Verdelise

Verdelise is a project for local communities in the Atacama desert in the north of Chile. The project focuses on social innovation and leveraging a network of local stakeholders to create a mutually beneficial collaborations.The scale of the mining industry in Chile is disporportionate to the available local resources. Both labour and food are mainly sourced from other parts of chile. A large influx of resources results in waste streams that are very large in comparison to the regions standards. Using anaerobic digestion technology Verdelise transforms the food waste stream into fertiliser and bio-gas.

Because the region has over 250 mines there is a great potential to tackle bigger problems in the long run. Verdelise incorporates this long-term perspective right from the start. By teaching farmers about native plant species that revitalize desert land on the boundaries of their plot, Verdelise takes on the massive problem of desertification. The Atacama Desert is spreading with 1 meter every day. 2/3 of Chile is experiencing moderate to severe desertification. By planting native species and nourishing them with the generated fertiliser the growth of the desert can be stopped and the amount of water retained in the soil improves dramatically, which is an important advantage to have in the driest desert on this planet!