Crossing the triple bottom line, one sheep at a time🐑✨

Meet WOOLE!

WOOLE is one of the thousands of sheep in Croatia with a wool that is cut on average of 200-300 tons a year. This wool goes directly into waste, that is until Dragica stepped up to make a positive change.

Transforming waste into wonder

Meet Dragica Jerkov, the impact entrepreneur behind Eko-LIKA, a business that built the leading center for the production of organic fertilizer from raw sheep wool at a regional level.

By using wool as a resource for the production of organic fertilizer and repellent, instead of treating it as waste, they have successfully solved an environmental problem that has endangered national parks and nature parks in Lika. Braaaaa-lliant, right?

Wool-come visit

In September 2024, EMMIE third cohort was wool-comed to visit the production site where we were able to see first hand how the raw sheep wool goes step by step in the process to become a pellet fertilizer. We learned how Eko-Lika fertilizers retain moisture and gradually releases it into the ground, reducing water consumption by 25% increasing yields upto 30%.

Dragica didn’t just think outside the box—she thought outside the barn!!

EMMIEs learned a lot from this visit and seeing the positive impact Eko-Lika creates first hand was, well, a wool-derful inspiration!

“The visit was an eye-opening experience to see sustainable production in action, particularly witnessing the transformative impact of innovative recycling processes and meeting inspiring business driving positive change” said one EMMIE student.

The triple bottom line

The use of raw wool at Eko-Lika to create a sustainable business contributes to the environment and achieves CO2 neutrality exemplies the triple bottom line(TBL). A framework that integrates social, economic and environemnt goals into its operations. A concept that is very close to our heart, here at EMMIE. By focusing on people, planet and profit, Eco-LIKA not only promotes sustainable development in Croatia’s karst region but also serves as a model for circular economy practices worldwide.  TBL is all about baaaaa-lance.

As impact entrepreneurs, we are inspired to integrate these principles into our own ventures. The triple bottom line isn’t just a lofty ideal framework – it’s a practical approach to build resilient, impactful businesses that contribute to a sustainable future. We are all using to reshape how we view entrepreneurship as we broaden our businesses to create a value beyond financial returns.  Eko-LIKA has raised the 🐑baaaaa for us all, and now it’s up to us to carry that torch forward—one sheep, one business, and one impact at a time.

Nardos Berehe

EMMIE Scholar from the 3rd cohort