SEKEM‘s Journal for Culture, Economy, Society and Ecology in Egypt

InsightNr. 109 - September 2011

SEKEM Insight | September 2011 | Page 1

Dear Readers,

to many supporters of SEKEM in the industrialised countries it may seem as if the initiative was primarily an organization of aid for disadvantaged individuals in Egypt. While this is certainly cor-rect, SEKEM is also a global actor in the movement for sustainable development and provides many opportunities for its supporters to contribute to this vision.

By generating their commercial profits through products they sell worldwide, the SEKEM companies partially fund the SEKEM Devel-opment Foundation (SDF) and its projects. The fact that these prod-ucts can be purchased in so many countries is also to the credit of the team of the SEKEM Europe Ltd. From Bochum its 6 employ-ees ensure that the SEKEM brand is becoming increasingly popular in many countries all over Europe.

Because many of our readers do not know what SEKEM products are actually available in their countries and where, SEKEM Insight in this issue features a por-trait of the team of SEKEM Europe. It wishes all its readers enjoyment reading it and helping SEKEM in its commitment to greater sus-tainability in life and business.

M any supporters and friends of the SEKEM initiative do not

know that the Egyptian organisation maintains an energetic team based in Germany that distributes the prod-ucts of selected SEKEM companies all over Europe. This way, they make the SEKEM name better known and build awareness of and interest in also the charitable projects of the ini-tiative. The team of SEKEM Europe has its offices in Bochum in the immedi-ate vicinity to the headquarters of the

GLS Bank - a very fitting and cordial relationship.

Bijan Kafi met with Christoph Kampschulte and his team of five col-leagues in September to talk about their motivation to work for the popu-larity of SEKEM products in Europe.

The beginnings of SEKEM Europe GmbH do not date back very far.

CK: That‘s right. We started in 2006 with the first imports of fruit and

Editorial

Your Team of Editors

Transforming the Uniqueness of SEKEM Into Unique Products

It is only through the commitment of the team of SEKEM Europe that Europe’s ecologically conscious consumers may enjoy SEKEM products in their countries. SEKEM Insight has visited the Bochum-based team.

SEKEM EuropeHow SEKEM Works in Europe

AlnaturaA Partnership for Healthier Clothes

DesignLearning to Build Sustainable Villages

Find SEKEM also on the Internet at:

The SEKEM Europe team: (f.l.t.r) Verena Stork (raw materials), Christoph Kampschulte (sales management), Christina Boecker with daughter (raw materials, public relations), Ralf Lottmann (signatory), Tatjana Denisova (bookkeeping), Antje Nast-Burak (sales assistance and administration)

SEKEM Insight | September 2011 | Page 2

vegetables and ISIS-dried products for the SEKEM Online Store. We imported the first seasonal vegeta-bles in the winter of 2006/07 for the German organic food market. We started with bell peppers, beans, and cucumbers.

Many people may not know that most of our products do not actu-ally bear the label „SEKEM“ but are still sold in European organic food stores. In many cases they named after the brand of one of our trad-ing partners. However, since spring 2008 we have also begun to develop and market products jointly with SEKEM in Cairo and under the SEKEM brand, for exam-ple the popular sesame bars or dates. In summer 2009 we added fruit spreads and in February 2011 a selection of mixtures of spices cre-ated in cooperation with our part-ner Lebensbaum. With these new products we directly address ama-teur cooks in Europe wishing to try their hands at an oriental cuisine. This has unfolded very well lead-ing us consider bringing more such products to market.

Where may interested consumers buy SEKEM products in Europe?

CK: In Germany SEKEM products are available in health food stores and organic supermarkets, for example Alnatura, Denn’s, Basic, BioCompany and EBL. The „deme-ter active partner shops“ are par-ticularly important to us. These are natural food markets that aim to increase the visibility of specif-ically demeter products within the range of their regular assortment of products by drawing attention to their special features, organising

taste trials, competitions, or pro-motions.

There is also the range of „SEKEM Delicacies“ products that are now available in Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Greece, France, Luxembourg, Slovenia, Slovakia, and will soon be on sale in the Netherlands, Belgium and Scandinavia.

