ACTIVITY

Business profile

Medicinal plant growing – ecologic production and processing of medicinal plants, packing and distribution of herbal teas and spices.

Support received

• own knowledge and experience accumulated before starting the business
• support from family
• support from the community

Social problem addressed

• underdevelopment and abandonment of local villages, lack of jobs
• villagers moving to cities
• healthy, local food growing and processing knowledge endangered
• cultural heritage endangered

SOCIAL IMPACT

Sustainable social entreprise – organic agriculture and processing of local food – organic production and processing of medicinal plants, packing and distribution of herbal teas and spices:

• offering jobs and assuring income to local villagers
• giving example to locals on ways of using local resources, on preserving cultural heritage
• attracting tourists to the village (the brand name of the company has the name of the village)
• without poisoning the fertile land with chemicals, polluting the air and water
• with zero waste

Target group (groups of persons employed by the business or involved in its activities):

• local villagers/families
• students
• local and EU volunteers

Level of distribution/commercialisation of herbs and spices):

• local, regional and national level (retailers shops)
• EU, UK
• outside EU: USA, Canada (retailer’s shops)

KEY CHALLENGES AND SUCCESS FACTORS / SKILLS AND COMPETENCES

Motivation

• offering solutions to local problems
• become a good example to follow other social entrepreneurs

Challenges

• find the balance between family and business life
• manage the business in such a way to have some profit as well, which partly can be reinvested for further development of the company

Success factors & Skills and competences

• creativity, critical thinking, decision making, communication/foreign language knowledge, open mindedness, willing to contribute to the community development, organisational knowledge
• up to date professional knowledge (organic medicinal plant and herb growing)
• experience in business management

Benefits

• healthy lifestyle, significantly less stress, sense of satisfaction