Community level capacity building for biomass-based product development towards socio-economic empowerment and sustainability

Abstract

We share a program spearheaded by the Ministry of Finance (MoF) with Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK) under the UMK-MoF Social Enterprise Project focusing on agrowaste utilization, capacity building for product development through rural community engagement in Jeli, Kelantan, towards socio-economic empowerment, and environmental sustainability. Agrobiomass residues are mostly dumped as trash. Cleaning up means carrying out open burning. This contributes to air pollution, adverse health effects, water pollution, blocked drainage, and deteriorates environmental and living quality. Biomass-based product development emphasizes on transforming low value agrobiomass into value-added product derivatives for commercialization. Biomass material conversion are to be done in an eco-friendly manner while optimizing productivity. The challenge is to bring awareness and know-how to the people. These would be key to addressing the sustainable development goals within the emerging circular economy landscape. The journey is of community level capacity building, knowledge and skill transfer initiatives beginning from material sourcing, biomass conversion and preparation, product formulation, development, processing, mixing, and production of agri-input products by the local community (https://youtu.be/kE0owz0n8). The outcome among others are; a new community agri-input processing and production facility and capability, new and additional income generation, knowledge and skills transfer in product development, subsequent value addition of recovered agrowaste, inception of community entrepreneur (‘Team BioArang Jeli’) where they have helped themselves and are now able to help fellow community members, prevention of open dumping and pollution, adoption of a cleaner biochar production, followed by biochar enriched soil media application that resonates the climate change agenda through carbon sequestration. All in all, flexing and co-benefitting sustainable development goals along the people, prosperity, and planet themes. This exemplifies success of a dedicated government-academia collaborative engagement at the grassroot level in advocating sustainable development goals.