SEKEM products are indeed „deme-ter Products“ meaning they form part of a large family of very high quality organic produce ...

CK: Yes, the role of SEKEM in the biodynamic movement is very important to us. Since 2009 I have personally worked on the board of the trademark group within the demeter Association. The trade-mark group is a forum in which demeter brand manufacturers like Holle, Beutelsbacher, or Bauck Hof meet to exchange their visions for the future orientation of the brand.

Through the association‘s work we aim to ensure that the international context of demeter production is well perceived within the industry. SEKEM’s participation also allows to increase its own visibility in an important industry organ.

What makes you enthusiastic about your work?

CK: There is a very strong interest in authentic products from fairtrade and otherwise ethically responsi-ble production in the organic food market. The name of SEKEM is well known to many. Most would actu-ally like to see more SEKEM prod-ucts on the European markets. It is a great joy to work towards meet-ing this demand, to transform the

uniqueness of the „SEKEM vision“ into truly unique products in deme-ter quality. This mission is both my desire and my drive.

My personal goal is also to make SEKEM much better known as a brand on the European organic market. I would like to build a range of great, typically Middle Eastern products of the highest quality. That requires much perseverance, but it is a great satisfaction when one sees one’s own products on the shelves and knows to have helped build a „bridge“ between the East and the West in such a way.

How do you collaborate with your SEKEM colleagues based in Cairo?

CK: Sometimes it is not easy to communicate the high expecta-tions of Western European custom-ers to our Egyptian colleagues. For instance, in case of our fresh prod-ucts the refrigerated retail chain must be flawless in order to ensure compliance with our high quality standards. SEKEM offers premium products, eventually. These two worlds do not always meet eas-ily, but over the years many close friendships have developed.

VS: Indeed, the reconciliation of the demands of European con-sumers with the realities of life and work in Egypt is not always easy. This is why I am particularly pleased to visit Egypt for the first time in late October. I hope that through our work we contribute to strengthening the bridge between the European and Middle Eastern worlds.

It is great that SEKEM has suc-cessfully built long-term relation-ships with vendors of natural foods in Europe. There is a lot of mutual

Economy

To transform the uniqueness of the SEKEM idea into truly unique products - that is my desire and my drive.

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SEKEM Insight | September 2011 | Page 3

trust here and desire to build fair trade relations. This is quite dif-ferent from conventional trade exchanges, which tend to operate only on the basis of price. Here we do not intend to compete.

ANB: I believe local products like those of SEKEM have good chances on the European market. More and more people would like to know where the products they buy come from and how they were produced. Plus, it is important that we do not lose sight of the „ecological foot-print“ of each product and that we make production and transportation as resource-efficient as possible. It is a big challenge to communicate these complex inter-relations in such a way that it convinces the eco-logically conscious consumer.

What channels do you use to properly communicate your message?

CK: We are in personal contact with all our key customers and partners. This is the only way to authentically convey our values. We also use fairs to ensure this. BioFach is the annual highlight for us. The organization of the event, where we have expanded our presence in the past six years from a small info booth at the stand of the Ulrich Walter GmbH to our own large stand, keeps us occupied already months in advance.

We are also represented at BioSüd and BioNord to be responsive to the owners of the many small organic food stores and their employees. We occasionally also go abroad, for example to trade fairs in Warsaw (OMF), London (OPE), or in Luxembourg (OekoFoire). We would like to expand our visits to France and Italy in the same way.

What brought you to SEKEM in the first place?

CK: My ideal has always been to live consciously in everything I do. Consequently, I went into the natu-ral food industry early. In 1994 I co-founded a consumer cooperative and later I worked in organic retail-ing. What fascinates me at SEKEM is its proximity to practical devel-opment and its holistic approach to its mission. Plus, I can contribute to building a truly unique brand.

VS: I always wanted to engage in a „meaningful“ activity. It started with an internship on a demeter farm, then followed the study of ecolog-ical agriculture. Afterwards I also worked in organic retailing. I had known about SEKEM for a long time, so the opportunity to participate easily met with my enthusiasm.

