots and tubers. It offers innovative scientific solutions to improve access to nutritious and affordable food, foster sustainable and inclusive growth of businesses and employment, and boost climate resilience of root and tuber agrifood systems.
Kunan is the platform that boosts the context of social and environmental entrepreneurship in Peru, and the social and environmental entrepreneurship unit of Peru 2021. It has a network of over 150 social and environmental enterprises known as the Kunan Network, and maintains four axes of action focused on the revitalization and strengthening of the social entrepreneurship setting, including four editions of the annual “Kunan Challenge” award.
