Issue No.029
TL;DR // This edition is all about democratized data for NGOs, educational app for regreening Sub-Saharan regions, sustainable oat milk, reusable menstrual cups and more sustainable AI.
Hej, this is Sustainovation Tidbits.
As people remember from my previous newsletter Timo's Trend Thursday, this format is known for sharing bite-sized trend insights that pack a punch without going into epic detail. With over 950 trends and innovations featured across 190 episodes of Timo's Trend Thursday it’s time to kick off something new. But somehow similar.
For those who are passionate about the convergence of design, tech, innovation and sustainability, Sustainovation Tidbits is your go-to destination for a weekly dose of inspiration and insight.
01. CorrelAid
CorrelAid is a non-profit organization that empowers civil society organizations by providing access to data science expertise, enabling them to use data for social impact. They democratize access to data analytics through a network of skilled volunteers who work on impactful projects.
What’s differentiating?
CorrelAid addresses the global issue of data inequality, where over 30% of NGOs report insufficient access to data and analytics as a critical barrier to achieving their missions. This digital divide is especially pronounced in developing regions, where more than 50% of organizations lack the digital skills needed to leverage data effectively. To solve this, CorrelAid connects over 600 skilled data science volunteers with NGOs, providing pro-bono data services and tools. They’ve undertaken impactful projects like creating a bicycle parking map for Paris, aiding sustainable urban planning. Through workshops and training, they also upskill NGO teams to sustainably use data insights, enhancing their capacity to address global challenges such as health, education, and urban planning
CorrelAid
02. Kijani App
Kijani is a free educational app developed by Justdiggit to empower smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa with regreening techniques to restore degraded lands and improve agricultural productivity. The app offers digital courses on methods to enhance soil health, increase crop yields, and build climate resilience.
What’s differentiating?
By leveraging the rapidly increasing smartphone adoption in the region—projected to reach 83% by 2030—the Kijani app provides personalized, location-specific advice using GPS technology, enabling farmers to implement effective regreening practices without the need for physical training sessions. This initiative addresses the global challenges of land degradation and food insecurity, which affect millions of smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa. By restoring soil fertility and improving water retention through regreening techniques, farmers can achieve higher crop yields and more sustainable livelihoods. Since its launch in August 2024, the Kijani app has garnered thousands of downloads, indicating a growing community committed to environmental restoration and sustainable agriculture.
03. MYOM
MYOM (Make Your Own Milk) offers an innovative oat milk premix that allows consumers to create fresh oat milk at home by simply adding water to a concentrated blend. This approach significantly reduces the carbon footprint associated with traditional milk distribution, as it eliminates the need to transport the 90% water content found in conventional milk cartons.
What’s differentiating?
By minimizing transportation emissions, MYOM addresses the substantial environmental impact of global food miles, which contribute approximately 3.0 gigatonnes of CO₂-equivalent emissions, accounting for nearly 20% of total food system emissions. Additionally, MYOM's oat milk premix boasts a carbon footprint about half that of other plant-based milks and less than a fifth of that of dairy milk, aligning with the growing consumer demand for sustainable and environmentally friendly food options.
04. Asan Cup
Asan is a social enterprise dedicated to eradicating period poverty and promoting sustainable menstrual health solutions through the distribution of reusable menstrual cups and comprehensive education programs.
What’s differentiating?
Asan is transforming menstrual health by addressing period poverty and reducing environmental waste. Traditional disposable menstrual products generate 20 billion pieces of landfill waste annually in North America alone, most of which are 90% plastic and take centuries to decompose. Asan’s reusable menstrual cups last up to 10 years, helping users avert 11,000 disposable products over their lifetime. Through a one-for-one donation model, over 50,000 Asan Cups have been distributed to rural Indian women and preventing 1,440 pads from entering landfills over 10 years. Educational programs, such as those in Lucknow and Sitapur, have achieved 80% adoption rates among adolescent girls, improving school attendance and awareness. Additionally, Asan’s period tracking app empowers users to monitor their cycles and environmental impact, making sustainable menstrual health accessible worldwide.
05. Pruna AI
Pruna AI is an optimization platform that compresses AI models to make them more efficient, reducing their size, computational costs, and environmental impact without requiring extensive reengineering. By streamlining deployment processes, it enables faster, cheaper, and more sustainable AI development.
What’s differentiating?
The rapid expansion of AI is driving massive energy demands, with training projected to consume 402 TWh annually by 2030, equivalent to the electricity use of some nations. Pruna AI addresses this issue by compressing AI models using techniques like pruning and quantization, reducing their size and energy consumption while cutting carbon emissions by up to 91%. This approach not only minimizes environmental impact but also lowers operational costs and extends hardware lifespan, reducing e-waste. With $6.5 million in seed funding and inclusion in the European AI program by Meta and Hugging Face, Pruna AI is making AI development faster, more affordable, and more sustainable. Its innovative solution positions it as a key driver of responsible AI growth globally.
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Loved what you read in our 29th issue? If the first issue resonated with you I’d be more than happy if you could spread the word. In the meantime stay curious, and differentiating. See you next week.
cheers, Timo
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