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A fisherman supplier for SmartFish in Mexico

Social enterprises driving global change on World Food Day

Every year on 16 October, World Food Day highlights important topics such as food waste, sustainable agriculture, biodiversity, and the challenges faced by fishing communities — all in an effort to combat climate change. This year's theme is "Hand in Hand for Better Foods and a Better Future”. It's the perfect opportunity for us to shine a spotlight on the incredible efforts of social entrepreneurs, who are making everyday life better for so many people and how they're creating a more sustainable and inclusive world.

People harvesting plants

Bell Living Lab

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Uses materials made from agricultural residues such as coffee husks and coffee grounds, creating additional value from waste streams.

Business production drives economic growth and job creation, but it often also causes pollution, which can harm the environment. For example, in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia, increasing business activity is creating environmental problems from agricultural waste and the use of harmful materials. These materials, including animal-based leather and synthetics, generate pollution during production.

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Location
Bandung, West Java, Indonesia

Programme
I-SEA Programme
in partnership with Instellar Impact

Website
www.belllivinglab.com

Arka Irfani, CEO of Bell Living Lab, who believes sustainable innovation should be part of everyday life, addresses this issue through a value chain that recovers coffee waste and converts it into materials for new products. The Bell Living Lab turns agricultural waste, such as coffee husks and grounds, into high-value materials, enabling farmers and small businesses to earn additional income. He empowers local artisans to transform these materials, including leather alternatives, boards, and foams into products like bags, wallets, and furniture.

To date, Bell Living Lab has collaborated with three coffee farming communities, supporting around 150 to increase their income by up to 20%. The enterprise has also worked with over 610 coffee shops in Bandung and the surrounding areas, collecting over 300 tonnes of coffee waste annually, creating income-generating activity that diverts coffee waste from disposal and puts it back into productive use.

Additionally, the enterprise runs skills development programmes and provides job opportunities for local youth in biomaterials and design. They have trained and hosted four vocational students, with three completing internships and one joining the team as a full-time sample maker.

Looking ahead, Bell Living Lab plans to share their innovations with international brands and partners, showing how coffee waste can be transformed into valuable materials. By demonstrating this, they hope businesses will use more sustainable materials in their operations. 

Programme support

Programme support Through the I-SEA Programme with Instellar, we’ll support Bell Living Lab’s as the work to create value from agricultural waste while generating additional income opportunities for communities.

We look forward to supporting their commitment to making sustainability innovative and accessible, ensuring that conservation efforts deliver tangible benefits for communities and the environment.