ANB: After having done much the-oretical work as a geographer, I began agricultural training and dis-covered organic trade. There and especially at SEKEM I feel I can actu-ally stand for what I do and use my theoretical and practical knowledge.

A lot has happened since 2006. How do you look back on the recent years?

It was a great feeling to see the first „SEKEM“-branded products on shelves. At the beginning the SEKEM Europe GmbH was no more than one PC and a phone. Today there are more and more products on the market and there is more to come. It pleases us all immensely.

Questions posed by Bijan Kafi.

Economy

SEKEM Encouraging Solar Energy Use in Egypt

T he future belongs to sustainable solutions for power generation.

The path away from nuclear and fos-sil fuels to an energy economy fully based on renewable energy sources is the goal. SEKEM’s commitment to this sector is demonstrated by the multi-pronged approach of the initiative to the idea of sustainable development.

With strong support from an Austrian firm, the initiative is now poised to become a pioneer in tech-nological development of renewable energy sources such as biomass or solar energy. Together with “Sekem Energy”, a company based in Austria, SEKEM is now well on the way to becoming more sustainable itself by switching to renewable sources also in its own energy supply. Sekem Energy has as its vision the idea to take advan-tage of existing regional resources to boost local use of sustainable energy production.

SEKEM and Sekem Energy have joined forces in a project to harness the enormous potential of solar power in Egypt and to begin promotion of large-scale solar thermal systems for hot water production in apartment build-ings, hotels, and industrial plants. They aim to eventually offer affordable technological components to Egyptian buyers. A first demonstration plant will be constructed to serve SEKEM’s firm ISIS. It will make use of Austrian and Egyptian components and will help to save enormous amounts of natural gas. It will be the first solar installation in the country to produce process heat for industrial use. It will also represent the first station along the international “Energieschaustrasse” (energy dem-onstration route), a road show that aims to showcase pioneering technol-ogies in the field on a global level.

Nicole Olsacher

You can visit SEKEM yourself:www.SEKEM-reisen.de www.aventerra.de

More information:http://www.sekemshop.de!

More information:http://www.sekemenergy.comhttp://www.energieschaustrasse.at

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I would like to be able to stand for what I do. At SEKEM, this is possible for me.

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SEKEM Insight | September 2011 | Page 4

A close and cordial partnership has been the basis of the collabora-

tion of the German trading company Alnatura and SEKEM for many years. Since the early 1990s the cooperation has encompassed the joint develop-ment and production of textiles made from organic cotton and, since 2010, from organic linen. Starting with the organic textile label “Cotton People Organic”, over the years additional brands have been added to the port-folio that is today sold by many differ-ent trading partners around the world.

Partnership, trust and long-term trade agreements are the columns on which the cooperation of SEKEM and Alnatura rests. It is a simple but still modern and unusual form of trade. The common concern of both organic pioneers is to re-think global eco-nomic relationships and realise them collaboratively as partners in ways that „make sense for man and earth“.

This includes both the organic and fair production within SEKEM, conceptual-isation of the later product, its devel-opment, and its distribution through Alnatura, as well as the task of making the joint mission visible through activ-ities of the many partners along the supply chain.

Textiles from SEKEM: a Fixture in the German-Speaking Market

Under the label of “Cotton People Organic” Alnatura today offers prod-ucts made from SEKEM’s organic cot-ton on European specialist markets. They include simple models and sea-sonal fashion for children up to ten years. Especially the basic models are appreciated by many customers because they are available at any time since SEKEM maintains its own quick-access storage. Based on this princi-ple, the second brand from Alnatura,

“biobaby”, offers clothes especially

for shoppers in Alnatura’s drugstores and grocery stores. Alana, the brand of the joint partner dm-drogerie markt GmbH, is also created as a cooper-ative project between dm, Alnatura and SEKEM. It provides a particularly affordable range of baby and toddler clothes and accessories such as blan-kets, sleeping bags, or dolls.

People Wear Organic

Together with SEKEM Alnatura also realised a high-quality brand for baby and children‘s textiles exclusive to Alnatura’s organic supermarkets. Its products come in an attractive and practical cardboard packaging made from recycled paper. This type of packaging already corresponds to the requirements of the Global Organic Textile Standard (Worldwide Natural Textile Standard) in terms of sustaina-bility, which will come into effect only by 2014.

