October 9, 2014 - Read the full Your Mark on the World article and watch the interview here: http://bit.ly/ZRqmZx. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher. The Social Venture Network recently recognized four social entrepreneurs with its annual Innovation Awards. Your Mark on the World will profile each of the four in the coming weeks. Sustaintech makes stoves for Indian street vendors that use less firewood for cooking, thereby emitting less smoke and reducing carbon emissions and deforestation. Founder Svati Bhogle explains, “Sustaintech has improved the financial situation of 2000 food vendors while saving 470 hectares of forest (or 63 million kcals) while growing at 126 % p.a in sales and 81 % p.a in volumes during 2010-13.” She adds, “Each stove in its lifetime will save 2-3 hectares of forests, 230 million Indians derive their sustenance from forests.” She further noted, “Sustaintech enables positive health impacts and increases productive life span of cooks and street food vendors: With the current levels of smoke inhalation the productive life of the cook is over before he/she reaches the age of 45. So cleaner, safer stoves contribute to the well being of families.”
#131: SVN Innovation Award Winner Improves Health And Reduces Carbon Emissions |