21 mrt

Mabira Forest Lodge Uganda

In Uganda there is a small rainforest under pressure near Kampala. The Mukono area is around 1600 hectares. Our own company, Mabira Forest lodge has been developed in this rainforest. The resort can accommodate 50 guests. It has a restaurant and a small swimming pool overlooking the pristine nature. We have targeted a growing group of travellers, tourists, and businessmen and women. People with a conscience who want to enjoy the full potential of a tropical destination without having a negative impact on the people and the planet. This has worked; the lodge still welcomes many tourists every year.

The community in Mukono consists of around 25.000 people. It is a mix of different tribes. They live from agriculture, handicrafts, tree felling and entrepreneurship. Mabira Forest Lodge became also a flywheel for ecological, early circular, social and economic development in the region. It was the driver of transformation to a new economy. We built a new ecosystem in cooperation with many different stakeholders. This was based on a shared vision for the area, our common ground.

The flywheel for integrated transformation became a model we called ‘COOLRegion’. We developed this with Wageningen UR in NL, Forest Trends USA, Ashoka and Kampala University in Uganda. The World Bank noticed the progress we had made in Uganda and invited us to present the lodge and COOLRegion in Washington DC.

02 mrt

Country Estate Groot Marienbosch

Country Estate Landgoed Groot Marienbosch, 823 hectares, is situated in Commewijne, 30 minutes from Paramaribo, Surinam. It is an old cacao, orange plantation with a traditional country house, which was built in 1749. Many animals can be found on the plantation, like monkeys, special birds and many butterflies’. On this country estate sustainable tourism, wellness is combined with ” green” development. Agriculture that is suitable on the partly salty ground of the country estate. University of Wageningen but also islands like Texel in the Netherlands have experience in growing “green” on salty ground. Large-scale forestry is not possible. 100%Zomer was the entrepreneur; co-founder, co-owner and statutory director.

17 mrt

Hacienda La Esperanza Country Estate, Costa Rica

Hacienda la Esperanza in Costa Rica is a beautiful unique country estate initiated by Forest Returns (www.forestreturns.com) and acquired with a group of investors. This is a sustainable country estate situated at Peninsula Nicoya, near Tambor in Costa Rica. The company is situated on 1035 hectares of land. The income is created by CO2 compensation projects, teak wood and tourism. There are several authentic houses on the Hacienda that are currently rented to network partners of Forest Returns. Hacienda La Esperanza is part of the largest blue zone in the world! After identifying 5 of the world’s Blue Zones, National Geographic took teams of scientists to each location. To identify lifestyle characteristics that might explain longevity. They found that the lifestyles of all Blue Zones residents shared nine specific characteristics.

02 mei

South Sudan Integrated Sustainable Nation Building

100% Zomer was approached by a sustainable investor and forestry organization to advise on a project in South Sudan set up by an Israeli Foundation called Saureyah. The board existed of a group of pioneers from hedge funds and impact investors and a prince from Benin. The chairperson inherited a fertile and strategically situated piece of land from his family in South Sudan. They asked 100% Zomer for a 2nd opinion on their business plan, strategic planning, communication and management.

23 apr

De Slinger Utrecht

100% Zomer transformed de Slinger Utrecht. From an old school social business network to a new integrated sustainable city business network. We created an enabling environment for this change and got the support from old and current partners. Marije van Zomeren guided the first phase implementation as a temporary transformation director.

07 mrt

FairMatch Support, Value chain innovation

FMS wants to build long lasting trade relations for poverty reduction. At the time of the project there were 20.000 cashew producers / partners in various countries connected to FMS. FMS wanted to grow; by the end of 2012 to 45.000 cashew producers in 4 different countries for specialty markets and link these producers to high end export markets. FMS worked currently in 3 categories: 1. Fair Trade, 2. Organic and 3. Mainstream

07 mrt

Grenada, integrated sustainable island building

Grenada is an island that is part of the Caricom. This is an organization like the EU in the Caribbean. Grenada is also known as the “Island of Spice” because of the production of nutmeg and mace crops of which Grenada is one of the world’s largest exporters. Its size is 344 square kilometers (133 sq. mi), with an estimated population of 110,000. Surinam is also part of the Caricom a country in which 100% Zomer has developed several businesses in Surinam. Besides that 100% Zomer transformed several (secluded) areas in Surinam into integrated sustainable micro economies.