Shaping the Future

SEKEM and Alnatura learn together and from each other. Making good use of the better understanding of global trade it provides, such close collabo-ration allows to shape an economic future that makes sense for every-one. The requests by our customers and our own demands to quality still serve as the ultimate guidelines. In the future Alnatura and SEKEM will strive to further expand their product port-folios, translate the growing demand into healthy growth, and increase the quality of our common performance. Alnatura is excited to develop these opportunities together with SEKEM, its customers, and partners.

Jan MillerJan Miller is head of marketing and sales for

natural textiles at Alnatura.

Joyful and Healthy Clothing Made in Egypt

For many years Alnatura und SEKEM’s firm Naturetex have been closely collaborating to bring healthy and affordable natural textiles to Europe.

Economy

Many products from Alnatura’s portfolio of organic textiles are made from SEKEM’s organic cotton.

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I n August 2011 I participated in a training course on ecological vil-

lage design as an employee of SEKEM sustainability team. SEKEM intends to incorporate insights from the field of sustainable settlement design into its own future projects. It will get its first chance to do so by the end of November 2011 when it will host a conference dedicated to eco-village design enti-tled „Empowering Communities for Sustainable Development in North Africa.“

Eco-Village Design Education

The very practice-oriented “Eco-Village Design Education” (EDE) pro-gramme is held in the German model eco-village Sieben Linden in Saxony-Anhalt, a county in East Germany. It provides a comprehensive introduc-tion to the principles of designing sus-tainable settlements. Participants actually learn everything necessary in

order to create them themselves. The EDE concept rests on four dimensions: it highlights the social, economic, eco-logical and ideological aspects in addition to the principles of actual design. These principles are taught also through community activities and practical artistic exercises.

Design, Ecology, Economy

The “Sleeping Dragon” was a highly unusual experience for me. This inno-vative approach aims to foster a better understanding of the social compo-nent of the process of developing complex projects through direct, inter-personal experience. Within a prac-tice group, participants carry out an exercise of “collaborative dreaming” and apply the results of their common experience to a chosen projects they lead through its stages of brainstorm-ing, planning, and eventual implemen-tation - a fascinating way of learning,

which underscores the importance of the social dimension in projects.

I found the ecological aspect of design to be the most interesting as it dealt with directly applicable technol-ogies. We were supposed to not only understand technologies of construc-tion, but also to test them ourselves. I focused on the construction of solar-powered installations, which can be very helpful tools in sun-spoiled Egypt.

I had already been familiar with var-ious construction techniques such as straw houses, compost toilets, the permaculture approach, or ecolog-ical sanitation systems. However, I had never examined them close-up. In the course I could now see how much SEKEM has already adapted success-ful concepts to the conditions of Egypt.

The course also influenced my think-ing about the good and bad aspects of globalization. We learned about the economic impact of giving, for instance, and the idea of the “philan-thropic economy” as economic mod-els of the future that may one day even replace capitalism.

Next Steps

The course was a great tool for me to not only acquire knowledge but also to expand my contacts with the 38 par-ticipants from 17 countries. These new linkages will be useful for future pro-jects of SEKEM in Africa. SEKEM is now even considering to offer an EDE course in Egypt.

Sameh Abdel Hamid

Sameh Abdel Hamid is an agronomist and director of production at SEKEM’s El Mizan firm as well as a member of the sustainability team.

Learning Sustainable DesignIn August, SEKEM co-worker Sameh Abdel Hamid had the chance to spend time in an East German village to learn the art of sustainable village design. For SEKEM Insight he tells about his impressions.

Economy

More information:http://www.gaiaeducation.org/!

Participants of the EDE course in Sieben Linden practice their practical collaboration skills.

SEKEM Insight | September 2011 | Page 6

Impressions from SEKEM

T he employees of the German SEKEM branch, which has its headquarters in Bochum, take care of the marketing and distribution of SEKEM products throughout Europe. They also represent the initiative and its firms at all major trade fairs in the organic sector in Germany and sometimes even abroad.

