From forest schools to greywater recycling – these start-ups are powering a green revolution across Latin America

The impact of the climate crisis and issues of food insecurity and resource efficiency are just some of the challenges faced by communities across Latin America – a region where socio-economic problems are compounded by the interrelationship with the environment.

The region’s abundant natural resources – some 25% of the Earth’s forests and arable land and more than 30% of the world’s water resources are to be found here – make it particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Research from the OECD reveals that of the 50 countries most affected by the climate crisis worldwide, 13 are located in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The World Economic Forum’s UpLink platform is working to source and scale innovations that will help ensure the world meets the United Nations’ (UN) 17 Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

The following five start-ups, all UpLink Top Innovators, are helping to tackle these issues and drive sustainable development across Latin America in a variety of innovative ways.

Agriculture is the biggest consumer of water by economic activity in Latin America accounting for 74% of total water extraction in the region. The impact of climate change, drought and rising populations has placed ever-increasing demands on the efficient use of water resources.

Argentinian company Kilimo uses AI to connect farmers who want to improve their irrigation practices with companies keen to meet their own water security commitments. It allows them to sell their water offsets to companies pledging to be water neutral. By compensating farmers for being water-efficient, and providing them with data-based tools to improve their irrigation, the platform helps more than 2,000 farmers across six countries – from large corporations to small-scale micro-farmers – and has saved over 70 billion litres of water.

Food insecurity has become one of the biggest challenges facing humanity. A recent report estimated that over 258 million people across 58 countries are facing acute food insecurity.

Tech start-up Nilus helps people on low incomes access affordable, nutritious food by unlocking the power of community group buying.

The company’s technology secures food and groceries directly from farmers and local producers and distributes them through community buying networks to people who live in food deserts – ​​areas with limited access to affordable and nutritious food. By optimizing and streamlining the food supply chain, Nilus offers products at 70-75% below market prices. It currently operates in Mexico City, Buenos Aires and Lima, Peru.

Illegal mining and cattle ranching are some of the many problems that blight the Amazon rainforest in southern Colombia.

Amazonía Emprende is a pioneering ‘forest school’ that aims to educate local communities, enterprises and students on the ecological, social and economic advantages of nature-based solutions. The initiative also helps forge connections between communities and businesses that foster value chains, help offset carbon footprints, and restore degraded land. By working in collaboration with the Amazon’s local communities, the company plays a vital role in sustainable development and hopes to restore and conserve up to 100,000 hectares of forest by 2030.

Greywater from sources such as sinks, showers or washing machines accounts for a significant proportion of the total wastewater produced by households across the globe. Its reuse can have a big impact on both water security and resource efficiency.

By repurposing greywater for non-potable needs like irrigation, filling toilets and cleaning, AQUAKIT’s compact wastewater treatment systems transform wastewater into a valuable resource that conserves both water, energy and nutrients.

The Bolivian company’s technology can be tailored for large-scale residences and commercial buildings and is capable of reclaiming up to 300,000 litres of water a month in a single 12-storey building.

The circular economy is vital to addressing the problem of single-use plastic. Each year, around 400 million metric tonnes of plastic waste is produced across the globe, but less than 10% of total plastic waste has been recycled.

Chilean start-up Algramo (which means ‘by the gram’) has created an app-based smart packing solution that allows consumers to pay for the product they need but not the packaging that goes with it. Everything from detergent to dog food can be delivered and dispensed into reusable packaging at home, ensuring that consumers only order what they will use, resulting in savings on both cost and waste.

The company has also launched partnerships with big brands such as Unilever and Walmart and piloted refill vending machines in Chile and New York, US.