LIONESS WEEKENDER COVER STORY
EcoPlanet Bamboo, a Kenya headquartered business on a mission to conserve and restore natural forests
Camille Rebelo is the co-founder of EcoPlanet Bamboo, an organisation with its operational headquarters in Kenya, and working in 4 African countries - Ghana, South Africa, and Rwanda. She has a background in innovative financing mechanisms for the conservation of natural forests, and prior to co-founding EcoPlanet Bamboo in 2011, she developed or managed forestry projects ranging from large-scale commercial plantations to smallholder operations in more than 20 countries across Latin America, Africa, and Asia.
Camille is an expert in forest certification, and through early involvement with the UNFCCC and voluntary carbon markets developed some of the first successful forest carbon (nature based solutions) projects globally. Camille has advised governments around the world on mechanisms towards successful forest landscape restoration and currently is responsible for the origination, implementation, and management of EcoPlanet Bamboo’s operations across the globe. Today the business employs 350 people. Camille holds a BSc from Imperial College London and a Masters from Yale University.
Lioness Weekender spoke to the inspirational, pioneering eco-entrepreneur, Camille Rebelo, about her high impact journey, her vision for a more sustainable future, and for the growth of her business.
What does your company do?
EcoPlanet Bamboo takes extremely degraded lands in some of the most remote parts of the planet, and utilizes carefully selected species of giant clumping bamboo to restore and regenerate these lands, while generating significant climate change benefits through the removal of atmospheric carbon dioxide, attractive employment opportunities in under-served communities, and providing a long term, deforestation-free source of fiber for industries that still rely on the harvesting of natural forests for raw materials. EcoPlanet Bamboo’s work currently spans five countries across three continents. Learn more at www.ecoplanetbamboo.com
What inspired you to start your company?
We were looking for a way to address and reduce global deforestation, while providing a secure, long term source of wood and fiber for the four major markets that still consume the majority of the world's biomass today (pulp and paper, bioenergy, textiles, and engineered timbers), and one that at the same time could trigger generational change in rural communities.
Why should anyone use your service or product?
We are utilizing land that is so degraded there are few other opportunities and painstakingly restore this utilizing select species of non-invasive clumping bamboos. Bamboo is one of the most effective nature based solutions on the planet, sequestering and storing vast volumes of atmospheric carbon dioxide in a permanent biological carbon sink. At the same time, because bamboo is a grass, annual thinning allows for the provision of a long term, "deforestation free" source of fiber/biomass. This fiber can be utilized for the production of a bamboo pulp for everyday products that still rely on deforestation (such as toilet and tissue paper), thereby creating a sustainable, seed to sale supply chain.
Tell us a little about your team
Our corporate team operates out of Nairobi headquarters, and then in each individual location of operation we have a full in country team. These in country teams represent a full suite of skill levels, from highly qualified General Managers, through to technical staff, and then with large numbers of unskilled workers. Our focus is 100% on local employment, resulting in only 1 expat staff out of our global team of approximately 350. In addition, we have a very strong focus on women, right through the organization. Women represent a minimum of 35% of our field teams, and approximately 50% of supervisory and management positions.
Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And do you come from an entrepreneurial background?
I didn't come from an entrepreneurial background, but I always knew I didn't want to work for someone else. It took time to figure out the right model and the right partners, but that's all part of the journey!
What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?
We spent almost a decade building the platform and framework for scale, and now that that's underway, our focus is to continue to grow and expand into additional areas, while continually improving on our commitment to seed to sale sustainability.
What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?
To travel to each of our in field operations and see the impact we are having on the ground. Watching our teams grow, people loving their jobs, and seeing the transition of degraded lands and rural communities that have no real options, transforming into flourishing forested ecosystems and associated communities, makes it all worthwhile.
What's the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up?
Entrepreneurship is a not a job, it's a lifestyle. It's all consuming and to be successful requires 100% focus and willingness to "give it all". It can be quite challenging for friends and family to understand the pressures, and therefore it's critical to find a community that does and can provide emotional support structures.
To find out more about the work of EcoPlanet Bamboo, send an email to: crebelo@ecoplanetbamboo.com or visit the company website and social media platforms:
Website: http://www.ecoplanetbamboo.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/ecoplanetbamboo
Twitter: http://twitter.com/ecoplanetbamboo
Instagram: http://instagram.com/ecoplanetbamboo
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/ecoplanetbamboo
YouTube or Vimeo Video: YouTube.com/ecoplanetbamboo
Vimeo.com/ecoplanetbamboo