The team led by Christoph Kampschulte will present SEKEM’s products at fairs in October 2011 in Augsburg BioSüd (02.10.2011) and BioNord in Hanover (15./16.10.2011).

On both occasions the SEKEM Europe GmbH team will showcase SEKEM products at the demeter market-place, a form of presentation that has proven itself on the BioFach trade fair for many years. A number of renowned international demeter producers come together at the demeter marketplace every year to exhibit their products and improve the visibility of the trademark „demeter“.

Impressions

SEKEM Insight | September 2011 | Page 7

The German organisation denkwerk zukunft, a think tank focusing on alter-native economies and sustainable development based in Bonn, is call-ing on politicians and citizens to begin the process of moving away from cap-italist consumer culture. „When denk-werk zukunft was launched in 2008, it was accepted opinion that economic growth inevitably leads to greater material prosperity and may also solve

many social problems. Meanwhile, dis-illusionment has set in”, the organisa-tion says in a press release. Denkwerk zukunft has now published a memoran-dum „For a Change of Consciousness. From Consumer Culture to a Culture of Affluence”. It aims to serve as a guide as to how a reorientation of individual and collective visions and behaviours concerning growth and prosperity can be brought about. In short, the doc-uments aims to be nothing less but a call to action for cultural renewal.

Source: denkwerk zukunft

With its new donor portal the GLS Bank has begun to offer a platform to advertise to potential donors the phil-anthropic projects of non-profit organ-izations. The portal offers former a comprehensive overview and the abil-ity to directly pledge their financial support.

On the portal potential donors can be easily matched with nonprofit organizations and their projects. To this end the platform provides an over-view of charitable initiatives that, after prior registration, may present them-selves with individual profiles. It fur-thermore supplies people intending to commit themselves financially to char-itable causes with a transparent selec-tion process and various options for direct donations.

The portal is structured into nine different categories representing phil-anthropic causes open for donations from health to children and youth to environmental protection and nature conservation. Each project features multiple illustrations and is described in detail. A virtual map allows for easy geographical location of the initiatives.

Requirements for participation include formal non-profit status, a GLS Bank membership, and a donation account at the bank. Users of the por-tal may also fall back on a special ser-vice by the GLS Treuhand. The bank’s own non-profit arm then takes care of the management of all donations.

Source: GLS Bank

Decoupling Quality of Life From Growth

News in Brief

Masthead:The editors of SEKEM Insight wish to thank all contributors to this issue.

Editor:Bijan Kafi

Contact:SEKEM-Insightc/o SEKEM HoldingP.O.Box 2834, El Horreya, Heliopolis, Cairo, Egypt insight@SEKEM.com

Pictures: Pages 1: SEKEM Europe GmbH; 2,3: SEKEM; 4: Alnatura; 5: Sameh Abdel Hamid; 6,7: Bijan Kafi

No republication without written consent by the publisher.

GLS Bank Launches Donor Portal

The Swiss parliament will soon have to deal with the question of whether cows should be allowed to wear horns or not. An initiative of Swiss citizens has now submitted to a legislative pro-posal that is supported by surprisingly many people. The group are commit-ted to animal welfare and are voicing their unwillingness to accept the com-mon practice of dehorning cows. They further propose that farmers whose animals are allowed to keep their horns should be compensated by the government with an amount of one Swiss francs per cow and day.

The dehorning of cattle is not allowed by the demeter farming guide-lines. In fact, cows are even required to be permitted to keep their horns throughout their lifetime. The milk produced by cows wearing horns is widely understood to be not only bet-ter in quality but also compatibility with the human body. This was also the result of a recent symposium of the Federation of demeter-farmers in Germany on milk production.

In Switzerland the practice of dehorning cows began in the 1970s, at a time of general intensification of agriculture. The practice, however, is known to have been carried out before in Argentina where livestock breeding focuses primarily on meat production.

Source: NNA

Swiss Parliament Debates Cow Horns

More information:http://bit.ly/oS8NJM!

More information:http://www.denkwerkzukunft.de/index.php/presse/index/PM-BW%2002_08_11

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More information:www.gls-spendenportal.de!