SMEP News
Explore the latest SMEP news and stories here. Our news section showcases key events, achievements, and thought-provoking articles to keep our community and visitors abreast of SMEP happenings.
SMEP-Backed Innovation Takes the Spotlight at Walmart Summit: TEXFAD Uganda Pitches Sustainable Banana Fibre Yarn
The SMEP Programme is proud to share a milestone in our mission to support innovation in manufacturing value chains and circularity. One of our grantee projects, Uganda-based BANATEX – EA took to centre stage at the 2025 Massmart Growth Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa on 2nd April 2025. The event
Understanding Traceability and Due Diligence in the Leather Supply Chain: Perspectives from Pakistan and Bangladesh
Join us for a webinar on leather supply chain traceability! Understanding Traceability and Due Diligence in the Leather Supply Chain: Perspectives from Pakistan and Bangladesh 🗓 Date: 16 April 2025🕒 Time: 2:00 PM UTC+5 | 11:00 AM CEST | 11:00 AM SAST⌛Duration: 1.5 hours📍 Venue: Online (Zoom) Register here Background
Pakistan’s water paradox: Can a critically water-insecure nation sustain its water dependent economic engines?
Pakistan is confronting a complex water crisis. Ranked 5th amongst the 23 most water-insecure countries globally in the 2023 Global Water Security Assessment by the United Nations, Pakistan faces low water resource availability, intricate water governance, disparate access to safe drinking water, and limited storage capacity. With about 38% of
Sustainable textiles through upscaling and commercialisation of banana fibre value addition in East Africa
Uganda ranks among the top ten global producers and consumers of bananas and the highest in Africa, averaging 10 million tonnes annually. However, banana cultivation results in tonnes of post-harvest and processing waste. This Showcase Story highlights the BANATEX EA project which is valorising banana waste through natural fibre production,
SMEP’s role in the Plastics Policy Landscape
The SMEP Programme may seem like a cohort of loosely linked projects tackling pollution, but altogether, these projects are contributing evidence to the plastics policy landscape.
Organic residues: A sustainable solution to plastic pollution and development
Good management of organic residues, a renewable resource, is often overlooked but constitutes a powerful tool to improve livelihoods and tackle plastic pollution. In Kenya, SMEP-supported organic waste projects are showcasing how circular economy principles can benefit communities. By transforming organic residues into valuable products, these initiatives create jobs, empower