Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Today’s SGI Talks featured a two-part series called Food for Thought, highlighting the entrepreneurial journeys of Charlot Magayi, Founder & CEO of Mukuru Clean Stoves, and HRH Abdulaziz Bin Saud Al-Saud, co-founder & CEO of Barakah. Both founders demonstrated how social entrepreneurship can create economically viable solutions that positively impact health and the environment.

Charlot Magayi shared her experience developing the Mukuru Clean Stoves, which tackles household air pollution, reduces burn risks, and lowers fuel consumption for impoverished families in Africa. “I designed a stove that would solve all three issues,” she explained, speaking from personal experience growing up in a household where food was cooked on live fire, with firewood that takes hours to collect each day. Her innovation enables families to use 60% less fuel while reducing household air pollution by up to 90%, creating transformative change. Designed from recycled materials and powered with mosquito repellant briquettes to reduce the spread of malaria, her stoves have avoided the emission of 930,000 tons of CO2 to date.

HRH Abdulaziz discussed the dual challenges of food security in Saudi Arabia, where over 75% of food is imported, and the global crisis of food waste, which contributes 10% of greenhouse gas emissions. He shared how Barakah, an online marketplace that enables F&B retailers to reduce waste by safely selling surplus food products to consumers, is pioneering solutions to address these issues. “Our position at Barakah is that innovations within the space of FoodTech and AgriTech are not luxuries, but very much necessities,” he said. He further underscored Barakah’s commitment to sustainability, stating, “Our objective is to become a net-zero solution for all stakeholders across the value chain,” with an ambitious goal to save 10 million meals by 2025.

These organizations exemplify the breadth of solutions platformed by the Saudi Green Initiative, in alignment with Saudi Arabia’s goals to improve quality of life and protect the environment.

SGI Talks run daily in the SGI Pavilion at 3pm. Tomorrow’s session, titled ‘Eye in the Sky,’ will feature Nora Abdulaziz AlSudairy, Sustainability Expert at the Ministry of Energy, and Walid Matar, Principal Fellow at KAPSARC.

ABOUT THE SAUDI GREEN INITIATIVE (SGI)

Under the patronage of HRH Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Green Initiative is charting a path for the Kingdom in protecting the planet. With ambitious targets spanning the coming decades, the national initiative aims to improve quality of life and protect future generations by increasing reliance on clean energy, offsetting the impact of fossil fuels, and protecting the environment. For more information visit: www.greeninitiatives.gov.sa

SGI AT UNCCD COP16

  • For the duration of COP16, SGI will welcome the public to a 4,000 m² Pavilion in the Green Zone, where the SGI Gallery will be open to visitors from 9:00am to 7:00pm (Fridays 2:00pm to 8:00pm).
  • SGI Talks, a daily expert-led speaker series, will run from December 5–13 in the SGI Gallery at 3:00pm, offering insights from global and Saudi climate leaders on key sustainability trends and innovations.
  • For those following along at home:
    • Visit our website: Saudi Green Initiatives Forum 2024 | Saudi & Middle East Green Initiatives