The World Food Prize Foundation

CeluNova

CeluNova works with pineapple farmers to turn discarded leaves into a new source of income. After harvest, pineapple leaves are typically burned or left to decompose, creating costs for farmers and contributing to air pollution. We purchase this agricultural residue and transform it into an absorbent material used in essential hygiene products such as diapers.
 
This approach creates social value by reducing open field burning, improving air quality and strengthening rural livelihoods without competing with food production or land use. Farmers benefit from an additional revenue stream generated from materials that previously had no market value.
 
CeluNova collaborates with large pineapple producers, including Piñera Carmelitas, enabling agricultural communities to participate in global supply chains through sustainable residue management. By connecting farmers to industrial markets, our model supports economic resilience in rural areas while addressing environmental challenges linked to agricultural waste. Through this system, CeluNova demonstrates how agriculture can play a central role in climate solutions, transforming waste into value and aligning farmer incentives with more sustainable industrial practices.
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