Gras straws from Uganda tor the market in Europe

THE CHALLENGE
“Ourroots” is a Start-Up from Uganda which produces biodegradable and compostable drinking straws and wants to expand to the European market. This project was designed to identify potential customer groups for their product in the European market. “Ourroots” is a Start-Up supported by the Social innovation Academy (SINA), which has the aim to help marginalized youth become social entrepreneurs, thereby creating resilient and self-reliant communities.

OUTCOMES
The project resulted in the following concrete outcomes and options for the client:

• Private end consumers and retailers represent the most realistic buyer groups, as concerns regarding the reusability of the product have arisen, especially in the catering and hotel industry.
• The possibility of a fair trade seal could also be a possible marketing tool, but Ourroots should decide at this point whether they can and want to meet the standards of the seal.
• According to the interview results, the price is of secondary importance if the product can actually be reused. 5 euros for 25 straws seem to be the price customers are willing to pay.