permaculture

Workshop Module 13: Cooperatives and Enterprise Development 343

EXERCISE

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Creative thinking : Enterprise brainstorm

Method : Participatory small group project brainstorm

Tools : Black/white board, large paper, markers

References : PC Book MOD 13 – Cooperatives and Enterprise Development

Objective : Participants create a cooperative or enterprise

This exercise uses the knowledge that the participants have gained from the previous
exercises to develop ideas about appropriate small enterprises through a group
brainstorm.

The following modules all contain exercises that could be used as ideas for developing
products and services for a community cooperative or small enterprises.

• Module 03 - Houses, Water Supply, and Waste Management.


• Module 05 - Seed Saving and Nurseries.


• Module 06 - Home and Community Gardens.


• Module 07 - Farming.


• Module 08 - Forests, Tree Crops, and Bamboo.


• Module 10 - Animal Systems.


• Module 11 - Aquaculture.


• Module 12 - Appropriate Technology.

Participants can choose products or a system on which to base their cooperative or
enterprise from any of those modules or use other ideas. They may also choose to
combine various components from different modules.

For example:

• An aquaculture system + a solar dryer = dried fish product.


• A community seed saving group + nursery + potting soil production.

Step 1 - Create workgroups and define focus areas

• Ask the participants to divide into smaller workgroups.


• Each group should choose a base idea for their cooperative or small enterprise to
  work from.

Step 2 - Brainstorm the cooperative ideas

• The groups can develop their cooperative or enterprise.


• Each enterprise should include a range of products to sell, including value added
  products.