Reuters spotlights Sekem’s role in turning deserts green

A local social enterprise has caught Reuters’ attention: Egypt’s Sekem was featured in a Reuters piece looking at the role of social enterprises in protecting biodiversity for its efforts to turn deserts green with regenerative farming, among a number of other sustainable development efforts. The list also featured Brazil’s MapBiomas, which uses AI to help protect Amazon rainforests and Colombia’s Kardianuts.

There’s a lot to be done: Only 22% of nations updated their biodiversity plans at COP16 and land and sea protection targets are decades behind schedule. Combining local knowledge with innovation, the news outlet points out how these grassroots efforts restore ecosystems and create sustainable livelihoods — but scaling them requires stronger government support and private investment.