ID: 1791
Presenting Author: ZOELY RAMANASE
Session: 709 - USAID’s ESIA Legacy and Looking Forward
Status: pending
The donor-driven “Go Green” approach proved unsustainable post-funding, while private sector certifications like ensure lasting environmental and social sustainability through market incentives and re
The “Go Green” approach is an innovative and structured environmental monitoring method designed to foster lasting sustainability practices through more effective environmental communication among communities. It promotes the integration of environmental protection into daily community practices and institutional culture through a guided and repeated implementation process. This practical approach was developed for compliance by Catholic Relief Services (CRS) with the U.S. Government Regulation USAID 22 Code of Federal Regulation, Part 216 on environmental management. In response to this donor-driven initiative, the Go Green approach proved effective during its implementation phase; however, once external USAID funding in disaster-affected Madagascar, DRC, Uganda, Niger, Malawi, the process was no longer maintained or applied.
In parallel, the private sector “certification” (for vanilla) strengthens sustainability across the entire value chain—from households to cooperatives. It promotes responsible waste, water, and sanitation management; soil protection and fertility; appropriate shade and composting practices; and bans the use of pesticides, herbicides, and fire in surrounding forests. At the cooperative level, it enforces transparent governance and prohibits child labor. As a market-driven initiative, the certification encourages environmentally and socially responsible production while enhancing long-term sustainability and market opportunities for producers.
Zoely Ramanase is a senior professional with over 25 years mainstreaming environmental safeguards and climate change into sustainable development with local and rural communities across Africa.