Circular Economy - Introduction 101

The circular economy is rapidly emerging as a transformative approach to sustainability, reshaping how we design, produce, utilize and consume resources. A highly insightful course on this topic is offered by Dr. Gordana Kierans on Udemy. 

Key Learnings from the Course: 

Definition: Products and services that maximize use and reuse of materials and other resources can be both growth opportunities and sustainability measures. [Source]

1. Circular economy is opposite of linear economy as it focuses on preserving resources rather than consuming them for growth.

2. Circular innovation applies to diverse sectors like textile sector, e- waste, coffee processing, food wastage, packaging, electronics, toys, automtive industry, sportswear, and more.

3. The Circular Cities Network was launched in 2016 by 12 pioneering cities with the aim to move cities towards circular systems that reuse, recycle, and reduce waste and resource consumption

Business Models

1. Closed-Loop Recycling: Use materials from discarded products to create new ones; e.g., North Face’s program collecting and recycling polyester fabric.
2. Upcycling: Transform used materials into higher-quality products; e.g., Pentatonic makes furniture from smartphone screens or cigarette butts.
3. Downcycling: Convert materials into products of lower quality; e.g., Nike’s reuse-a-shoe program turns old athletic shoes into sports surfaces.
4. Lock-In: Sell a product with necessary consumables that force repeat purchases; e.g., Diapers with reusable covers and compostable inserts.
5. Local Loop: Bring production and consumption closer, using local currency and markets to retain economic value; e.g., Findhorn Eco-Village’s local currency.
6. Industrial Symbiosis: One company's waste becomes another’s resource, creating economic and environmental benefits; e.g., Kalundborg Symbiosis in Denmark.
7. Collection Services: Business model based on collecting used products for recycling or reuse; e.g., Beijing Subway’s recycling incentive program gives transportation credits.
8. Product as a Service: Customers pay for product usage, not ownership; e.g., Philips’ Pay per Lux lighting service with long-term contracts and product responsibility retained by provider.
9. Personalisation: Customize products based on user data, encouraging returns and recycling; e.g., Lyf’s 3D printed modular customizable shoes with QRCodes for lifecycle tracking.
10. Modularity: Design products in easily replaceable modules to extend lifespan; e.g., electric toothbrushes with swappable heads.

Book Recommendations: According to Jim Kwik, a survey of top CEOs revealed that they each read an average 60 books per year. Reading just 45 minutes a day can unlock the lifetime knowledge authors have distilled, helping circle entrepreneurs stay informed and inspired in this rapidly evolving field. Starting a journey into the circular economy can be greatly enhanced by reading foundational and inspiring books. Sharing top recommended reads (too costly for Indian student, better to use library):

1. "Confessions of a Radical Industrialist" by the late Ray Anderson of Interface, an inspiring story of sustainability leadership
2. "The Circular Economy: A Wealth of Flows" by Ken Webster, offering deep insight into circular system thinking
3. The Circular Economy Handbook by Peter Lacy, Jessica Long, and Wesley Spindler, detailing practical organizational strategies for circular transition
4. "Waste to Wealth" by Peter Lacy and Jacob Rutqvist, exploring circular business models in industry

Website Recommendation: EntrepreneurCircle.World is your ultimate membership platform to dive deeper into the circular economy. It offers a vibrant community where entrepreneurs and investors committed to circular economy principles connect, learn, and grow together. Members gain access to exclusive workshops, seminars, networking events, and an extensive library of practical resources to support their circular business ventures.  Please also find LinkedIn Group for Circular Entrepreneurs. 

Effective Capacity Building for Agri-institution Personnel: Tools and Techniques

The training titled "Effective Capacity Building for Agri-institution Personnel: Tools and Techniques," organized by MANAGE (National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management), was aimed at enhancing the competencies of agricultural extension personnel. Dr. Srinivasacharyulu Attaluri, Deputy Director (Knowledge Management) at MANAGE, is a key resource person involved in such capacity-building initiatives.

Brief: The agricultural landscape is undergoing rapid transformation due to the rise of agri-startups that introduce novel approaches for capacity building by Training Institutions while working with farmers in India. MANAGE, EEIs, SAMETIs, SAUs, ICAR Institutes, and KVKs all conduct capacity building, skill development, and technology transfer activities for extension personnel and farmers. They deliver similar content independently, leading to duplication and overlapping of the efforts too.

