Social Enterprise in Biosphere Reserves

In 2011 we were invited to the biennial EuroMAB conference 'Sharing Sustainable Futures' in Sweden to introduce social entrepreneurship and social capital to the Biosphere Reserve community. The workshop concluded that social entrepreneurship is an interesting mechanism for growth and development within biosphere reserves. Since then, there has been continued enhancement on bringing a social enterprise focus to the World Network of Biosphere Reserves and Assist Social Capital has been actively involved in a large number of related Social Enterprise in Biosphere Reserve (SEBR) projects and conferences:

"UNESCO's (...) Biosphere Reserves (...) provide our communities, our children and young people with an opportunity to actively safeguard our natural capital for the future. Social enterprises enpower communities to engage with the challenges of our 21st century such as climate change, health, food and water security. By linking with UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme, the Social Enterprise in Biosphere Development Framework will help strengthen environmental and economic progress. This will be achieved by supporting social enterprises in and around Biosphere Reserves to thrive, providing a platform to generate new socially and environmentally responsible employment"

^{John Swinney, Cabinet Secretary for Enterprise and Sustainable Growth}