Executive Summary

According to Maslow's Hierarchy, the most fundamental needs of human beings are food and water security. However, CSI funding primarily focuses on education, resulting in a failure to reach the masses. Why do businesses not understand that they need not become involved in this process? When you teach people to fish, you empower them!

JP Management Consultants is committed to empowering informal settlements by introducing the concept of 'farming' in their backyards. By implementing permaculture, we aim to transform these areas into self-sustaining gardens. This initiative focuses on agriculture, igniting hope and inspiring these communities to develop their own township circular economy. We present permaculture as a socio-economic solution within the informal economy, which is already valued at R750 billion annually.

JPMC is at the forefront of analysing social risks and conceptualising solutions (see Annexure Two). We implement CSI and sustainability objectives that provide food security, create jobs, stimulate small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and establish a law-and-order framework that can be incorporated into local governments' Integrated Development Plans. Informal settlements will be divided into zones, with each zone allocated a Spaza shop. Furthermore, each zone will encompass no more than ten streets, supplying produce harvested from the Permadome (SASSA grants remain within the community).

Our methodology aligns with global sustainability objectives and presents a significant opportunity for large businesses to introduce their CSI strategies and engage with the informal economy, thereby contributing to economic growth. The strategy centred around the M-Plan involves mobilising Street Committees. We aim to transform every street in the informal settlement into a potential agricultural pod, creating pockets of excellence street by street and initiating a green revolution that could profoundly impact economic growth.