Book Recommendation: The recommended book, titled "What Every Extension Worker Should Know: Core Competency Handbook" is a comprehensive reference manual created by USAID, Michigan State University, and MEAS (Modernizing Extension and Advisory Services)

Learnings

Innovation requires interactions and information flows among a wide range of actors within the innovation systems through digital technologies. Skill development is a short-term effort focused on improving specific abilities at the individual level, while capacity building is broader and more comprehensive. Capacity building develops people, organizations, and systems for long-term success through skills, governance, partnerships, and resource management. 

Techniques for Capacity Building 

World Café: A participatory group process modeled on butterfly movement and pollination. Participants rotate between small-group tables, sharing and cross-pollinating ideas. This helps generate creative insights, collective intelligence, and actionable outcomes in extension training, simulating the natural pollination processes for spreading and enriching discussions

Visual Facilitation: Engagement strategy using diagrams, mind maps, and visual storytelling during training sessions to simplify complex ideas, promote group learning, and stimulate creative thinking

Design Thinking: Design thinking infuses extension training with creative problem-solving by focusing on user needs, rapid prototyping, and testing. It encourages innovative approaches to addressing farmer challenges, service delivery, and system improvement

Tools for Capacity Building 

1. New Extension Learning Kit - GFRAS

This toolkit contains digital resources and modules for agricultural extension workers. Topics include gender in advisory services, risk mitigation, climate adaptation, rural evaluation, youth mentoring, nutrition-sensitive extension, e-extension, and entrepreneurship. 

2. Micro-Learning / Mobile Learning

Micro-learning delivers short, focused lessons (typically 3–10 minutes) via mobile or digital platforms. These modules are easily accessible, often use videos, infographics, and quizzes, and allow for self-paced, on-demand learning. 

3. MOOCs (agMOOCs and NAARC)

MOOC platforms like agMOOCs by MANAGE and NAARC offer free, open, and flexible courses for lifelong agricultural education. 

4. iGOT KarmaYogi 

This government platform provides online training content and courses for extension professionals. The iGOT KarmaYogi platform is exclusively meant for government officials and civil servants. Access requires registration using an official government email ID or other credentials linked to government employment. 

5. National Skills Qualification Framework - ASCI

ASCI’s skills framework supports modular courses in dairy, fisheries, animal husbandry, farm modernization, and commodity management. ASCI e-Learning Zone is a gateway to agricultural skill development.

*Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH) portal offers a variety of free online courses and skill development programs across multiple sectors, including agriculture. 

6. Agri Games

Agri games offer interactive, gamified modules for learning agricultural concepts like nutrient management. They boost engagement and help users gain practical knowledge through play and simulation

7. Blended Learning – ICAR-IASRI

This platform centralizes digital learning resources, including LMS (Learning Management System), AR/VR studios, video conferencing, online assessments, interactive whiteboards, and learning courses. It aims to increase knowledge retention and learner engagement across agricultural universities.

8. ECHO Platform

The ECHO platform, originally designed for health extension, is indeed being adapted for agriculture and other sectors by integrating resource persons, resource materials, trainers, and creating analytics in a virtual learning environment. 

9.VR/AR-Based Learning

Virtual reality modules such as fish dissection, hydroponics, seed lifecycle, and irrigation are used for immersive, hands-on training at specialized experience centers. 

Capacity Building Venture

The word “training” is a cliched jargon used in the corporates. There is another buzz word used for this in the development sector. That word is termed as "Capacity Building" (CB) and it is an endless process. Development professionals and government believe that we have this new knowledge, and we need to teach communities how to do stuff. I have seen such special sessions focused on  inauguration, speech and a boring lecture where participants are waiting for the lunch. Most of the times, workshop had limited interaction and few important questions raised regarding project. The worse use of "CB" word doesn't stop there. It has extended into "empowerment" for poor or "sensitization" for educated government officials.

Makarand Sahasrabuddhe has aptly said: “Many a time capacity building is just a euphemism for cramming 30 people in a room for a few days and trying to kill them with power-points and flipcharts and group work (that also takes care of the ‘participation’).”

I am not saying that all capacity building exercise must be discarded. Building capacity is a slow process and learning must be judged on certain criteria. Adults usually learn new knowledge through application and experience. They don't modify the way of their work if they are being lectured as they're in a high school classroom.

This reminds me of the Hungry Man book, “If a man is hungry, don't give him a fish … organise a workshop … agree on clear objectives … don’t forget advocacy … participation … and the sustainable mainstreaming of gender.”